The non-profit organization “Open Doors” published the 2023 “Global Watch List”, revealing that in the past year, 5,621 Christians were killed, 4,542 Christians were arrested, and 5,259 Christians were kidnapped.
(Vatican News Network)Over 360 million Christians worldwide experience a high level of persecution or discrimination because of their beliefs; in other words, one in seven Christians is persecuted. That’s the status quo in the 2023 World Watch List from the nonprofit Open Doors.
The organization published this year’s report in 25 countries including Italy on January 18. It is the result of the research team’s observations on the situation of Christians in 100 countries around the world. The report shows that from October 2021 to September 2022, a total of 5,621 Christians were killed, 4,542 were arrested, and 5,259 were kidnapped.
According to the ranking of countries according to the severity of persecution, North Korea ranks first. Open Doors explains that in North Korea, the increase in the number of Christians being arrested and the closing of a large number of churches is also due to the new wave of persecution sparked by the Law Against Reactionary Ideology and Culture. Under this law, it was a crime to publish any foreign material, including the Bible.
The countries immediately behind North Korea are Somalia, Yemen, Eritrea and Libya. In these countries, most areas have a strong Islamic color and have very low tolerance for Christians. Open Doors makes it clear that the persecution stems from radical Islamic tribal societies, active extremism, and common unrest. In these places, Christians must live their religious lives in secrecy; if they were discovered, they would risk their lives. This is especially the case for converts from Islam to Christianity.
The most dangerous places in the world for Christians are Nigeria and Pakistan, where atrocities against Christians are worst. In Iran, Christians and churches are seen as a major threat to the Islamic regime, and converts to Christianity are exposed to great danger. Afghanistan and Sudan are not far behind.
In Myanmar, more than 100,000 people have been forced to leave their homes, go into hiding, or flee the country; there have been thousands of cases of destruction or attack on Christian homes, shops, and properties. This shows that certain minorities are targeted by the military regime simply because they profess the Christian faith.
During the year, the number of churches attacked or forced to close halved, according to the World Watch List. Worryingly, however, there has been a surge in kidnappings, the vast majority in Africa, especially in Nigeria, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Hundreds of thousands of Christians have been beaten or received death threats simply because of their Christian faith.
In addition to violence, the report shows that Christians are also disturbed in their daily lives, encounter employment discrimination, and find it difficult to seek medical and schooling. Christians who refuse to renounce their faith are under tremendous pressure and threats, and even cannot be rescued in natural disasters.
As for the rest of the world, in Latin America, religious freedom is also at risk because of mismanagement of the government, high crime rates, etc. Christians are seen as a voice of opposition and are subject to government repression, a phenomenon common in Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba, where Christian leaders have even been imprisoned without trial for participating in protests.
In addition, the number of Christians fleeing persecution has skyrocketed, becoming the so-called “Church in Refuge”. In the Middle East, for example, the number of Christians is decreasing due to poverty, discrimination and persecution, and young people continue to emigrate in search of a better future.
Additionally, Open Doors provides an overview of violence and assault against Christian women. This aspect is difficult to verify because, due to cultural and social considerations, few cases are reported in most countries. However, according to testimonies collected by Open Doors, in the past year there have been 2,126 related cases and more than 717 forced marriages.
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