Open Doors 2024 survey: two out of every five Christians are persecuted in Asia
Open Doors just released its World Watch List, focused on the 50 countries with the highest levels of discrimination against Christians. Around the world, about 365 million were affected in 2023, up from previous years. North Korea is still at the top. In Asia, Yemen, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan follow. India is 11th with concerns for rising acts of hostility ahead of this year’s elections.
Rome (AsiaNews) – Two out of every five Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination on religious grounds in Asia, the largest region of the world affected by this issue, followed by Africa (one in five), and Latin America (one in 16). On a global scale, more than 365 million Christians are persecuted (one in seven), the highest figure in the last 31 years.
Hostile acts include assault, torture, kidnapping, and, in extreme cases, killing. But the violence is not only physical; many Christians also endure daily mistreatment and pressure at work, in access to health, education and places of worship, as well as crippling red tape.
This is the sad picture that emerges from the annual World Watch List (WWL) for 2024 by Open Doors, an international NGO that supports persecuted Christians in the world. The survey was released today, for the period October 2022-September 2023.
In Italy, the WWL was presented today in the press room of the Chamber of Deputies, at the invitation of the Intergroup for the Protection of the Religious Freedom of Christians in the World, represented on this occasion by Italian MP Emanuele Loperfido. Also present were Timothy Cho, a North Korean activist, and Cristian Nani, director of Open Doors since 2015.
"In 31 years of research, we have seen a steady increase in anti-Christian persecution in absolute terms. 2023 was a record year," Nani said.
The Open Doors World Watch List is produced every year according to a specific methodology. The organisation relies on the support of "persecuted Christians in more than 70 countries," the report reads, with field research done thanks to many "local networks”. Researchers, experts, and analysts contribute as well, for a total of about 4,000 people involved.
About 100 countries are “potentially affected by the problem of persecution", and every year about 50 are picked with the most disturbing situations of persecution and discrimination against Christians from all denominations and confessions.
In the list released today, North Korea, like in previous years, is still in first place, followed by Somalia, and Libya, while the number of countries experiencing the "most extreme” persecution rose from 11 to 13 compared to last year’s list.
In Asia and the Middle East, North Korea is joined by Yemen, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, India, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. Globally, instability is growing in sub-Saharan Africa, causing greater religiously motivated violence; however, fewer Christians have been killed, 4,998, down from 5,621 last year. The reason is the decline in Nigeria, which nevertheless remains the "epicentre of massacres", the latest taking place unfortunately at Christmas.
The number of victims of "abuse, rape and forced marriages" is disturbing, 3,231, increasing and hard to assess. There was also an "unprecedented" rise in attacks on churches, from 2,110 to 14,766.
Making matters worse are China’s “model of digital persecution" and violence in India, which has increased as the country’s upcoming elections approach. Added to this is the rapid growth of the "refugee" Church, accelerated by the influence of China and Russia. In the Middle East and North Africa, “Christians feel less and less at home," the WWL points out.
Looking at Asia and the Middle East, North Korea ranks first due to the regime’s “zero tolerance” towards Christians. One of the most significant acts of persecution is "the forced repatriation of North Korean fugitives by China.” For Open Doors, “Being discovered to be a Christian in North Korea is effectively a death sentence.”
Yemen follows in fifth position. Like Somalia and Libya, it is strongly Islamic where "anti-Christian intolerance" is fuelled by tribalism, "active extremism" and "endemic instability", driving Christians to hide their faith.
Pakistan is in 7th place, consistently at the top of the list for many years. After Nigeria, it is "the second nation in the world for the most anti-Christian violence," according to the WWL, as evinced by the attack in Jaranwala in August 2023.
In 9th place, we find Iran, which drops one position over 2023. Here Christians are “second-class” citizens, forced to "meet in small groups at home” since the Islamic regime sees churches as "threats", notes Open Doors.
Afghanistan comes in 10th place. Because the Taliban are focused on consolidating their power, violence against Christians as somewhat decreased.
India, on the other hand, remains in 11th place. For years, Open Doors has spoken out against the “decline of the fundamental freedoms of the Christian minority, which is the target of violence and discrimination”.
In 12th place, Syria is a country where " the challenges facing Christians continue to be numerous and severe.”
Finally, in 13th place is Saudi Arabia, where the "small number of Saudi Christians has been slowly increasing," the survey reads, but "it comes at a cost”, that of mistreatment and harassment, even against youth, since conversion from Islam to Christianity is deemed “unacceptable”.
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15/06/2022 11:36
29/09/2022 15:41
