DAVID ADAMS reports...
North Korea has topped Open Doors International’s annual World Watch List – which ranks countries according to the level of persecution faced by Christians – for the 11th year in a row.
Published early this month, the list – which features the 50 countries where the persecution of Christians was most severe in the year to the end of October – also places Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia in the top five.
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UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT: Africa and the Middle East remain places of high concern with regard to the persecution of Christians, according to the 2013 World Watch List. PICTURE: miamiamia/www.sxc.hu (O)ne of the key stories to emerge from the rankings is the increase of persecution in African states and in the Middle East, a trend at least partly attributable to the so-called ‘Arab spring’ which has swept through many north African and Middle Eastern states. |
The organisation says North Korea is likely to remain at the head of the list as long as the combination of “communist oppression” and “dictatorial paranoia” within the country – which is home to an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 Christians – remains in place. Christians living there can face everything from arrest and detention through to torture and even execution.
But it points out that one of the key stories to emerge from the rankings is the increase of persecution in African states and in the Middle East, a trend at least partly attributable to the so-called ‘Arab spring’ which has swept through many north African and Middle Eastern states.
Amid ongoing conflict, Syria, for example, has jumped from 36 to number 11 on the list – the biggest move recorded, while in Africa both Somalia and Eritrea are in the top 10.
Mali – which had previously never even made the list – has debuted at number seven, thanks to the seizure of the northern part of the country by groups linked to al-Qaida early last year. Open Doors says due to the high degree of hostility towards Christians in the north, “Christians and churches simply cannot exist” while even in the country’s south Christians have to remain cautious.
Other African states to make the list for the first time include Tanzania (24), Kenya (40), Uganda (47) and Niger (50).
Open Doors says the addition of African countries and the upward movement of several previously featured on the list can be attributed to gains in power by Islamist parties in places where regimes had fallen, or where a hard-line versions of Islam made inroads against more tolerant forms. They say in some cases, the change was linked with gradual expansion of Islamist influences in local governments or societies; or plain terrorist violence; or a combination of both.
Among those countries in Africa which didn’t move were Egypt (25) and Nigeria (13) while Sudan moved up four to 12 and Ethiopia jumped 23 places to 15.
There were some areas which saw a significant decline in persecution over the year. These included China (down 16 to 37), Azerbaijan (down 13 to 38), Bhutan (down 11 to 28) and Uzebekistan (down nine to 16).
Ronald Boyd-MacMIllan, who directs Open Doors strategy and research, was reported as saying that taken as a whole, the 2013 list shows persecution of Christians has intensified largely due to the rise of militant sectarian movements in Africa well as places like India.
Open Doors estimates that 100 million Christians are undergoing persecution around the world.
~ http://worldwatchlist.org.au/
