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"Persecution of Christians 'coming close to genocide' in Middle East – report"

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"Persecution of Christians 'coming close to genocide' in Middle East – report"

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Leaders across the Middle East are accused of either tolerating or instigating persecution

"In the Middle East the population of Christians used to be about 20%; now it’s 5%.”

“The level and nature of persecution is arguably coming close to meeting the international definition of genocide, according to that adopted by the UN.”

Governments being required to bring perpetrators to justice, provide aid to victims, and take preventative measures for the future.

Christians are being brought to force migration

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/02/persecution-driving-christians-out-of-middle-east-report

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Pervasive persecution of Christians, sometimes amounting to genocide, is ongoing in parts of the Middle East, and has prompted an exodus in the past two decades, according to a report commissioned by the British foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt.

Millions of Christians in the region have been uprooted from their homes, and many have been killed, kidnapped, imprisoned and discriminated against, the report finds. It also highlights discrimination across south-east Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and in east Asia - often driven by state authoritarianism.

"The inconvenient truth," the report finds, is "that the overwhelming majority (80%) of persecuted religious believers are Christians".

Some of the report's findings will make difficult reading for leaders across the Middle East who are accused of either tolerating or instigating persecution. The Justice and Development (AK) party of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for instance, is highlighted for denigrating Christians.

Hunt described the interim report - published on Thursday, based on a review led by the bishop of Truro, the Rt Rev Philip Mounstephen - as "truly sobering", especially since it came as "the world was seeing religious hatred laid bare in the appalling attacks at Easter on churches across Sri Lanka, and the devastating attack on two mosques in Christchurch ".

Hunt, an Anglican, has made the issue of Christian persecution one of the major themes of his foreign secretaryship. "I think we have shied away from talking about Christian persecution because we are a Christian country and we have a colonial past, so sometimes there's a nervousness there," he said. "But we have to recognise - and that's what the bishop's report points out very starkly - that Christians are the most persecuted religious group."

He added: "What we have forgotten in this atmosphere of political correctness is actually the Christians that are being persecuted are some of the poorest people on the planet. In the Middle East the population of Christians used to be about 20%; now it's 5%."

"We've all been asleep on the watch when it comes to the persecution of Christians. I think not just the bishop of Truro's report but obviously what happened in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday has woken everyone up with an enormous shock."

The interim report is designed to set out the scale of the persecution and a final report in the summer will set out how the British Foreign Office can do more to raise awareness of the issue.

The report shows that a century ago Christians comprised 20% of the population in the Middle East and north Africa, but since then the proportion has fallen to less than 4%, or roughly 15 million people.

In the Middle East and north Africa, the report says, "forms of persecution ranging from routine discrimination in education, employment and social life up to genocidal attacks against Christian communities have led to a significant exodus of Christian believers from this region since the turn of the century.

"In countries such as Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia the situation of Christians and other minorities has reached an alarming stage. In Saudi Arabia there are strict limitations on all forms of expression of Christianity including public acts of worship. There have been regular crackdowns on private Christian services. The Arab-Israeli conflict has caused the majority of Palestinian Christians to leave their homeland. The population of Palestinian Christians has dropped from 15% to 2%."

Palestinian Christians attend an Orthodox Easter service in Gaza. Photograph: APAImages/Rex/Shutterstock

The report identifies three drivers of persecution: political failure creating a fertile ground for religious extremism; a turn to religious conservatism in countries such as Algeria and Turkey; and institutional weaknesses around justice, the rule of law and policing, leaving the system open to exploitation by extremists.

The report says: "The rise of hate speech against Christians in state media and by religious leaders, especially in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia, has compromised the safety of Christians and created social intolerance."

In findings that may pose difficulties for the UK as it seeks to build relations across the Middle East, the report states: "In some cases the state, extremist groups, families and communities participate collectively in persecution and discriminatory behaviour. In countries such as Iran, Algeria and Qatar, the state is the main actor, where as in Syria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Egypt both state and non-state actors, especially religious extremist groups, are implicated."

