Global anti-Christian persecution high, India to a player

Mangalore Today News Network

New York City, Oct 20, 2017: India was among three countries rated “high to extreme” in persecuting Christians, says an international aid agency.

A report from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) says anti-Christian persecution is “worse than at any time in history” and in many cases genocide and other crimes against humanity “now mean that the Church in core countries and regions faces the possibility of imminent wipe-out.”

The agency provides emergency and pastoral relief in 140 countries. Its U.S. affiliate published the report titled “Persecuted and Forgotten?” covers the years 2015-2017.

Its contents are bleak, describing Christianity as “the world’s most oppressed faith community.” Anti-Christian persecution in the worst regions has reached “a new peak” and its impact is “only now beginning to be felt in all its horror.”

“In 12 of the 13 countries reviewed, the situation for Christians was worse in overall terms in the period 2015–2017 than within the preceding two years,” said the report’s executive summary, released October 12.

Besides India, Egypt and Iran were rated “high to extreme” in the scale of anti-Christian persecution. However, India could find some consolation as nine other countries are rated higher than it. China, Eritrea, Iraq, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Syria were ranked “extreme,” while Turkey was rated “moderate to high.”