New report: Unprecedented rise in violence against Christians

WASHINGTON—Last year saw the most prevalent and sustained attack on the Christian faith in modern history, according to Open Doors USA’s annual World Watch List.

“Last year, more than 7,100 Christians were killed for their faith. An increase of over 3,000 from previous reported data,” said David Curry, the president of Open Doors.

For the 14th consecutive year, North Korea topped the charts as the most dangerous country in the world for Christians. The communist regime earned the dubious distinction for imprisoning thousands of Christians each year. North Korea is unique on the list—it is the only country in the top 10 not associated with the Islamic State.

The other nine countries in the top 10, and 18 of the top 20, are connected to some form of Islamic extremism. (See list below.)

Open Doors conducted research for the World Watch List between Nov. 1, 2014, and Oct. 31, 2015. Grassroots sources in each of the countries conducted surveys and gathered information to help form the rankings, Curry said. The International Institute of Religious Freedom, the only institution with academics dedicated to studying the religious liberty of Christians, audited the research.

Each country on the list received a score that indicates its degree of hostility toward Christians. North Korea scored 92 out of a possible 100, while Iraq followed close behind with a score of 90. A score higher than 81 indicates an extreme level of persecution against Christians.

The rise of Islamic caliphates in the Middle East and Africa is responsible for the drastic increase in global Christian persecution. Groups such as Islamic State, al-Shabaab, and Boko Haram are the driving force behind Christian persecution in four of the top 10 countries on the World Watch List.

“Boko Haram has killed more Christians last year than any other group,” Curry said.

David Saperstein, U.S. ambassador for international religious freedom, attended the Open Doors event and spoke on the government’s involvement in protecting Christians around the world.

“No matter what the country is, so long as any group can be persecuted because of their religion, no religious group will be safe,” he said.

Saperstein said statistics indicate that roughly three-quarters of the world’s population live in countries that have serious restrictions on religious freedom.

Curry made it clear that the goal of Open Doors’ research is to highlight the importance of religious freedom, not just for Christians but for all faiths. He said Muslims, Hindus, and even atheists must have the freedom to follow their own convictions. History demonstrates that if the perpetrators of religious persecution are not stopped, violence and instability only increase.

Open Doors is circulating a petition that it eventually will present to the Obama administration, calling for the government to take action in three specific countries where the United States can do more for persecuted Christians: Iraq, Eritrea, and Pakistan. Each country is plagued by Islamic extremists and rank second, third, and sixth on the World Watch List.

World Watch List for 2016

The top 20 countries on Open Doors’ World Watch list are: