Last year, warnings were issued that persecution of Christians around the world had worsened significantly.
According to Christianity Today (CT), the Christian charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) said in a new report that “the threat of violence, discrimination and other human rights violations against Christians is increasing.”
The report analyzed data from 18 countries of particular concern from the summer of 2022 to the summer of 2024, including that “the epicenter of armed Islamist violence has shifted from the Middle East to Africa, It also included the statement, “Christians are exposed to extreme violence due to their faith.”
Authoritarian regimes in countries such as China, Eritrea, India, and Iran are increasingly repressing Christians and viewing them as enemies of the state or community. In particular, Christian girls were more likely to be threatened with kidnapping, sexual violence, forced marriage, and conversion.
In some countries, Christians are caught up in situations where the state weaponizes laws, such as criminalizing religious practices that are deemed to be an affront to the state religion.
Christians in many countries are imprisoned for their faith, particularly in Eritrea, where about 400 people have been imprisoned without trial. In Iran, the number of Christians imprisoned for their faith increased from 59 in 2021 to 166 in 2023. The number of Christians imprisoned in China is estimated to range from a few thousand to about 10,000.
In India, cases of attacks and other persecution against Christians increased from 599 in 2022 to 720 in 2023. Myanmar’s military has been accused of destroying more than 200 places of worship, including 85 churches.
In some countries, years of persecution or conflict have led to an exodus of Christians. It is estimated that there are currently 250,000 Christians remaining in Syria, compared to more than 1.5 million in 2011 before the civil war broke out. In Iraq, the Christian population has decreased from about 1 million 20 years ago to less than 200,000 today.
“Onslaughts by Islamic extremist militants have led to mass displacement of Christian communities, destabilizing and disenfranchising them, raising questions about the long-term survival of the church in key areas,” said a report released recently by the U.S. Congress.
He also said, “Authoritarian regimes in China, Eritrea, India, and Iran have strengthened repressive measures against Christians in the name of religious nationalism or state secularism and communism,” adding, “These restrictions include harsher measures for charges of insulting national ideology.” It included punishments, confiscation of places of worship, increased arrests of clergy and laity, and extended periods of detention.”
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