Persecuted Christians Suffer “Worst Year Yet,” Mostly Under Islam - Israel News

The persecution of Christians around the world, but especially in the Muslim world, has reached an all-time high—with 2016 being the “worst year yet,” according to Open Doors, which recently released its annual ranking of the top 50 countries where Christians face the most persecution.


Among some of its more significant findings:

• “Islamic extremism” remains the dominant force responsible for the persecution of Christians in 40 of the 50 worst nations;
• Nine of the ten worst nations are Muslim (North Korea being the only non-Islamic);
• “In the top 21 countries on the Open Doors World Watch List [18 of which are Muslim], 100 percent of Christians experience persecution”;
• 1,329 churches were attacked, damaged, or destroyed, mostly in Muslim nations;
• Islamic Somalia is now the second worst nation; there, “If their [Christians’] faith is discovered it means instant death, executed without trial and often on rumor alone”;
• In Nigeria—where more Christians have been slaughtered by Muslims than possibly in any other nation—the killing of Christians went up by 62 percent;
• The nation where the most violent and sexual attacks on Christians take place—Muslim majority Pakistan—rose to the number four spot.

Persecuted Christians Suffer “Worst Year Yet,” Mostly Under Islam - Israel News