The plight of
the persecuted
Photography by PakMission
Pip Florit reports on those around the globe who are persecuted for their Christian faith.
I
n 2023, Open Doors reported that 360 million Christians worldwide face persecution and discrimination because of their faith. Last year, around 5,600 Christians were killed for their faith, while over 2,000 churches and Christian buildings were attacked. These are the more extreme manifestations of persecution, but Christians in persecuted minorities around the world face many struggles, ranging from worship restrictions, to discrimination, harassment, imprisonment, torture and martyrdom. Most published reports indicate that
There is a temptation to compartmentalise, thinking of ‘the persecuted church’ as something separate from us, but we are…one body, part of which is persecuted.
persecution against Christians is getting worse, as year on year, numbers of attacks on people and buildings increase. In many countries, it is dangerous to publicly live out and share a Christian faith. Some of the most dangerous places to do this include North Korea, Somalia and India, while threats have been growing in countries such as Indonesia, Nigeria and Myanmar. Many of PCI’s international partners are having to be increasingly cautious about how they carry out and communicate their work. PCI has partners in India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Myanmar and Syria – all countries that feature in Open Doors’ World Watch List, which ranks the 50 countries with the highest rates of persecution of Christians. They face varying degrees of persecution, but all have to exercise a level of caution in their ministry. They know the meaning of resilience, how to depend on God and rely on prayer, when it is often the only tool they have.
While we in Ireland enjoy peace and freedom to live out our faith, our brothers and sisters are living a different reality, and it is one that we cannot forget. There is a temptation to compartmentalise, thinking of ‘the persecuted church’ as something separate from us, but we are
Anti-conversion laws In countries such as Syria, Iran and Nepal, the Christian church isn’t officially prohibited and therefore Christians are, in theory, allowed to meet together, with freedom to worship. However, if an individual converts to Christianity from Islam or Hindu, there can be great problems. In some of these countries, proselytising and conversion, or ‘apostasy’ are illegal and can be punishable by death. In others, they can lead to discrimination and ostracism. As a result, converts may be forced to flee and many refugees and asylum seekers have come to the UK and other countries for this reason.
Herald February 2024
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