This report from the Institute for the Study of Civil Society (Civitas), outlines the terrible conditions for Christians who have the misfortune to live in the Islamic world.
State oppression, forced conversions of Christians to Islam, murders, harassment, theft of property, lack of religious freedom, these are just some of the degradations that are imposed on the Christian minority in Islamic lands.
The report states that freedom of religion is ‘the canary in the coal mine’ for human rights. If a person cannot practise their peaceful religion without harassment by either the state or non state groups, then that person is not free, and neither is the state that the person is living in.
Christians living in Islamic nations are not free, instead they live in constant fear of attack, are often libelled, cannot build or repair their religious buildings and are often in danger of kidnap and forced conversion to Islam. What a contrast to the religious freedom we in the West allow Islam. Islam demands freedom for itself but doesn’t grant similar freedoms to others in countries where Islam dominates.
Although not all the attacks on Christians detailed in the report are carried out by Islamic groups and individuals (Hindus, Buddhists and secular Communists have oppressed Christians as well), it is plain to see that Islamic nations dominate the roll call of hatred against the practise of Christianity. In Islam, the hatred for ‘the other’ runs deep, probably deeper than in the other groups mentioned combined.
The Civitas report concludes that:
“Even though Christians face the assaults and crackdowns reported above in countries such as India, Burma and China, the lion’s share of their problems arise in Muslim majority societies. The Freedom House think-tank hasproduced a chart called ‘Religious Freedom in the World’44 examining the records of many countries.
Of the 41countries covered that were judged free in religious terms– that is, scoring 1, 2, or 3 on a scale of 1 to 7 – 35 are traditionally Christian. Only two traditionally Christian countries out of 45, Belarus and Cuba, were deemed to be ‘not free’ – that is, scoring a 6 or a 7.
It is worth reading the whole report as it outlines just how harsher the oppression of Christians has become in countries such as Egypt since the rise over the last four decades of Islamic salalfsti thinking. This report is yet another example of how Islam is NOT a religion of peace, instead it is a religion and a philosophy of aggressive conquest and violence.
Link
Civitas report into oppression of Christians worldwide
http://www.civitas.org.uk/pdf/Shortt_Christianophobia.pdf
Los Angeles Times article on forced conversions to Islam in Gaza
