2015 was the “worst year in modern history for Christian persecution,” according to Open Doors, a human rights organization that has been documenting the persecution of Christians since 1955.
According to its latest data, more than 7,000 Christians were killed for their faith in 2015 — almost twice as many as in 2014. In addition, more than 2,400 churches were attacked, damaged or destroyed — again, more than double the number of the previous year.
In the words of Open Doors’ CEO, David Curry:
The 2016 World Watch List [which ranks the 50 nations where Christians are most persecuted] documents an unprecedented escalation of violence against Christians, making this past year the most violent and sustained attack on Christian faith in modern history. … This research has concluded that after the brutal persecution of Christians in 2014, 2015 proved to be even worse with the persecution continuing to increase, intensify and spread across the globe. … The level of exclusion, discrimination and violence against Christians is unprecedented, spreading and intensifying.
Who or what is behind these unprecedented levels of persecution? Some of it is related to the tendency of non-Western nations to associate Christianity with the “hated West.” Four are Communist nations — Vietnam (ranked #20), Laos (#29), China (#33), and North Korea (#1), where “Christianity is not only seen as ‘opium for the people,’ as is normal for all communist states, it is also seen as deeply Western and despicable,” notes the report. Three are reclaiming their religious heritage in contradistinction to what is portrayed as a depraved West — Hindu India (#17), Buddhist Bhutan (#38) and Myanmar (#23). And two — Mexico (#40) and Columbia (#46) — are fueled by organized crime and drug cartels.
“Islamic extremism” is cited as the source of persecution for the remaining 41 nations that make the list of 50 worst persecutors of Christians. North Korea aside, the rest of the eight nations where Christians experience the worst form of persecution (“extreme persecution”) are all Islamic. In 35 nations, Islamic extremism “has risen to a level akin to ethnic cleansing” of Christians.
A close examination of the report indicates that something else stands behind this rise of genocidal “Islamic extremism”: U.S. foreign policy. In every Muslim nation where the U.S. has intervened in the name of “freedom and democracy,” Christian life has exponentially worsened. Put differently, those who most despise “freedom and democracy” — radical and jihadi Muslims — tend to be the ones most empowered by U.S. foreign policies.
Iraq today, according to the report, is the second worst nation in the world in which to be Christian. Afghanistan is fourth, Syria fifth, and Libya tenth. A decade ago, none of these countries even made the top 10 list. Syria and Libya — when they were ruled by secular autocrats who were eventually demonized by U.S. politicians and media, and then underwent U.S. intervention — did not even make the top 20.
In 2004, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq was ranked 32 and scored only 35.5 (a nation must score at least 50 to count as containing even “sparse persecution,” the category which signifies the least amount of persecution.) After a decade’s worth of American lives and treasure were wasted, Iraq now scores 90 and is the worst Muslim nation in which to be Christian. The situation is the same in those other Muslim nations that the U.S. government brought, and continues trying to bring, “freedom and democracy” to:
- Syria: A decade ago it was ranked #47 and scored only 24.5. Today it is ranked #5 and scores 87 , or “extreme persecution.”
- Libya: A decade ago it was ranked #22 and scored 41; today it ranks #10 and scores 79.
- Afghanistan: A decade ago it ranked #11 and scored 53; today — a decade after the U.S. declared “victory” over al-Qaeda and the Taliban — it is ranked #4 and scores 88.
Even in nations where U.S. intervention is not obvious, Christian persecution has reached unprecedented levels. In Nigeria, Boko Haram — an Islamic group possibly more savage than ISIS — slaughtered more Christians in 2015 than any other terrorist group. Yet for years the Obama administration had refused to list Boko Haram as even a terrorist organization, and continues to argue that its violence has nothing to do with Islam but is a result of poverty and grievances. The U.S. even pressured the Nigerian government to make concessions, including by building more mosques — the very structures, as the Nigerian lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe said, where Muslims are radicalized and recruited for the jihad — and complained when the military killed 30 Boko Haram members during a strong offensive.
Those many Americans indifferent to all this persecution “over there” would do well to connect the dots: Globally empowering forces hostile to Christians is synonymous with globally empowering forces hostile to America. Those Muslims who hate and persecute Christians also hate, and seek to persecute, Americans for exactly the same reason: Westerners all are hated non-Muslim infidels.
In short, the primary achievement of U.S. foreign policies in Muslim nations — apart from wasted American blood and treasure — is the unprecedented rise of Islamic forces bent on destroying America.
