WelCom February 2024
Christians across East and West Africa are facing twin threats from jihadists and dictatorships, according to the 2024 World Watch List.
The report from Open Doors, which ranks the 50 nations where Christians face the worst persecution and discrimination worldwide, said that jihadists and autocratic governments backed by larger powers have driven attacks on Christians in sub-Saharan Africa, where at least 4,606 Christians were killed last year for their faith. The real number killed is probably much higher, the report says.
Open Doors chronicled a growth in the scope and intensity of persecution, with 365 million Christians – one in seven worldwide – now facing high levels of persecution and discrimination. This has increased from 360 million in the 2023 report. The report describes a surge in violence, with a seven-fold increase in attacks on churches, Christian schools and hospitals from 2,110 listed in last year’s report to 14,766 in the latest report. Attacks on homes have also risen 371 per cent.
North Korea remains the most dangerous place to be a Christian, with reports of mass repatriations of escapees sent back from China.
The Chinese government is also tightening its restrictions on Christianity, closing an estimated 10,000 house churches and increasing its cyber surveillance of Christians.
There was an exponential rise in violent persecution in India, now number 11 on the World Watch List. Faith-based killings of Christians in India rose from 17 to 160, while 62,000 were forced to leave their homes, driven in part by ongoing violence in Manipur.
Source: The Tablet