Persecution on the Rise

While the population in Africa is the most Christian it has ever been and the church is growing in the Middle East, persecution is also on the rise in these parts of the world. Most of Iraq’s pre-war Christian population have fled to other countries. Christians are on death row in Iran and Pakistan for either leaving Islam or blasphemy. Dozens of churches in Indonesia have been attacked or closed. In Egypt and Syria, political upheaval and Muslim zeal are threatening Christian groups. Many Christians have died in Islamist bomb attacks in Nigeria. Christians are harassed in China and Vietnam. There are attempts in India to penalize converts.