CHRISTIAN POST/ Anugrah Kumar-
In a report published this week, Aid to the Church in Need sheds light on the escalating culture of impunity surrounding religious persecution worldwide. It reveals that over 4.9 billion people reside in countries with severe violations of religious freedom.
These 4.9 billion people live in 61 countries, where the state of religious freedom, as secured in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, looks grim, says the report, titled the 2023 World Religious Freedom Report, that covers the period from January 2021 to December 2022.
“It means that 62% of humanity lives in countries where people are not free to practice, express or change their religion,” ACN says. “Culprits of religious freedom violations range from armed terror groups to authoritarian governments, but the rule continues to be one of impunity for attackers who are rarely, if ever, brought to justice or criticized by the international community.”
Of the 61 countries, 28 are marked in red, denoting “hot countries” where persecution is rampant, while an additional 33 are marked in orange, indicating high levels of discrimination. Continue reading…
