World watch list 2018
“Islamic oppression is still the main source of Christian persecution, extending its grip to several areas”, says the World Watch List 2018, the current “report on religious freedom of Christians in the world” by Open Doors. However, the “religious nationalism factor as overflowing source of Christian (or other minority) persecution” is also increasing, as happens in India. “Social intolerance and political exploitation of such intolerance are the poison of this historical period”, said Cristian Nani, director of Open Doors. According to the 2018 Report, 3,066 Christians were killed because of their faith, while 15,540 Christian buildings were attacked (churches, private houses and shops). Persecution of Christians is much more than those figures: 1,922 Christians detained with no trial; 1,252 kidnapped; over 1,000 rapes; 1,240 forced marriages; 33,255 “physically or mentally abused Christians”. All those lives were “ruined because of faith”, pointed out Nani, who said: “unfortunately, those figures are just starting points, because the number of crimes against Christians either not denounced or not registered is potentially huge in lots of countries”. Open Doors says persecuted Christians in Africa are 81.14 million (38%); in Asia and the Middle East 113.31 million (53%); in Latin America 20.05 million (9%); and in the rest of the world 11,800 (0.01%).