"In 2017 a total of 99 Egyptian Christians were killed by extremist groups, with 47 killed on Palm Sunday in Tanta and Alexandria. Egyptian Christians were continuously targeted by extremist groups during 2017 and 2018.

"Arrest, detention and imprisonment are common in Iran, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. For example in the course of six days before Christmas 2018, 114 Christians were arrested in Iran with court cases left pending as a form of intimidation. Though most cases in Iran involve converts, indigenous Christians such as Pastor Victor, an Assyrian Christian, with his wife, Shamiram Issavi, have also been targeted and imprisoned."

It also highlights how states, and state-sponsored social media, sometimes incite hatred and publish propaganda against Christians, especially in Iran, Iraq and Turkey. "The governing AK party in Turkey depicts Christians as a 'threat to the stability of the nation'. Turkish Christian citizens have often been stereotyped as not real Turks but as western collaborators."

In Saudi Arabia, the report says, school textbooks "teach pupils religious hatred and intolerance towards non-Muslims, including Christians and Jews".

The report says freedom of religious belief can also act as a means of helping those suffering gender discrimination, since there is clear evidence that female Christians suffer disproportionately.

Defending the claim of genocide, the report says: "The level and nature of persecution is arguably coming close to meeting the international definition of genocide, according to that adopted by the UN."

The eradication of Christians and other minorities on pain of "the sword" or other violent means was revealed to be the specific and stated objective of extremist groups in Syria, Iraq, Egypt, north-east Nigeria and the Philippines. An intent to erase all evidence of the Christian presence was made plain by the removal of crosses, the destruction of church buildings and other church symbols.

"The killing and abduction of clergy represented a direct attack on the church's structure and leadership. Where these and other incidents meet the tests of genocide, governments will be required to bring perpetrators to justice, aid victims and take preventative measures for the future. The main impact of such genocidal acts against Christians is exodus."

Referring to the universal declaration of human rights, the report concludes: "The challenge that faces us at the beginning of the 21st century is not that we need to fight for a just legal system, it is rather that to our shame, we have abjectly failed to implement the best system that women and men have yet devised to protect universal freedoms."

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Persecution of Christians 'coming close to genocide' in Middle East - report

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Millions uprooted from homes, says UK-commissioned report, with many jailed and killed

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"As the Sri Lanka attacks show, Christians worldwide face serious persecution"

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"As the Sri Lanka attacks show, Christians worldwide face serious persecution"

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Sri Lanka church was bombed on April 2019 and this caused the issue of persecution to take rise

20th and 21st century christians have been fleeing the Middle East by attacks

No protest or awareness came from the "Secular west" (In western concept of secularism, religion is relegated entirely to the private sphere and has no place in public life whatsoever.)

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As the Sri Lanka attacks show, Christians worldwide face serious persecution | Giles Fraser

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It is ignored in the west, but Christianity is the most persecuted religion. Why is there such silence on the issue, asks parish priest Giles Fraser

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Is the increasing prevalence of Christian persecution globally indicative of a failure in safeguarding religious freedom? Has there been any support or action being taken to better this global issue?

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"The Persecution Of Christians Keeps Surging Around The World"

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"The Persecution Of Christians Keeps Surging Around The World"

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By Richard Ostling

An organization named "Open Doors" made a report in 2022 reporting that christian persecution has been on the rise. Fourteen percent of christians worldwide are experiencing harassment, discrimination, and persecution. According to Open doors, half of christians are "murdered for their faith." Places such as North Korea and Afghanistan are the worst places to be a christian.

