Persecution of Christians has become worse than at any time in history, charity warns

A new report published by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has warned that the persecution of Christians has become worse than at any time in history, but it is being ignored by the U.N. and the international community.

The report, titled "Persecuted and Forgotten?" noted that the persecution of Christians has reached a new high between 2015 and 2017, noting that terror groups such as the Islamic State and Boko Haram have stepped up attacks.

"In terms of the numbers of people involved, the gravity of the crimes committed and their impact, it is clear that the persecution of Christians is today worse than at any time in history," said John Pontifex, the co-author of the study, according to Catholic Herald.

"Not only are Christians more persecuted than any other faith group, but ever-increasing numbers are experiencing the very worst forms of persecution," he added.

The report accuses the international community of failing to help the Christians who are facing genocide in countries such as Iraq and Syria.

"If Christian organisations and other institutions had not filled the gap, the Christian presence could already have disappeared in Iraq and other parts of the Middle East," the report claimed.

Archbishop Issam John Darwish, Melkite bishop of Zahle, in Lebanon, spoke at the charity's event at the House of Lords to give his personal accounts of Christian persecution in his country. He noted that the number of Christians in the Middle East has declined because so many have fled due to the violence.

He urged Syrian Christians to return to their homelands and called on Western governments to stop facilitating the immigration of Christians from the Middle East.

Until 2011, the Syrian city of Aleppo was home to the largest Christian community, but the numbers have dropped from 150,000 to barely 35,000 by spring 2017, a fall of more than 75 percent.

Apart from Iraq and Syria, Christians are also under increasing threats in other major Islamic countries, as well as some authoritarian regimes such as North Korea and Eritrea.

The report also references the increasing pressure faced by Christians in China, where the authorities try to force their religion to conform to Communist ideals. The authorities have demolished more than 2,000 churches in Zhejiang province recently, and they are also routinely detaining clergy.

Other countries where the persecution of Christians have worsened between 2015 and 2017 were Egypt, India, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, and Turkey. Out of the 13 countries reviewed by the charity, the only country where the persecution remained unchanged was Saudi Arabia.