[adsenseyu1]
Well said, Raymond. Great article. America is clearly supporting its own demise. The big question is, why?
The big answer is Revelation 13 for those who are religiously inclined. There are forces in the West bent on merging Western civilization, “Greece”, with “Persia” (or what’s left of it) into one whole. The fools in the Western leadership hierarchy are not particularly fond of Islam as such (except for Mr. Obama, obviously), but they do recognize that Islam is the dominant religion and main political force within the territory once recognized as Persia. As such, they are willing to work with Islam (or what they prefer to call moderate Islam) to achieve this overarching goal.
Of course, they are encouraged in this affair not merely from secular motives but by a darker agenda. It is not possible to divorce the secular motivation from the philosophical/theological underpinnings. Many of them (in Western leadership) hate Christianity and as such are quickly finding themselves in league with Muslims who also hate Christianity. Their goals are separate but their hatred is common. Their means are also disparate but clearly the results have become one; an Islamization of the West at the same time that Christianity is being systematically eradicated from the West by elected Western rulers.
Thanks. There have been some suggestions (including by at least one Muslim member of congress) that there is a strong link between Islam and top levels of Freemasonry. Have you heard anything about that? Would that fit into your interpretation of Rev 13?
Freemasonry grew out of the mideval stone mason guilds and possibly the Knights Templar. It is an ecumenical fraternity which inculcates morality through allegory and symbolism.
While the fraternity requires belief in a supereme being, it does not specify any particular deity. Many Muslims hate it because it does not promote Allah exclusively. The Muslim Brotherhood hates Freemasonry because Attaturk, who dissolved the caliphate, was a Mason. it accuses the fraternity of being part of a global Jewish conspiracy.
The Moslem Shrine, part of the Scottish Rite, grew out of a popular social trend of theme parties. One of them had an Arab theme. It is all about fun and charity, not Islam.
While there are some Lodges with a majority Muslim membership and the Koran on the altar, Islam and the fraternity are at cross purposes. Freemasonry teaches universal benevolence while Islam teaches universal malevolence.
Does Islamic theology, though, not allow for dissimulation when it is going to advance the cause of allah? Taqiyaa? Hence while the Muslim Brotherhood and the stated aims of Freemasonry may appear to be at cross purposes, could there not be a common goal? And if Freemasonry is all about “fun and charity” why all the secrecy? Especially at the higher levels? And a close look at the allegory and symbolism reveals a lot that is Islamic. And isn’t it the case that many of the Knights Templars escaped to Muslim conquered lands when they were banned from Europe? Could not many of these have converted to Islam and developed the Freemason theology as a way of infiltrating (and ultimately conquering) Christendom?
Occam’s Razor and the KISS Rule are relevant, your arguments fail the tests.
The fraternity originated in England; some of the Templars took refuge in Scotland.
Muslims hate everything that is not islamic.
Secrecy: the means of recognition and initiation ritual are kept secret to maintain security.
I’m not a fan of Ockham’s philosophy. But nevertheless, I don’t see how the questions I posed fail his test. If we look at how a miscreant, backward, and fascist ideology like Islam is being promoted, defended, facilitated, white-washed, and advanced by our academic and cultural institutions in the West, that alone is empirical evidence that something untoward and unexplained is happening — and points to something very sinister going on behind closed doors in the upper echelons of power.
And why the need for such security? What is it about Freemasonry that would make it imperative for such measures to be taken in a nation where there is freedom of thought, freedom of worship, and freedom of religion? What is it that Freemasons are doing that calls for such secrecy?
The simple explanation is usually best. The institutions promoting and protecting Islam are generally under the control or influence of LibTards.
In 18th century England, the new fraternity included scientists, intellectuals and architects. Important ideas were discussed, some of which could land one in trouble with the church or the King. The possibility of infiltration by mercenary men hoping to exploit members financially was another consideration.
I agree, simple explanations are preferable. And I think my theory is the simplest. This is no longer the 18th century. There is no longer a need to hide ideas which could result in criminal prosecution (that is, until very recently, when so-called “hate and anti – discrimination laws” are now landing Americans with traditional values in trouble). Nor does it make logical sense that Liberals (LibTards as you call them) would be the ones to shelter Islam. Islam is diametrically opposed to all the ideals that classical liberalism has held dear. Islam officially regards women as being inferior to men; It stones or beheads women for being sexually active; It throws homosexuals off of high buildings; It opposes freedom of thought and religion. What is it about Islam that would attract any true Liberal? The huge gulf between Islamic values and historic Liberal values juxtaposed with the fact that it is the Liberal elite who are riding shotgun for the Dawa Express, is one of the huge mysteries of our day and age. The simplest explanation is that either the new Liberal elite is, en masse, brain dead. Or there is something more sinister to the Liberal’s embrace of Islam? Who, or what is behind the steering wheel of neo-Liberal thought? And for what purpose? And yes, whoever, or whatever it is, would certainly demand secrecy.
