May 8, 2024
More than 312 million Christian face high levels of persecution just in the countries on Open Doors’ World Watch List, the organization said Tuesday. Worldwide, the group says, that number is more than 360 million.
The World Watch List is Open Doors’ annual ranking of the 50 countries where Christians suffer very high or extreme levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith.
Most of the countries on the list are in Asia and Africa, although some Latin American nations are included. North Korea tops the list, followed by Somalia, Yemen, Eritrea and Libya.
Open Doors said North Korea is a “brutally hostile” environment for Christians. Those followers of Christ who are not summarily executed when discovered by authorities are sent to prison camps, along with their families, the group says.
Somali believers face persecution from Islamic militants of the al-Shabaab militia, as well as from their own Muslim families and friends. Somali converts are harassed, intimidated and sometimes killed for abandoning Islam.
In China, which ranks 16th on the list, the use of digital surveillance technology is spreading, adding to persecution and intimidation. New restrictions As digital tools became more sophisticated, so did the Chinese government. Beijing employed censorship, disinformation and unblinking surveillance to ratchet up control of religious groups.
In the Western Hemisphere, Colombia (22) and Cuba (27) are the highest-ranked countries on the list. Organized crime in Colombia poses a large threat to Christians, as gangs see the church as a threat to their power. In Cuba, the intolerance of the Communist regime towards Christian is manifested by harassment, including arrest and imprisonment,
Open Doors reports that worldwide 5,621 Christians were killed for their faith last year. The vast majority (90%) of these deaths occurred in Nigeria, which is sixth on the list. The establishment of Sharia law in the northern part of the country in 1999 has led to the rise of violence against Christ followers. Militant groups such as Boko Haram and others raid Christian communities, killing many and forcing others to flee and relocate to refugee camps.
This year marks the 30th year of the World Watch List. Open Doors defines persecution as “any hostility experienced as a result of one's identification with Christ.” It measures such hostility by evaluating data related to believers’ family life, private life, community life, national life and church life, as well as violence levels in each country.
Open Doors bases its findings primarily on first-person accounts from its contacts. It also uses news reports in local and international media about persecution.
Open Doors International is a global NGO network that has supported and strengthened persecuted Christians for 68 years and works in more than 70 countries. Open Doors provides practical support to persecuted Christians, including food, medicines, trauma care, training and resources.
