Persecution of Christians seems to worsen all the time, with a terrifying number of Christians persecuted and martyred in 2023 for their faith. As the Biden administration babbles about Islamophobia and MAGA white supremacy, anti-Christian hatred is a real and worsening threat around the world.
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The Open Doors’ World Watch List 2024 ranked “50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution” and provided sobering statistics for 2023. Last year, 4,998 Christians were murdered for their faith, an average of 13 every day, with 4,125 Christians detained. A staggering 14,766 Christian properties and churches were attacked. Persecution is especially harsh in Asia and Africa, with North Korea ranked by the World Watch List as the top most dangerous country for Christians, though Nigeria’s Christians accounted for 82% of Christians killed for their religion in 2023.
Besides Nigeria, other African countries with deadly persecution of Christians include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), and Burkina Faso. Militant Islam is the major factor behind the genocide in Nigeria, though most Western outlets don’t want to admit this fact. Communists and Islamic jihadis account for many of the worst persecutions of Christians. Other countries particularly pointed out by Open Doors for their Christian persecution were Algeria, China, Laos, and Syria.
The persecution of Christians is worsening, Open Doors noted. The number of churches and Christian properties attacked (14,766) was about a six-fold increase over those reported in 2022, while “more than twice as many Christians were forced to flee their homes compared to the previous year.” World Watch List did report hopeful signs for Christians in Mali and India, however.
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Christians are one of the most persecuted demographics, especially when it comes to religious groups, in the world. Yet the subject is scarcely ever discussed in the West. The Biden administration removed Nigeria from the list of Countries of Particular Concern that have “severe violations of religious freedom,” despite Nigeria being the deadliest country for Christians. Westerners seem to care precious little about Asian and African Christians, who face harsh persecution, displacement, imprisonment, and even death every day.
Open Doors provides separate dossiers for each of the 50 countries they ranked, which are available on the World Watch List webpage. “In Open Doors’ World Watch List top 50 alone, 317m Christians face very high or extreme levels,” with an estimated 365 million Christians persecuted worldwide. One in seven Christians globally faces persecution, with the statistics worsening for Africa and Asia. The West needs to wake up to this threat, and Christian leaders need to rally support for the Christians who brave violence and death to follow Jesus.