Afghanistan Now Tops Open Doors’ World Watch Persecution List

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12)

CBN News: One in seven Christians worldwide faces persecution for their faith in Jesus. That’s about 360 million people.

Each year, Open Doors USA publishes its list of 50 countries where Christians face the worst persecution.

For 20-years, North Korea has topped the list. But this year, there’s been a seismic shift as Afghanistan has taken its place as the world’s worst persecutor.

Speaking on CBN’s Global Lane, Open Doors President and CEO David Curry explained why. 

“It’s the number one perpetrator of violence and pressure and discrimination against Christians in the world. North Korea hasn’t gotten better, Afghanistan’s gotten worse — the violence, the tracking of Christians, the killing of Christians, this is, unfortunately, I’m afraid, what we can expect from Afghanistan in the future,” Curry said.

Seven of the top 10 countries on the Open Doors World Watch List experience some level of Islamic radicalism.

The ministry reports it’s especially difficult for Christian women in those nations because they face kidnapping and forced marriage to Muslim men. 

At this moment in history, Open Doors ranks the following locations as the top 10 worst spots for Christians: Afghanistan, North Korea, Somalia, Libya, Yemen, Eritrea, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, and India. Read More

Sources

1. Afghanistan Now Tops Open Doors’ World Watch Persecution List: ‘Tracking Christians, Killing Christians’ (January 20th, 2022) – CBN News