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The Persecution Of Christians Keeps Surging Around The World

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(OPINION) The 2022 report from the Open Doors organization says “persecution of Christians has reached the highest levels” since it began accumulating data for its annual “World Watch List” three decades ago. Hostile incidents have increased by 20% since just 2014, and some 360 million Christians, o

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Open Doors Organization was able to help millions of Christians around the world

Worked in more than 70 countries providing support

Open doors has brought awareness and became a voice for Christians worldwide about this issue to the White House, UK Parliament

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North Korea 1

North Korea has returned to no. 1 with the highest levels of persecution ever seen. Its score of 98, an all-time high, reflects an increase in arrests of Christians, and house-churches discovered and closed - under the new 'anti-reactionary thought law'.

Afghanistan 9

Despite its drop in ranking, persecution remains extreme in Afghanistan. Fewer Afghan Christians were killed for their faith in 2022: many have fled or were killed when the Taliban took over. Christian converts who remain are in deep hiding - and would likely face death if discovered.

Christians continue to be brutally attacked in Northern Nigeria. Boko Haram, ISWAP, Fulani militants and other armed bandits have conducted devastating raids on Christian communities. The government continues to deny this is religious persecution, so violations of Christians' rights have been carried out with impunity.

5,621 Christians killed

5,621 Christians were killed for their faith last year. 90% of these were from Nigeria alone. The huge increase in violence in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa has caused more Christians to lose their lives in the last 5 years. Christians killed in 2023 numbered 80% more than five years ago (3,066).

In China, the use of digital surveillance technology is spreading, adding to persecution and intimidation. As digital tools became more sophisticated, so did the Chinese government. Beijing employed censorship, disinformation and unblinking surveillance to ratchet up control of religious groups.

Nicaragua has entered the top 50 for the first time. This reflects government repression which escalated since the April 2018 protests. The reputation of authority and legitimacy the Church has in the country has made it a particular target. Church buildings were damaged, TV stations and colleges closed, religious leaders expelled.

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This displays the top 50 countries that Christians experience the most persecution such as violence, private life, family life, community life, national life, and church life. For example North Korea is ranked number 1 for the most persecuted Christians. They are sent to labour camps, killed, and have no freedom.

Experience persecutions perspectives: https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/about/what-is-christian-persecution

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World Watch List 2026 The World Watch List is Open Doors’ annual ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the…

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"Biden’s border ‘security’ takes aim at Christians"

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"Biden’s border ‘security’ takes aim at Christians"

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President Joe Biden cut the resettlement of Christians being persecuted

Limited refugee resettlement to 15,000 in the year 2021

According to Gayle Manchin, the chief of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. It was said that the number "“fail[ed] to reflect that unprecedented numbers of individuals worldwide are forcibly displaced by conflict or persecution, including based on their religion or belief,”

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Resettlement of those persecuted for faith down by huge margin

The Biden administration's claims that America's southern border is closed - even as its policies allow millions of illegal aliens to flood in - has become one of his greatest misleading statements.

But there is one segment of society that is feeling the full brunt of border security: persecuted Christians.

A report at Decision Magazine documents that the U.S., with Joe Biden now in the White House, has cut the resettlement of Christians fleeing persecution around the globe by 70% - compared to 2016.

"Open Doors, which annually ranks the 50 countries in which it is most difficult to live as a Christian, and World Relief, a global Christian humanitarian organization, issued a joint report in September that in 2022 the U.S. government resettled barely one-third of the number of Christian refugees who were granted asylum in 2016," Decision's report said.

In fact, in 2022, Christians resettled from the most threatening 50 nations for Christian persecution were down 70% from six years earlier. The actual numbers of Christians resettled was 9,528, down from 32,248 in 2016.

Decision Magazine explained, "For example, the number of Christian refugees resettled in 2022 compared to 2016 from Eritrea (#4 on the 2023 World Watch List) was down 85%, Iran (#8) down 95%, Myanmar/Burma (#14) down 92%, and Iraq (#18) down 94%. Just 1,044 Christian refugees from those four countries were resettled last year, compared to 12,883 in 2016."

