Watch List 2022: ‘Islamic Radicalism’ No. 1 Cause of Christian Persecution

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Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.

“Violent Islamic radicalism is present in 7 out of the top 10 countries” where it is most dangerous to be a Christian, Open Doors revealed this week in its 2022 World Watch List.

Out of the 50 countries where Christians suffer the greatest violent persecution, 34 have a Muslim majority and Islamic oppression is the principal driver of persecution in more than half of them.

“We know what radical Islamic ideology looks like for believers because we’ve seen it in Iraq and Syria,” the Watch List states. “When ISIS took over parts of the Middle East, Christians were executed, abducted, sexually assaulted and hunted. Where groups like Boko Haram and al Shabab are active, similar threats are inevitable.

“When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, they tried to appear moderate — but there’s no sign that Christianity will be anything other than a death sentence,” it adds.

“The risk of discovery has only increased, since the Taliban controls every aspect of government — including paperwork from international troops that may help identify Christians,” it states.

“And the Taliban wasn’t the only extremist group that made strides in 2021,” the text declares. “In Nigeria and Cameroon, Boko Haram continues to wreak havoc, the Islamic State group is active in West Africa and Mozambique, and al Shabab controls large portions of Somalia.”

“It seems like nothing can be done to stop the advance of Islamic extremism,” it concludes, in a section of the report titled “Is Islamic Extremism Winning?”

In a country like Yemen, for instance, the persecution against Christians “has been extreme for years, leading to a jump of two spots on 2022 World Watch List. Pressure on converts from Islam is at the highest levels in every part of life.”

And in Nigeria, many Christians “live their lives under the constant threat of attack from Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Fulani militants and criminals who kidnap and murder with few consequences.”

“Christians continue to be attacked indiscriminately and brutally in northern Nigeria, and Nigeria’s rank has risen accordingly,” the Watch list notes, and persecution in Nigeria “is, simply put, brutally violent.”

Meanwhile, in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, “Christians are considered second-class citizens and are discriminated against in every aspect of life” the Watch List reveals, and Pakistani Christians live under constant intimidation.

“Violence against Christians continues to happen at extreme levels,” the Watch List declares.

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