ROME—Global persecution of Christians soared in 2023, according to the 2024 World Watch List (WWL) released Wednesday by Christian charity Open Doors.
More than 365 million Christians worldwide suffer 'high levels' of persecution and discrimination for their faith, WWL revealThis means that one in seven Christians is being persecuted for their faith.
According to WWL research, 4,998 Christians were murdered in connection with the practice of their faith during 2023, counting only reported cases.
Attacks on Christians' homes nearly quadrupled (+371 percent) from 2022 to 2023, from 4,547 to 21,431, while attacks on churches, Christian schools, and hospitals also skyrocketed. seven timesFrom 2,110 people in 2022 to 14,766 people in 2023.
Additionally, during the year, 42,849 Christians faced physical violence or death threats, and 278,716 Christians were forced from their homes or forced into underground concentration camps. This is more than double the number in 2022 (124,310 people).
At the top of the world watch list rank North Korea has once again been ranked among the top 50 most dangerous countries for Christians, ranking first in the 2023 WWL survey.
North Korea is officially an atheist country, run by a brutal communist regime that is particularly hostile to Christians. As WWL points out, being discovered as a Christian in North Korea is “effectively a death sentence.”
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks to the Supreme People's Assembly in Pyongyang, North Korea, Monday, January 15, 2024 (Korean Central News Agency/via Associated Press).
The report says expelled Christians are either killed on the spot or transported as political prisoners to forced labor camps, where they face harsh working lives in which few survive. It is estimated that tens of thousands of Christians are held in labor camps across the country.
Christians have no freedom in North Korea, and it is nearly impossible for believers to gather together to worship. Mere possession of a Bible is a serious crime and is severely punished, the report said.
Nine of the top 10 countries in which it is most dangerous to be a Christian are Muslim-majority, and Islamic extremism continues to be the most powerful driver of Christian persecution around the world.
For example, Somalia Number 2 Countries included in the list have seen a significant increase in anti-Christian violence over the past year. WWL reports that Islamic extremists are “increasingly focused on identifying and eliminating Christian leaders,” and even suspected conversions from Islam to Christianity endanger lives. .
Al-Shabab, an Islamic extremist terrorist organization headquartered in Somalia, has repeatedly stated its desire to eradicate Christians from the country, and believers are often killed on the spot when discovered.
Libya jumps to 3rd place position Added to World Watch List in 2024 due to increasing pressure and violence against Christians. The lack of a single central government imposing law and order in the country has made the situation even more precarious for Christians, allowing Islamic extremist groups to operate with relative impunity.
Christians from sub-Saharan Africa, many of whom have come to Libya as refugees on their way to Europe, report being particularly at risk and particularly vulnerable to kidnapping and human trafficking due to their lack of official status. The book points out.
Thomas D. Williams is Breitbart's Rome bureau chief and “ The coming persecution of Christians.
