Richard A. Sokerka
A recent global survey reveals that the rise of radical Islamic extremism is the primary reason for the persecution of Christians. Sadly, as Mother’s Day approaches, the survey points to the fact that many of the victims being martyred for their faith are women.
The California-based Open Doors organization focuses on anti-Christian persecution in countries around the world. According to its 2016 World Watch List, the level of violence against Christians globally has reached an all-time high, with numbers almost doubling every year. The report also found that Islamic extremism is the primary driving factor in the persecution of Christians. Last year, more than 7,000 Christians were killed for their faith. This is an increase from 4,344 in 2014 and 2,123 in 2013. In the last two years, the Islamic State group has reportedly executed 250 girls for refusing to become sex slaves.
According to Emily Fuentes, communications director for Open Doors, “There are numerous international incidents of women being kidnapped, raped, and forced to convert from Christianity to Islam by radical extremist groups like Boko Haram. Many are also sold on the open market. This brutality is not only occurring in the Middle East but in Africa and in many other places.”
“In many of these countries, women are subject to persecution because they are considered second-class citizens because of their gender,” Fuentes said. “As minorities in both gender and faith, Christian women face double the persecution. Although we don’t have an exact number, we know that millions of women are being persecuted.”
Although the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously voted on a resolution against the acts of genocide of the Islamic State Group against Christians and ethnic minorities in the Middle East, the Obama administration has not made this issue a priority, once again showing that issues that deal with religious freedom dead end at the Oval Office.
As Olivia Enos, research associate in the Asian Studies Center at the Heritage Foundation, pointed out, “When you don’t defend religious freedom, you have severe human rights abuses. It is not just religious freedom for women or one group of people, it is religious freedom for all.”
Our elected representatives and all those running for office, need to step up to the plate and not only speak out about this genocide but also take action to stop these atrocities and firmly stand up for religious freedom for all.