11-1-2024 United Kingdom (International Christian Concern) — A report released last week shows that Christians around the world are enduring increased levels of violence, discrimination, and other human rights abuses.
The Catholic organization Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) released “Persecuted and Forgotten? A Report on Christians Oppressed for their Faith 2022-2024” during an event at the U.K. Parliament. Most countries surveyed saw a dramatic increase in Christian persecution.
The report includes a global and regional analysis of Christian persecution in 18 countries from summer 2022 to summer 2024.
Global powers such as China and India, as well as Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, saw increases in Christian persecution and oppression. For the first time in the report’s 18-year history, Nicaragua is included for its government’s extreme oppression of Christians, specifically the mass detention and expulsion of clergy.
Also included are testimonies from survivors of anti-Christian attacks and details on such events from ACN’s contacts in each country.
Recurring themes in the report include the displacement of Christian communities following attacks by extremist groups, the forced marriage and conversion of Christian women and girls, as well as the kidnapping and intimidation of priests, and the publication of derogatory content about Christianity in school textbooks.
Anti-Christian persecution has been perpetrated by both state and non-state actors, such as terrorist organizations, other groups of religious extremists, and criminal gangs.
The report states that militant Islam was responsible for increased persecution in all six African countries reviewed, indicating that “the epicenter of militant Islamist violence has shifted from the Middle East to Africa.”
It goes on to explain that “Mass migration of Christian communities, triggered by militant Islamist attacks, has destabilized and disenfranchised them, raising questions about the long-term survival of the Church in key regions.”
Authoritarian regimes, including those in China, Eritrea, India, and Iran, increased oppressive measures against Christians in the name of religious nationalism or state secularism/Communism.
“The restrictions included tougher sentencing for alleged insults against state ideology, confiscation of places of worship, increased arrests of clergy and laity, as well as longer periods of detention,” the report stated.
Other highlights from the report include an upsurge in violent attacks on Christians in Pakistan triggered by blasphemy allegations and the detention of more than 850 people under anti-conversion laws in India.
Vietnam is the only country in the report where a slight improvement was noted, largely because of steps taken to re-establish diplomatic ties with the Vatican.
Source: Press release dated October 25, 2024 by International Christian Concern (ICC).
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