Christian Persecution Continues to Rise Worldwide
The persecution of Christians dates back over a thousand years ago and it remains to this day. In fact, it continues to rise globally according to a non-profit organization based in the United States.
Open Doors USA has came out with a report that detailed the alarming rise in Christian persecution cases all over the world.
According to its latest figures, 322 Christians are killed for their faith while 772 others are violently harmed every month. An estimated 214 church buildings and properties continue to be destroyed monthly as well.
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The Christian persecution watchdog also came up with a list of the top 10 countries where Christians experience extreme persecution. North Korea once again topped the list, followed by Somalia.
Out of the 10 nations cited for "extreme persecution" of Christians, four are from the Middle East while three are from Africa. Two nations from South Asia were also in the list.
The report came a week after two Coptic churches in Egypt were bombed on Palm Sunday. The Islamic State (ISIS) immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks that killed at least 44 people and injured more than a hundred others.
Persecution of Christians has rapidly escalated particularly in Muslim nations where jihadists and other militants have been pursuing their ultimate objective of eradicating all believers.
The Middle East, which used to be the cradle of the Christian faith, has been seeing an exodus of believers who are being targeted for genocide by ISIS. Today, Christians comprised only four percent of the region's population.
Iraq, which used to be the home of more than a million Christians, now only has less than a hundred thousand since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Many continue to leave as the war-torn nation has become a battlefield between Shiite and Sunni Muslims.
While Christian persecution is at an all-time high in the Middle East, other Asian nations with communist background, such as China and North Korea, also discriminate against those who follow Jesus, said Open Doors USA.
