ICC Note: The latest research on Christian persecution has shown that 2015 was one of the worst years in modern history. The persecution stretches from West to East, driven by numerous factors, with Islamic extremism playing a leading role.
01/22/2016 Middle East (American Thinker) The headline at The Clarion Project reads: “Christian Persecution in 2015 at ‘Levels Akin to Ethnic Cleansing.’” The sub-heading notes that 2015 was “the most violent year in modern history for Christians.” It takes one’s breath away to see the blunt truth summed up like that. And the world is turning a blind eye.
The article references a piece at Open Doors that provides an overview of the rise of Christian persecution around the world. (See summary below.)
In 2015, more than 7,000 Christians were killed because of their faith (twice as many as the year before). And the estimate is conservative because it excludes places where there is ongoing persecution but where accurate records don’t exist (such as in North Korea, Syria, and Iraq). In addition, last year 2,400 Christian churches were attacked or damaged (more than double from 2014).
Islamic supremacy remains the most virulent ideology that drives persecution. Countries singled out for being particularly risky for Christians were North Korea, Nigeria, the Central African Republic, and India (due to hardline Hindu nationalists).
The Middle East, as we are well aware, has become an increasingly dangerous place for Christians as the Islamic State sweeps across the region, massacring Christians, enslaving them, raping Christian women, destroying ancient Christian buildings and artifacts, and spurring a mass exodus of Christians fleeing the region. There is also a constant “low-level” persecution as Christians are driven out of their communities, denied jobs, denied an education, and/or refused burials.
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