Henry the AssKisser … < Machiavelli: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend.".
LibTards favor the ‘underdog’ and view Muslims as ‘underdogs’ including many self-hating Jews.
Marxists, a special type of LibTard, accept the Maciavellian idiocy hook line and sinker. Since both Marxists and Muslims seek to destroy our political and economic system, Marxists assume Muslims to be allies at best, useful idiots at worst. Muslims consider Marxists useful idiots to be killed after they do their wet work on us.
The fools do not know about the old Arab saying: “Me against my brother, my brother and I against our cousin”… .
So the “LibTards” are, en masse, brain dead!
I do like your portrayal of how Marxists and Muslims see each other! 🙂
We stupidly elected two traitors in a row, the second being Muslim. Fighting the war on the cheap, aiming for minimal casualties and collateral damage was as great a fool’s errand as ‘nation building’. Any outcome that left Afghanistan & Iraq populated and ruled by Muslims was a guaranteed loss; a total waste of blood and treasure.
Victory required killing all the believers and converting all the MINOs. By failing to do that, Shrub made things worse.
I would agree that Obama is Muslim. But I think Bush was either duped (as many of America’s academic and cultural elite have been for decades) or is a Freemason. But your last sentence “killing all the believers” is quite disturbing. Is there not a better way than genocide or religious cleansing?
G.R. Ford was the last President with Masonic affiliation.
Shrub was corrupt, in Saudi pockets.
Islam is like a deadly disease, eradication is the only way to stop it. Believers ‘know’ that if they do not perform Jihad, they will burn forever; if they do Allah’s wet work, they will spend the aferlife in Allah’s celestial bordello. While there is one Believer, he will recrut or breed more and build a new army to resume Jihad.
Carter (and perhaps others) were also Freemasons. (With such secrecy how can anyone know for sure who is and who is not?)
I agree that Islam is a deadly disease. But lets make the distinction between eradicating a fascist ideology (through education, intellectual debate, and rational dialogue), and committing genocide. Most Muslims do not understand the core nature of the religion they have been born into. They are not free to leave. They have been brainwashed from childhood and taught to hate. In a very real sense, they are slaves of this primitive ideology.They are also victims of Islam. What they need is emancipation, And that can be achieved — not by killing (which only reinforces the erroneous belief teachings of the imams) — but through insisting on freedom of religion, and abolishing so-called blasphemy and apostasy laws, so Muslims can be able to question their own faith and see the truth.
There is a row of Presidential photographs in our Lodge, Ford is the last one. I have seen no sign of Carter being a Mason.
Many if not most members wear the insignia of the craft.
Islam is a collectivist institution. Ummah, tribe, extended family and family. When any one Muslim is attacked, the rest defend or retaliate, defensive Jihad is fard al-ayn. Whacking their Emirs & Imams raises the ire of the Ummah.
To be effective, induction of mass apostasy must be done on such a massive scale that executing the apostates would not be practical.
If nothing is done, sooner or later they will launch nukes. Its just a matter of time until Iran makes one and ISIS seizes Pakistan’s arsenal.
I certainly agree with you on the dangers of a nuclear Ummah. I fear we already have it and that the Imams are just waiting for the right time to confront the world with nuclear extortion of maybe even a direct attack. But any effort to physically attack Muslims en masse would almost certainly risk incurring such attacks.
I think a better tactic is to focus on Islam’s two “weakest knees” — its blasphemy and apostasy laws. Attack these persistently in the public square! These are indefensible by any modern intellectual standards. And those who defend them are not able to do so using reason or logic. They require brute fascist type enforcement, typical of all totalitarian regimes. But deny Islam these “safeguards” and Islam will crumble like a tower built on quicksand.
