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* Raymond Ibrahim: The Never-Ending 'Pandemic': 360 Million Christians Persecuted Worldwide
* Uzay Bulut: The Endangered Assyrians and the Language of Jesus Seek International Support
** The Never-Ending 'Pandemic': 360 Million Christians Persecuted Worldwide ([link removed])
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by Raymond Ibrahim • February 2, 2023 at 5:00 am
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Worldwide [link removed] [link removed]
* Overall, the global persecution of Christians remains higher than ever, with 360 million believers suffering high levels of discrimination and violence.
* These are among some of the findings of the World Watch List 2023, recently published by the international humanitarian organization, Open Doors.
* The worst nations and their rankings are: 1) North Korea, 2) Somalia, 3) Yemen, 4) Eritrea, 5) Libya, 6) Nigeria, 7) Pakistan, 8) Iran, 9) Afghanistan, 10) Sudan, 11) India.
* " [A]pproximately 80% of the worst persecution around the globe takes place in the name of Islam...
* Although the persecution in North Korea is worse, there is at least hope for the Christians there: their ill treatment is entirely connected to the regime of Kim Jong-un. Once he is gone, North Korea may well become like South Korea, where Christianity is flourishing. Conversely, the Muslim persecution of Christians is perennial, existential, and far transcends this or that regime or ruler. It is part of the history, doctrines and socio-political makeup of Islam -- hence its tenacity and ubiquity.
* In Somalia, "Christians from Muslim backgrounds are regarded as high-value targets and may be killed on the spot if discovered."
* In most Muslim nations on the list, all three sectors of society -- Muslim authorities, Muslim mobs and Muslim terrorists -- persecute Christians to varying degrees.
* In Afghanistan, "More than a year after the Taliban's takeover, any promises they made about recognising freedoms have proved to be false. Following Jesus remains a death sentence, if discovered."
* In Pakistan, "roughly a quarter of all blasphemy accusations target Christians, who only make up 1.8% of the population."
* In Egypt, "President al-Sisi regularly speaks positively about Egypt's Christian community. However, the lack of serious law enforcement and the unwillingness of local authorities to protect Christians leave them vulnerable to all kinds of attacks...."
* In the worst of these Sub-Saharan nations, Nigeria, "Christians are experiencing a genocide."
* "China's model of oppression is spreading.... The apparent success of China, especially in economic terms, is appealing to many leaders around the world. The promise of growth and prosperity, while being able to control all groups and individuals perceived as deviant, has triggered the interest of leaders from all over the world, no matter their ideological background."
* Perhaps the most disturbing trend is that, since 1993, the persecution of Christians has nearly doubled... and has already increased by nearly 70% over the last six years, with no signs of abating.
* How long before this seemingly irreversible trend metastasizes into even those nations currently celebrated for their religious freedom?
The global persecution of Christians remains higher than ever, with 360 million believers suffering high levels of discrimination and violence. (Image source: iStock)
In 2022, 5,621 Christian around the world were "killed for faith related reasons." Another 4,542 Christians were illegally detained or arrested, and 2,110 churches were attacked, many destroyed. Overall, the global persecution of Christians remains higher than ever, with 360 million believers suffering high levels of discrimination and violence.
These are among some of the findings of the World Watch List 2023, recently published by the international humanitarian organization, Open Doors. Each year, the World Watch List ranks the top 50 nations where Christians are most persecuted for their faith by using data from approximately 4,000 field workers and external experts to analyze the persecution worldwide.
The report finds that around the world, on average, one in seven Christians (14%) are persecuted. In Africa, that number grows to one in five (20%), while in Asia it is as much as two in five -- meaning 40% of all Christians are persecuted there.
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** The Endangered Assyrians and the Language of Jesus Seek International Support ([link removed])
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by Uzay Bulut • February 2, 2023 at 4:00 am
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i.addthis.com/oexchange/0.8/forward/email/offer?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gatestoneinstitute.org%2F19350%2Fassyrian-language&pubid=ra-52f7af5809191749&ct=1&title=The+Endangered+Assyrians+and+the+Language+of+Jesus+Seek+International+Support [link removed]
* Most Assyrians are Christian and speak Assyrian (also known as Syriac, Aramaic, or neo-Aramaic), one of the world's oldest languages and the language of Jesus.
* Assyrians are an indigenous people of what are today Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq.... As a result of Muslim persecutions and massacres, Assyrians are now a non-sovereign minority in their native lands. Their situation is also the consequence of the absence of support and protection from the West.
* "The refusal to support the Assyrian language in Iraq and Turkey stems from the history of persecution against indigenous minority communities in those countries. Whereas Canada, the USA, and Australia are essentially multicultural nations, they try to embrace and encourage the plurality of their societies. The opposite is the case in Iraq and Turkey where the ruling groups tend to dominate all aspects of society, including education.... There is also a historical element of eliminating the indigenous link of Assyrians with their homelands through erasure of the ancient language, thus cementing the dominant non-indigenous language as the only linguistic group." — Evon Sworesho, an Assyrian teacher and rights advocate, born in Iraq, and now in Canada.
* It is high time Turkey recognized the same rights it demands for the Turkish migrants in Europe for the oppressed indigenous peoples of Anatolia, especially the Assyrians, their culture and "the language of Jesus."
Assyrians are an indigenous people of what are today Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq. As a result of Muslim persecutions and massacres, Assyrians are now a non-sovereign minority in their native lands. Their situation is also the consequence of the absence of support and protection from the West. Pictured: The Midyat Virgin Mary Monastery in Mardin, Turkey, originally built in the 6th-century. (Photo by Yasin Akgul/AFP via Getty Images)
The Assyrian people, who suffered from many crimes including a genocide in their ancestral lands in the Middle East, won a significant victory in the United States regarding their linguistic rights.
Beginning with the 2023-24 school year, Niles North High School and Niles West High School in Illinois will add Assyrian as an accredited option to fulfill the "World Language" requirements for graduation. Also, in November of last year, Assyrian was recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education as an accredited World Language, paving the way for the historic vote of the Niles Township District 219 Board of Education.
Thousands of Assyrians reside in Illinois. Assyrian language courses are also taught at some schools in Canada, Europe and Australia.
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