312 million Christians are persecuted for their faith in just fifty nations. These are the places where it is most dangerous to profess Christianity, according to a report by the Open Doors organization.
Asia, Africa and Islam
One in five Christians are persecuted in Africa. Two out of five, in Asia. These two continents dominate the list, with 46 of the 50 countries where it is most risky to worship Christ.
In 33 countries on this list of 50 that mistreat Christians, the majority religion is Islam. But in ten of them, paradoxically, the most practiced religion is Christianity itself. There are four mostly Buddhist nations that persecute Christians, two that officially declare themselves agnostic (North Korea and China) and one Hindu.
The relationship between Islam and the siege of the religion of the cross is not accidental, as Raymond Ibrahim explains in this article in Voz Media. Even, the author explains, in cases of sexual abuse.
North Korea, leader in persecution
"North Korea remains a brutally hostile place for Christians," analyzes Open Doors in its report from the Asian country. The organization estimates that there are 400,000 Christians living under the one-man dictatorship of Kim Jong-un.
If discovered by the authorities, believers are sent to labor camps as political prisoners, where conditions are atrocious, or are killed on the spot, and their families will also share their fate. Christians do not enjoy any freedom. It is almost impossible for believers to gather for worship.
Why so much anti-Christian animosity? This creed is seen as an enemy of the authorities and society in general, according to Open Doors, which also warns of the dangers of daring to profess this faith on North Korean soil:
Throughout the year, Open Doors contacts learned from reliable sources that several dozen North Korean believers from various underground churches had been discovered and executed. More than 100 members of their families were also said to have been detained and sent to labor camps.
Latin America says 'present
Latin America increased its presence this year with the appearance of Nicaragua at the bottom of the ranking. It thus joined Colombia, Cuba and Mexico, which were already among the top 50 in 2022.
The NGO points out that the corruption and ineffectiveness of public institutions favored this situation by "creating a space" for ethnic leaders or criminal groups to strengthen themselves. Thus, the latter became the drivers of persecution, especially among indigenous populations and rural areas.
The report also accuses some governments of playing an active role in religious persecution:
Government repression in Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela has intensified against those seen as voices of opposition. Especially in Nicaragua, communist repression against church leaders became increasingly visible during the year.
Organized crime is the main aggressor of Christianity in Mexico and Colombia, to which corruption is also added as a cause of the sorrows suffered by Christians.
The complete list
2,110 churches were attacked last year. 5,621 Christians were killed and 4,542 were arrested. Despite these unfavorable data, the NGO stresses that there are some"glimmers of hope". The number of Christians killed decreased since last year, although the decrease was minimal (from 5,898 to 5,621). However, these glimmers quickly fade when it comes to kidnappings. The number of Christians held against their will increased in one year from 3,829 to 5,259.
In addition, "greater tolerance was promoted in several Middle Eastern countries." The institution highlights the cases of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt - although in the latter the State continues to persecute Christians to convert. Qatar is another case rescued by Open Doors, as it moved from 74th to 68th position. None of these countries, however, is among the 50 most dangerous, as can be seen in the list.
