EXCLUSIVE: Reports for years have indicated that religious intolerance is on the rise around the globe in the face of increasing authoritarian rule and the continued spread of Islamic extremism, but a report released Thursday indicates that Christianity, above all others, is taking the biggest hit.
“The world is seeing an increasing push toward oppressive control over religion, particularly Christianity, as a consequence of several modern and historical factors converging,” Jeff King, president of the International Christian Concern (ICC), a non-profit based in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital. “Christians face oppression in more countries than any other faith group, with significant challenges in regions like the Middle East, Africa and Asia.”
A report titled “The Global Persecution Index 2025,” released by the ICC on Thursday, outlined which nations have become the biggest offenders when it comes to religious oppression, particularly against Christian populations, and found the majority of religion-based persecution is carried out under authoritarian leaders and by Islamic extremist groups.
The facade of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Krakow, Poland, is illuminated in red. Hundreds of cathedrals, churches, monuments and public buildings are illuminated with red lights in order to raise awareness about the persecution of Christians and the issue of religious freedom, as well as in the spirit of solidarity with the persecuted, on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022 in Krakow, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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The greatest concentration of “Red Zone” nations, countries with the most severe actions taken against Christians, including torture and death, were found in a strip of land in Africa known as the Sahel, which includes places like Mali, Niger and Chad. However, other significantly dangerous nations for the Christian faith were identified as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and North Korea.
There is a mounting trend that shows authoritarian policies are on the rise globally – particularly as geopolitics enter an increasingly fragile period – and has meant more nations are clamping down on religion.
Christians and Muslims are the two largest religious groups in the world and consistently see the highest rates of “harassment” – both physical and verbal – over any other group, according to a Pew Research Center (PRC) report released this month, which analyzed findings from 2022 – data that King also referenced.
A boy sells objects of piety during a pilgrimage to Yagma on the outskirts of Ouagadougou, on Feb. 5, 2023. Thousands of pilgrims from several dioceses of Burkina Faso prayed for peace on February 5, 2023 at the national pilgrimage of Yagma, on the outskirts of Ouagadougou. The Marian shrine of Yagma has hosted the Christian pilgrimage every year at the beginning of the year for more than fifty years. The national pilgrimage takes place every three years. (Photo by OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP via Getty Images)
While neither the ICC report nor the PRC report were able to break down the exact rates of how many Christians, versus Muslims, or others, were targets of harassment, the PRC found that Christians are targeted in more countries by governments or “social groups” than any other religion, with Muslims coming in second and Jews third.
“In many authoritarian states, Christianity is seen as a proxy for Western influence and values, which regimes often reject as imperialistic or destabilizing,” King told Fox News Digital. “Christianity and other faiths emphasize allegiance to a higher moral authority, which inherently challenges authoritarian regimes that demand complete loyalty to the state.”
Activists and members representing the Christian community display placards as they take part in a peaceful protest rally against what they claim as an increase in hostility, hate and violence against Christians in various states of the country, in New Delhi on Feb. 19, 2023. (Photo by ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images)
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However, while authoritarian attempts to control the hearts and minds of its citizens through oppressive policies are nothing new, emerging and increasingly accessible technology has upped the level to which nations can persecute perceived dissidence.
Technology like social media in many ways has improved freedom of speech and access to information worldwide, but the expansion of other technologies has also increased oppressive authoritarian systems of hyper-surveillance – even in regions not traditionally seen as religiously oppressive, like Latin America.
“Countries like Nicaragua and Venezuela, traditionally Christian-majority nations, saw a big increase in hostility toward religious groups critical of authoritarian regimes,” King said. “The targeting of religious citizens and suppression of dissenting voices marked a new and alarming trend.
Christians demanded justice during a protest in Islamabad condemning attacks on churches in Pakistan, on Aug. 20, 2023. (AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images)
“Nations like China exported sophisticated surveillance technology to other authoritarian regimes, enabling tighter control and monitoring of religious groups,” he added.
Some nations have increasingly viewed Christianity as a threat to their cultural norms, including India, which in recent years has seen a severe increase in the number of attacks against Christians, according to not only the ICC and the PRC reports, but also a report submitted to the United Nations General Assembly by the Human Rights Council in February.
“In countries like India and Pakistan, social media platforms were used to incite mob violence and spread disinformation about Christian communities, leading to targeted attacks,” King explained.
The violence and oppression against religious groups around the globe are not isolated events and are indicative of an increasingly growing threat reminiscent of historical atrocities carried out under similar oppressive policies.
Police officers and riot police block the main entrance of Matagalpa’s Archbishop Curia preventing Monsignor Rolando Alvarez from leaving, in Matagalpa, Nicaragua, on Aug. 4, 2022. (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)
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“Many nations are experiencing democratic backsliding, with authoritarian leaders consolidating power and silencing dissent, including religious voices,” King explained in reference to the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. “Economic crises, political unrest, and social inequalities create conditions where leaders seek scapegoats or distractions, often targeting religious minorities to unite the majority under their rule.
“Today’s regimes are drawing from this playbook as they face similar challenges to their authority,” he added. “Religion, with its ability to inspire freedom, hope and resistance, is viewed as a mortal enemy to their dominance.
“This trend is exacerbated by technological advancements, rising nationalism, and global instability, making the fight for religious freedom more urgent than ever,” King warned.
