Global Increase in Religious Harassment Reported in 2022
Religious persecution and harassment have reached alarming levels globally, with believers facing threats from both governments and social entities. A Pew Research Center study indicates that Christians are increasingly subjected to hostility.
The Pew report, titled “Government Restrictions on Religion Stayed at Peak Levels Globally in 2022,” explores the extent of religious restrictions and social animosities in 198 nations and territories. In 2022, harassment incidents were recorded in 192 of these regions, a slight rise from 2021.
The report highlights that “governments harassed people for their religious beliefs and practices in 186 countries in 2022, up from 183 in 2021.” Additionally, social groups or individuals engaged in religious harassment in 164 countries, matching the previous year’s figures.
Christians, consistently the most harassed group, faced such experiences in 166 countries last year. A notable incident involved a man in Mauritania arrested after his son transported Bibles from Senegal. In Iraq’s Bartella, a historically Christian town, a church leader noted attempts by militias to “seize and occupy Christian properties,” aiming to alter the town’s religious makeup.
Physical forms of harassment, such as property damage, assaults, and detentions, were reported in 145 countries. Governments used force against religious groups in 111 nations, while similar actions by social groups were noted in an equal number.
Property damage was the most common type of physical harassment, observed in 61% of countries. Detentions were reported in 47% of countries, with physical assaults, displacements, and killings in 45%, 26%, and 25% respectively.
An appendix to the report lists Cape Verde, Fiji, Grenada, Macao, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Portugal, San Marino, Senegal, and Suriname as the only countries free of government harassment in 2022. In contrast, the United States was among 110 countries where religious intimidation was prevalent at various government levels.
Muslims encountered harassment in 148 countries, a record high since the research began. The number of countries where Jews experienced harassment decreased slightly to 90 in 2022. Harassment of Hindus, folk religions, and unaffiliated individuals also reached record levels, with Hindus targeted in 26 countries, folk religions in 49, and the unaffiliated in 32. Buddhists saw a reduction in harassment, down to 25 countries from a previous high of 28 in 2021.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