The documentation shows that in April 2021, just after Biden took office, his appointees limited the refugee resettlement ceiling to just 15,000 for the year - an historic low.

That number "fail[ed] to reflect that unprecedented numbers of individuals worldwide are forcibly displaced by conflict or persecution, including based on their religion or belief," warned Gayle Manchin, the chief of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Former co-chair Tony Perkins said "to stand by our nation's commitment to religious freedom, the United States should be a safe haven for persecuted religious communities."

The Biden administration did adjust the resettlement limit upward later, "but the U.S. still failed to even reach the initial ceiling of 15,000 by the end of the year," Decision Magazine reported.

Before 2017, the average resettlement was about 81,000 per year.

The report also reveals this year Biden's Department of Homeland Security adopted a new rule that mostly restricts eligibility for asylum for those who enter the U.S. other than at a lawful port of entry. And Biden's new process for requesting asylum appointments at ports of entry doesn't have openings enough for those who are requesting that status.

"Today, most Christians in the U.S. recognize the great blessing it is to live in a country with strong protections for religious liberty- where, though in some settings we may be mocked or disliked, very few of us live in fear of losing our lives or being forced to flee our homes because of our faith in Jesus," said Matt Soerens, of World Relief.

"We rightly take pride in our country's long legacy of offering refuge to those persecuted for their faith in other parts of the world. However, as this updated report shows, that legacy-and the well-being of tens of thousands of brothers and sisters in Christ-could be at risk unless we as a nation recommit ourselves to a robust refugee resettlement program and to due process for those seeking asylum.

"And as Americans exercise another vital freedom, to elect our president and other leaders of our nation, I pray that candidates of all backgrounds will stand for religious freedom by supporting robust refugee resettlement and asylum policies."

The report charged, "As this report demonstrates with both statistics and individual stories, followers of Jesus are often among those most at risk of persecution in countries that deny the religious freedom that we believe is a God-given right of each human being. We cannot profess to care for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ if we are unwilling to do what we can to address their physical needs for safety."

It warned, "Globally, more than 360 million Christians face high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. When individuals facing violence and pressure at home determine it is no longer safe to remain, some make the difficult decision to migrate, which is often the result of religious persecution in conjunction with other migratory pressures - hoping and praying to find a safe country that will welcome them."

The report said in the U.S., "recent shifts in U.S. policy reveal that America is no longer the safe haven for displaced persons that it once was."

The report continued, "In its 2023 World Watch List, a research-based overview of religious freedom conditions for Christians worldwide, Open Doors identified several current global trends that contribute to Christian persecution. Chief among them is the power of anti-Christian governments to arrest and execute Christians for practicing their faith. This past year alone, at least 5,621 Christians were killed for their faith, while many others were arrested and imprisoned. But hostility toward Christians doesn't always come directly from the government.

"Social pressures, cultural norms and religious antipathies can also contribute to persecution. Tragically, these religious antipathies often find expression in violence against Christians. This kind of violence from militant religious factions is increasingly common across many areas of the globe, but especially in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast and South Asia, where governments struggle to control extremist groups such as Boko Haram and other ISIS-affiliated clans. In Afghanistan, the Taliban, which returned to power in 2021, targets religious minorities. In Middle Eastern countries such as Iraq and Syria, longstanding conflict has led to the near-extinction of historic Christian communities that have existed since the days of the early Church. Wherever religious extremists can operate unchecked, many Christians fear for their lives and their livelihoods."

The report said, "The tragic reality is that many areas of the world simply aren't safe for Christians, and Christians fleeing persecution need a safe haven in the United States. With religious persecution of Christians at some of the highest levels ever reported, closing the door to refugees and asylum seekers threatens the lives of Christians-and American Christians must not remain silent."

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Biden's border 'security' takes aim at Christians

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A report at Decision Magazine documents that the U.S., with Joe Biden now in the White House, has cut the resettlement of Christians fleeing persecution around the globe by 70% - compared to 2016.

