Here is a study report by International Christian Concern on the places where Christians are suffering from their faith in Jesus.
Two significant events were affected as a fertilizer for persecution in 2022. The Ukraine War and the sour global economy. The empowered dictators, regimes, and terrorist groups took advantage of the situation as their best opportunity to grow in their own ways.
The war and the financial crisis distracted the attention of the world. The villainous leaders accelerated their actions and pursue their agenda, that is, to detriment of Christians. The regimes and the groups do more of what they want to do without the world’s big reaction to them.
These situations will worsen for Christians without a doubt. Now the U.S. influence on diplomatic relationships is reduced. North Korea is a good example, emboldened to expand its nuclear program. You can imagine what’s happening for Christians and others living there.
The window of opportunity for radical groups like Boko Haram, the Allied Democratic Forces, and Fulani militants in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo also had a free wing to fly over their targeted lands to spread terror.
Socioeconomic factors significantly contribute to Christian persecution which increased poverty, desperate people take desperate measures. If the only way to get food is to attack a Christian village and take what they have, they just don’t care. Here are some places which identified as the hotspots of Christian persecution defined by the ICC.
China
In China, we see a hike in the series of severe measures to restrict house churches and religious leaders more than ever before. The comprehensive report by ICC on China shows a greater matter of concern. ICC has been tracking persecution incidents for several years and concluded that persecution in China was worse in 2022 than in any other year.
Myanmar
The political coup in Myanmar in 2021 led to a crackdown on all minorities, including Christians. As a result, there are a lot of attacks on churches and bombings of churches. The internally displaced often use churches as shelters.
Iran
The war in Ukraine and the poor global economy made the regime take advantage of this country. The government did the biggest crackdown on churches, Christians, and Muslim-background believers this year, with more arrests and torture of Christians.
India
In India, more states enforce anti-conversion laws, which many Indian both political and religious experts agree are unconstitutional. More states try to stop any evangelism or outreach to Hindu communities by adopting anti-conversion laws. Many churches and Christian groups are being tortured here.
Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)
According to ICC, about 100,000 Christians remain stuck in Nagorno-Karabakh (Armenian: Artsakh) and don’t have access to the world. The government took more land and closed the only road that gave Christians access to Armenia, essentially putting them in a big, geographical prison. The Russian peacekeepers are not doing anything, which has made this so much worse for Christians.
Afghanistan
The desperate situation in Afghanistan is remaining, unfortunately. As they have a financial crisis, the government enforces more restrictions on freedom, rights, and religion because no other entities have a strong hand to control the country. It’s already as bad as it can get with a mob that doesn’t know how to run the country. No national income exists, and all the country’s assets are frozen worldwide. Afghanistan is not a country that has natural resources or oil or anything. It has created a desperate situation for all Afghans. The case for many Christians is primarily unknown because it’s illegal to be a Christian, so all worship occurs underground. We continue to work in the country, support those who have either chosen or been forced to stay, and help others escape to safe havens. It’s a big mess.
Turkey
Turkey’s persecution is outward, not inward. They spread persecution in Libya, Syria, Iraq, and all neighboring countries. They obtain exclusive procession or control over terrorist groups and harass Christians in Iran. So, the country, Turkey relies upon as a big player in this game—and its influence goes beyond its border. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his cronies are more emboldened than ever to persecute Christians.
As believers, however, despite what’s happening in this world, we have eternal hope in Jesus Christ. It is hard to see any light coming soon for persecuted Christians. Persecution will never go away; it is a Biblical promise.
The immediate relief that we do, where we come in and help persecution survivors after an attack, will always be our core ministry work. We need to help Christians stand up for themselves and improve their situations.
(Adapted and edited from Church Leaders)