260 Million Christians Persecuted and Harassed Worldwide Last Year

According to a charity organization’s report, approximately 260 million Christians around the world faced persecution and harassment throughout the past year. However, there has been a 31 percent decrease in the number of Christian killings.

According to a report released Wednesday by the charity organization “Open Doors,” approximately 260 million Christians worldwide experienced persecution and harassment throughout 2019. In 2018, the number of Christians facing harassment in various countries around the world reached 245 million.

According to the charity organization, the imposition of religious restrictions in China and the expansion of jihadist activities in African countries are among the factors contributing to the increase in Christian persecution and harassment.

Based on this report, persecution and harassment of Christians in North Korea has intensified significantly, and the country ranks first on the list of Christian persecution. Afghanistan is the second country where Christians face persecution and harassment. Following that are countries such as Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Eritrea, Sudan, Yemen, Iran, India, and Syria, where Christians are severely persecuted.

However, the number of Christian killings decreased from 4,305 in 2018 to 2,983, representing an overall 31 percent decrease.

In this report, one of the factors attributed to the decrease in Christian killings compared to 2018 is the decline in the number of Christian deaths in Nigeria. Nevertheless, 1,350 Christians were killed in that country last year, and Nigeria remains the deadliest country for Christians.

According to information published in this report, the number of attacks on churches over the past year increased fivefold. That is, compared to 2018 when church attacks numbered 1,847 incidents, in 2019 a total of 9,488 attacks on churches took place. Particularly in China, at least 5,576 churches were either closed down or damaged.

The “Open Doors” organization publishes an annual list of 50 countries where Christians face severe threats. The organization’s definition of “persecution” encompasses everything from violence to killings and suppression in daily life.

Source: DW