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"Persecuted Christians Increasingly Denied Asylum in U.S."

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"Persecuted Christians Increasingly Denied Asylum in U.S."

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Persecuted Christians Increasingly Denied Asylum in U.S.

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Resettlement of Christians fleeing persecution down by 70% since 2016.

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"Ten Charities that are helping persecuted Christians worldwide"

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"Ten Charities that are helping persecuted Christians worldwide"

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Charities that are currently ongoing to support persecuted christians

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There are more than 360 million persecuted Christians who suffer oppression and discrimination. That's 1 in every 7 believers worldwide. Some are victims of violence and abduction, while others risk losing their jobs and livelihood. A number of charities work on the frontline, offering medical care, education and daily essentials. Others work to abolish or revise unjust laws that are affecting the daily lives of Christians.

How you can support persecuted Christians

If you're interested in finding out you can get involved with supporting the persecuted Church, we've compiled a list of 10 charities that provide practical help and hope to those affected. You can visit their partner pages and, with a Giving Account, start giving them financial support today. Because of our unique Instant Gift Aid feature your eligible gifts will immediately be boosted by 25%.

Open Doors

Helps support persecuted Christians in over 60 countries and have been doing so for more than six decades. They supply Bibles, provide emergency relief and help persecuted believers stand strong for the long-term. In the UK and Ireland, Open Doors helps the church to pray, give and speak out for the Christians who risk their lives to follow Jesus.
Support Open Doors
Release International

Supports persecuted Christians in 30 countries around the world - prayerfully, pastorally and practically. They help raise the voice of persecuted Christians and give them the tools they need to live for Jesus. They also support pastors and Christian prisoners, and their families; supplying Christian literature and Bibles; and working for justice.
Support Release International
Barnabas Fund

Provides aid to Christian minorities who experience discrimination, injustice, violence or persecution because of their faith. They work in over 80 countries through churches and frontline Christian organisations.
Support Barnabas Fund
Christian Solidarity Worldwide

A non-profit human rights organisation specialising in freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). They work in 25 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. CSW is the only advocacy organisation with a sole focus on freedom of religion or belief that has United Nations accreditation.
Support Christian Solidarity Worldwide
Christian Freedom International

Aids, equips and advocates for oppressed and persecuted Christians. They provide spiritual and physical help for suffering Christians to live in the dignity of God's love and rise above their circumstances. They offer ways for Christians to ease the burdens of persecuted Christians through prayer, action, and giving.
Find out more
Mission Network News

Aims to be the voice of missions, the persecuted Church, and Christians in hard-to-reach areas of the world. Mission Network News is part of Oneway Ministries.
Find out more
ChinaAid

For 20 years, ChinaAid has worked to expose human rights abuses and promote truth, justice and freedom by advocating for religious freedom and the rule of law in China.
Find out more
Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement

Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) is an interdenominational organisation working for Christians and religious minorities who are being persecuted because of their faith in Pakistan. They provide practical support and campaign for the abolishment or revision of unjust laws and policies that are ruining people's lives. They are currently campaigning to end forced conversion.
Support CLAAS
Steadfast Global

A Scottish voice for persecuted Christians around the globe. They engage in practical assistance projects which help to restore dignity and hope to persecuted Christians without creating dependency.
Support Steadfast Global
The Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East (FRRME)

Mosaic Middle East is a Christian charity working across ethnic and religious divides bringing hope, help and healing in the Middle East. They focus on the needs of the millions of refugees and displaced people in Jordon and Iraq.
Support FRRME
Get started with a Stewardship Giving Account

A Stewardship Giving Account can help you discover more charities working for causes you care about. It provides you with full visibility of how much you give and who you are supporting, and the flexibility to make changes to your giving at any time.

Find out how you could be increasing the impact of your gifts today.

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10 Charities that are helping persecuted Christians worldwide

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Discover how you can start supporting charities that are helping persecuted Christians in the toughest parts of the world.