It is difficult to determine who is and who is not a Freemason. Any secret society, by definition, will hide its membership list, and could very well engage in clever sophistry or deception to do so. There are very credible people who claim to have left the Lodge and who also report that the membership (especially at higher levels of Freemasonry) is much greater in number than most people are aware. Some allege that not only Carter, but also both Bush Sr and Jr, were members, as well as Clinton and Reagan. One thing is for sure; as long as the Lodge insists on secrecy, it is leaving itself wide open to all kinds of credible charges. Why not ditch all the cloak and dagger “secrecy” and allow for open transparency?
But one thing does seems certain; if it is not Freemasonry which is in league with the forces of Islam, it is another similar type of secret organization within modern Liberal democracy, with a very powerful and wealthy membership, who is.
I can assure you that the Masonic Fraternity is not allied with Islam even though there are Muslims among its members in a few nations. Wahhabis would execute any they could discover and isolate.
In Wisconsin a few weeks ago, a Muslim determined to shoot up a Masonic Lodge but was detected before he could execute his plan. He could not get into the lodge room without a current dues card and knowing the means of recognition.
It is not a secret society, its a society with secrets: the ritual and means of recognition.
Machiavelli said that “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” But Shi’ia & Sunni are enemies to each other and to us. Even so, the two schismatic sects will unite against us. Henry The AssKisser and certain others can not figure that out.
Muslims and Marxists, enemies, have a common enemy: western civilization. When they finish it off, they will settle scores among themselves.
While the mass of Muslims continue to believe, they can not be defeated. Destroying their Iman is absolutely necessary and a difficult challenge for which the political will is lacking. It can not be done by criticizing shari’ah. It can only be accomplished by exposing the rotten core of Islam: Allah & Moe for who and what they are.
Political will for that protracted and difficult process will not emerge until the electorate is better informed about Islamic doctrine and practice. Unlikely while our politicians keep lying to protect Islam from exposure.
But why do our politicians keep lying to protect Islam? That is the question no one is asking or answering! Its not just the “LibTards”. Bush et al continue the mantra that it is a religion of peace! Why?
‘Cuz they do not understand that eradicating the enemy is not morally equivalent to the Holocaust. They do not understand that “Never Again!” refers to innocent people, not to enemy combatants. There is no political will for eradicating Islam.
How does one eradicate Muslims without harming “innocent people”? Surely not all Muslims are combatants or guilty. How does one distinguish between a peaceful “moderate” who is faking it and one who isn’t?
Don’t be so sure. It is not possible to be Muslim and innocent. Allah obligates his slaves to conquer the world. Jihad is carried out by the heart, tongue, pen, purse and hand.
War is not clean and neat. Collateral damage is a natural part of it. Better to eliminate warmongers with the last war.
Start by fighting on the ideological plane. Poleaxe them as Dr Ali Sina suggests with shame and sarcasm.
On the kinetic plane, whack the Emirs, Imams & Mullahs first. Bomb and strafe their funeral processions until are no more, an iterative and recursive process.
But don’t forget, most Muslims are Muslims from birth.They had no choice in the matter. If their father was Muslim, they are automatically, (and legally according to Shariya Law) Muslim. And, as you know, apostasy brings serious penalties — even death. So Muslims are not free to leave their “faith” or Ummah/whatever. That puts them in the category with slaves. They are also victims; some willing, but many unwilling!
I would agree that the war needs to be fought on the ideological plane — an act which has not been carried out to any real extent in the last century. Instead, our academic, cultural and political elites have bent over backwards to white-wash and misrepresent Islam, in what can only be regarded as an absurd attempt to make it palatable to civilized people. And anyone who tries to expose it is demonized, or even prosecuted (Ie. Geert Wilders, Mark Steyn and others) for inciting hatred and racism. Bombing and strafing funeral processions is exactly what the jihadists want us to do,cause that gives them a desperately needed moral card to wave at the world, and gains them sympathy from Muslims who would otherwise oppose their aggression.
I believe that the number of volunteers is relatively small, and many wise up within five years.
Islam, coming from a tribal culture, is honor/sham based and values the “strong horse”.
On the ideological plain, we need to shame them to get their attention. On the kinetic plane, ‘shock & awe’ is required.
Neither battle front can stand alone, they must be combined to be successful.
We can not obtain victory without destroying their Iman. It begins with stimulation of the sense of shame by exposing the character and works of Allah and Moe.
“Fitna”, “Innocence Of Muslims” and Imran Firasat’s animated videos are a good start but insufficient.
On the kinetic side, the enemy must be hit so hard, frequently and continuously that they perceive inevitable impending doom as described in Bukhari in context of the last day.
