Across today’s increasingly violent world, Christians who are persecuted for their faith can be numbered in the hundreds of millions. Most of them live in poverty and constant uncertainty, yet they continue to pray, praise, and openly worship.
Far too many are subjected to horrifying scenarios. There are vicious abuses of converts to Christianity in Iran, ongoing massacres in Nigeria, and violent assaults on Afghan Christian believers. In fact, International Christian Concern (ICC) exposed their ominously titled 2022 “Persecutor of the Year” awards. And the three worst persecutors they have “awarded” are, in fact, Iran, Nigeria, and Afghanistan. But those are hardly the only ones.
Open Doors annually publishes a World Watch List, focusing on the world’s 50 worst persecuting countries, identifying them in the order of their brutality. At the time of the WWL’s 2022 release, over 360 million global Christians were experiencing high levels of persecution and discrimination.
Although Christians aren’t the only people of faith that suffer for their beliefs, they are unquestionably the most endangered. Tens of thousands have died in recent years. And innumerable believers have fled their impossibly dangerous hometowns and even their countries of origin.
There are four primary sources of endangerment and abuse that ultimately cause Christians to flee. These threats are magnified in the case of those who have converted from other religions, and particularly from Islam. The first source of danger is their own families, whether immediate or extended. The next is government officials, whether local or national. Another risk is their local community, sometimes including mob violence. And the fourth danger is violent religious groups.
These factors are very much at work in the three countries identified above — Iran, Nigeria, and Afghanistan.
Perhaps the most unexpected and shocking report on Christian persecution emerged from Afghanistan, following the sudden U.S. troop withdrawals in August 2021. Charmaine Hedding, President of Shai Fund, explains the dangers there:
Shai Fund has assisted flying thousands of Afghans out of the country including many from the underground church. Those Christians have been identified by the Taliban, and some had to be moved through eight different safe houses to avoid capture. All Christian converts that remain there are under threat, and we know that some 500 actively need immediate evacuation. The situation in Afghanistan continues to be dire for the underground church. Many are being hunted down by local Taliban and their lives are in direct threat of execution for apostasy.
According to Church on the Run, Iran, Nigeria, and Afghanistan are only three countries out of some 58 where religious identity is a primary factor in both persecution and permanent displacement.
In our comfortable surroundings, as we read, discuss, and seek to help our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters, let’s particularly pray for the homeless believers around the world. Most of them have little hope for resettlement. In fact — at least, for now — Heaven is the only home they can believe in.