2015 was the “worst year in modern history for Christian persecution,” according to Open Doors, a human rights organization that has been documenting the persecution of Christians since 1955.
According to its latest data, more than 7,000 Christians were killed for their faith in 2015 — almost twice as many as in 2014. In addition, more than 2,400 churches were attacked, damaged or destroyed — again, more than double the number of the previous year.
In the words of Open Doors’ CEO, David Curry:
The 2016 World Watch List [which ranks the 50 nations where Christians are most persecuted] documents an unprecedented escalation of violence against Christians, making this past year the most violent and sustained attack on Christian faith in modern history. … This research has concluded that after the brutal persecution of Christians in 2014, 2015 proved to be even worse with the persecution continuing to increase, intensify and spread across the globe. … The level of exclusion, discrimination and violence against Christians is unprecedented, spreading and intensifying.
Who or what is behind these unprecedented levels of persecution? Some of it is related to the tendency of non-Western nations to associate Christianity with the “hated West.” Four are Communist nations — Vietnam (ranked #20), Laos (#29), China (#33), and North Korea (#1), where “Christianity is not only seen as ‘opium for the people,’ as is normal for all communist states, it is also seen as deeply Western and despicable,” notes the report. Three are reclaiming their religious heritage in contradistinction to what is portrayed as a depraved West — Hindu India (#17), Buddhist Bhutan (#38) and Myanmar (#23). And two — Mexico (#40) and Colombia (#46) — are fueled by organized crime and drug cartels.
“Islamic extremism” is cited as the source of persecution for the remaining 41 nations that make the list of 50 worst persecutors of Christians. North Korea aside, the rest of the eight nations where Christians experience the worst form of persecution (“extreme persecution”) are all Islamic. In 35 nations, Islamic extremism “has risen to a level akin to ethnic cleansing” of Christians.
A close examination of the report indicates that something else stands behind this rise of genocidal “Islamic extremism”: U.S. foreign policy. In every Muslim nation where the U.S. has intervened in the name of “freedom and democracy,” Christian life has exponentially worsened. Put differently, those who most despise “freedom and democracy” — radical and jihadi Muslims — tend to be the ones most empowered by U.S. foreign policies.
Iraq today, according to the report, is the second worst nation in the world in which to be Christian. Afghanistan is fourth, Syria fifth, and Libya tenth. A decade ago, none of these countries even made the top 10 list. Syria and Libya — when they were ruled by secular autocrats who were eventually demonized by U.S. politicians and media, and then underwent U.S. intervention — did not even make the top 20.
In 2004, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq was ranked 32 and scored only 35.5 (a nation must score at least 50 to count as containing even “sparse persecution,” the category which signifies the least amount of persecution.) After a decade’s worth of American lives and treasure were wasted, Iraq now scores 90 and is the worst Muslim nation in which to be Christian. The situation is the same in those other Muslim nations that the U.S. government brought, and continues trying to bring, “freedom and democracy” to:
- Syria: A decade ago it was ranked #47 and scored only 24.5. Today it is ranked #5 and scores 87 , or “extreme persecution.”
- Libya: A decade ago it was ranked #22 and scored 41; today it ranks #10 and scores 79.
- Afghanistan: A decade ago it ranked #11 and scored 53; today — a decade after the U.S. declared “victory” over al-Qaeda and the Taliban — it is ranked #4 and scores 88….

Marcus says
All this because of the Obama administration, he is an undercover Muslims and he hates the bible and Christianity.
Walter Sieruk says
As the extreme harassment and persecution of Christians, be it in communist countries such as China and North Korea or in Islamic countries as Iran and Pakistan those in power in those tyrannies with their ruthless thugs who are the “state police” of those regimes. It’s all demonic and harsh a well as vicious and murderous towards the Christians trapped in these hideous Marxist and Islamic regimes. This may ,somewhat, be explained in the light of the Bible Which in Proverbs 29:10. reads “Bloodthirsty men hate a man of integrity and seeks to kill the upright.” [N.I.V.]
Jay Boo says
Some Common Sense
Muslims however, are not totally wrong.
Not always.
Even Islam does preach abainst MATERIALISM and IDOL WORSHIP — as does Christianity.
While, where is no excuse for Muslims love of violence many Christians in the West are not even in a spiritually strong position to confront Islam.
Sometimes Christians in the West are their own worst enemies when they forget.
1 –Prosperity
Some will bow before “prosperity” preachers who are usually just con men who will twist Christian teaching into get rich schemes to the gullible.
2 — The FACE of Jesus
How ofter have we seen portraits of a red haired pale white faced Jesus.
I have also seen a pertrait of the Last Supper with Jesus and all the apostles portrayed as blacks with light complections.
If either extreme were true, surely it wold have been mentioned.
Regardless, vanity is likely the motive rather than faith for such a likely distortion.
Rather than let vanity worship a false image, it would be more reasonable to remember the humility of the Cross. To worship before a falsified portrait image is to put up a barrier.
Carolyne says
Actually there is a manuscript purported to be contemporaneous with Christ. which does describe his physical appearance. It says he was “Comely” with chestnut colored hair, parted in the middle. Written by a man named Publious Lutellus a copy is in possession of a Lord Kelly in England. The original is supposedly in Rome.
Also there is a letter to Tiberius Caesar, written by Pontius Pilot, copies of which are in the Library of Congress, which describe Jesus as having golden hair and beard.
Now, how many angels can dance on the head of a pin? What difference does it make?
Kepha says
Sounds like the Archko Volume, Carolyne. It was a 19th century forgery, no more.
Champ ✞ says
Jay Boo wrote:
“Rather than let vanity worship a false image, it would be more reasonable to remember the humility of the Cross. To worship before a falsified portrait image is to put up a barrier.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Very well stated, Jay Boo! ✞
CogitoErgoSum says
The seeds of freedom and democracy will only wither and die if the weed that is Islam is allowed to overgrow the garden.
Angemon says
Christianity can sustain itself under communism. It can’t, however, sustain itself under islamic rule.
celticwarriorcanada says
And President Obama sings “Amazing Grace” at the funeral of the Christians murdered at the Church in South Carolina,and reminds Christians their history is Just as bad as islams at A Prayer Breakfast ! President Obama Reminds Me of The Grand Wizard of the K.K.K. in the Comedy ” Oh Brother Where Art Thou ” When he takes off his Hood, the Grand Wizard turns out to be An African American ! And it makes me wonder : Do Progressives like Obama , Kerry and Hillary even Know the History of the Ex Slave Trader John Newton , and why he even Wrote the Great Hymn “Amazing Grace” ? But Lest We Forget ! It was a Republican President who gave us The Infamous , “Islam Is A Religion Of Peace” Doctrine . And all the Dead , Tortured , Mutilated , Kidnapped, Raped Christians are the Silent Witnesses of These Foolish Policies . THEIR BLOOD CRIES OUT !!!
Jay Boo says
Islam is CONVOLUTED — not complicated
Despite what some will claim otherwise, Islam is not exactly a well laid out fiction fantasy tale like say “The Lord of the Rings”
Simple Plot
Muhammad worships satanic verse fairies
Muhammad has incest with his daughter in law
Muhammad abrogates the supposedly unchangeable “words”
Muhammad betrays those who offered him refuge.
etc., etc., etc.
—
—
then he attempts to lie his way out of it
dlbrand says
Ibraham asserted:
Indeed, Raymond.
And God bless you, Sir, and all others, who have both the courage and understanding to speak candidly on the above–except for the Cross–unforgivable waste and stupidity.
UNCLE VLADDI says
Right.
The “US foreign policy” of wannabe global caliph MuBarak Hussein Osama.