One in 12 Christians around the world are persecuted for their faith and are the target of violent attacks including rape, a shocking report has found.
According to a study by Open Doors USA, an organization that studies Christian persecution, 215 million Christians live in areas with high levels of persecution worldwide.
The report also goes on to state that over 3,000 Christians were killed and nearly 800 churches were damaged in the last year.
‘The most significant findings were that Christian women are among the most violated in the world, in maybe a way that we haven’t seen before,’ David Curry, the president and CEO of Open Doors USA, told Fox News. ‘We need to raise the flag. These are tactics are being increasingly used by extremists.’
A new study claims that 215 million Christians live in areas that persecute adherents to the religion worldwide
The study also identified 50 countries across the globe where following Christianity is most dangerous.
The report also stated that Islamic extremism is a driver of persecution in 35 of the 50 nations on the list.
North Korea, which is an officially atheist state where public worship is illegal, topped the list. Afghanistan, which lacks a strong central government and has a conservative Muslim population, wasn’t far behind.
North Korea’s nearly 300,000 Christians must practice their religion in private for fear of government persecution.
‘In a nation where the ruling regime demands total control over the general public, anything that challenges the government’s power is seen as a threat, including religion,’ Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, told Fox News. ‘As a result, the North Korean government does everything in its power to squash the spread of Christianity.’
Islamic extremism was a cause of persecution in 35 of the 50 nations that made the list of countries where practicing Christianity is most dangerous