World: Publication of the World Watch List 2015 of countries where Christians are persecuted
NGO Open Doors published on January 7, 2015 its World Watch List. Every year since 1997, the group has ranked the 50 countries where Christians are subject to the most severe persecution. North Korea heads the list with a ranking of 92/100, but it is closely followed by Somalia and Iraq. The study points out that overall, although we have reached the “highest level of global persecution of Christians in the modern era, current conditions suggest the worst is yet to come.” Furthermore, in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe, “even Christian-majority states are experiencing unprecedented levels of exclusion, discrimination and violence.” Moslem countries, however, make up the majority of the persecutors: out of the top 10, 9 are Islamic and 1 is Communist. 40 out of the 50 countries on the list are Islamic, although persecution inside their borders may be violent or only oppressive.
Syria and Afghanistan are 4th and 5th on the list. In Africa groups like Shebab in Somalia and Kenya, Al Qaeda in Maghreb and Boko Haram in Nigeria (10th) are considered the chief “predators” of Christians by Open Doors.
The study states that more and more Christians are forced from their homes, “causing an unprecedented flow of refugees and homeless living in extreme instability,” or surviving “in an ever-increasing social and cultural marginalization.”
“Moderate” Islam also imposes its practices on the entire population, Moslem or not, in countries such as Djibouti, Tanzania and Comoros, without a legal death penalty (for the moment?).
With 62 points, India rises to seven rows and arrived in 21st place, ahead of Egypt.In Turkey, the elections of Moslem head of state have already impacted the situation of Christians. Turkey’s score has increased by 20/100 and it is now in the 41st place.
If the 2015 list is chiefly marked by a significant deterioration of conditions, three countries have slightly improved nonetheless: Ethiopia, in 22nd place, Laos, in 28th place, and Sri Lanka, in 44th place. Countries such as Morocco and Niger have dropped off the list—in the case of Niger, without noticeable improvement and without taking into account the events of January—but this is mainly due to the fact that other countries with higher levels of persecution have passed them. In 2013, 35/100 was enough to make the list; in 2014 the minimum score was 45/100, and now it is 49/100.
The World Watch List is established by internal and external experts at Open Doors and measures the pressure limiting the practice of Christianity. They examine five areas: private life, family life, social life, civil life and ecclesiastical life, and they then take into account violence towards individuals and damage to the property of Christians.
(Sources: kipa-apic.ch – DICI no. 309, 30/01/15)