The moral high ground consists of not being the aggressor. We hold it, they do not; no matter what tactics, strategies or weapons we employ.
We must not lose sight of the fact that the conflict is existential and perpetual. They can not stop until the entire world is conquered on pain of eternal damnation.
It is sickening beyond all belief, the level of complicity America’s political elites and leftists in general, are in this crime. American taxpayers are not only subsidizing this, but are also subsidizing the murder of American and Israeli citizens as well by keeping the Palestinian Authority fiscally afloat. Then to top all, releasing billions of dollars in frozen assets to Iran. This madness beggars belief.
Where islam is the mirror opposite of Christianity and purely satanic, it is easy to see through. The pagan/ atheist left, who clearly hold their own supremacist world views and carry out their satanic agendas, operate in much greyer areas and are much harder to figure out since they have no real foundation. An obvious lust for science/ technology and power, they seem to make it all up as they go, unlike their islamic counterparts who have over 1400 years of sourced doctrine/practice and tradition. I think in some ways the pagan/atheist elitists are jealous of islam because of this and somehow think they can use and manipulate islam for their own benefit. Not understanding that islam is the mother of all harlots; the true system of the beast, they will continue to charge ahead blindly to the detriment of all. We do not know the hour, nor do we know all the details, however though, this is all Biblical. We know that the world hates the true believer and that we will be persecuted for the faith. Prayers for our brothers and sisters is crucial, prayers for the whole of Christendom. I pray more people repent from all the ungodly ways of the world and turn to our Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, healing and guidance.
Great insights. They “think they can use and manipulate Islam for their own benefit.” is correct. However, consider that they know exactly what they are doing and are not merely making things up as they go. Consider that the West may indeed harbour a bigger satanic agenda than Islam and simply needs this “mother of all harlots” to fortify its own harlotry. Although interpretations of biblical prophecy are oft off mark and not always clear until hindsight, the reference in Rev 13 that the beast is a Leopard with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion does fit a merger of the three prior world dominions of the Lion, Bear and Leopard; Babylon, Persia and Ancient Greece, which modern Western civilization adores and perpetuates in the worship and statuetification of Greco-Roman deities.
Childrenof Heaven,
thank you for your reply and comment. In time, as we move closer to the return of our Lord, knowledge will increase and the picture will become clearer. If it were not for all of the atrocities committed against our brothers and sisters and the suffering of so many, it would be exiting to see how all these events that seem to be unfolding so rapidly play themselves out. I am certainly no scholar, academic or expert on all the worlds heathen practices, but I have spent many years studying islam and observing the anti-christ spirit that moves it. Although satan uses all of these groups, I do believe that islam, being the mother of all harlots, above all these other false prostitute, whore of religions and ideoligies, will naturally draw the rest of them to it and that they will all eventually submit. I’m not sure if were allowed to link to other articles or videos on here, but If you are not familiar with it, Walid Shoebat has a very good two hour video on youtube titled “the kingdom of the anti-christ” that is well worth watching if you haven’t seen it. However it all comes to pass, let us continue to pray for one another and Glorify in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Love and blessings to you,
your brother in Christ ~
He is with us!!
AMEN!!!!!
Be honest l the only Good Muslim is a Dead Muslim !
The best Muslim is an Apostate!!
Islam is hostile to Christianity. It’s that simple. Islam at the creedal and foundational level rejects Christianity. Coupled with Islam’s supremacist and violent character, Muslims persecute Christians. Islam is also hostile to liberty, the Bill of Rights, the First Amendment and each and every clause of the First Amendment. Therefore, one must not be surprised that the majority of “moderate” Muslims living in the U.S. prefer Sharia over the liberty of the Constitution, which is the confluence of English Protestantism and the Enlightenment.
Islam is hostile to Christianity. It’s that simple. Islam at the creedal and foundational level rejects Christianity. Coupled with Islam’s supremacist and violent character, Muslims persecute Christians. Islam is also hostile to liberty, the Bill of Rights, the First Amendment and each and every clause of the First Amendment. Therefore, one must not be surprised that the majority of “moderate” Muslims living in the U.S. prefer Sharia over the liberty of the Constitution, which is the confluence of English Protestantism and the Enlightenment.
I don’t believe that it is American foreign policy alone, failed or otherwise, that is fueling the rise in Christian persecution in Islamic countries. The overarching reason is the resurgence of Islamic religious fanaticism which was first manifested centuries ago by the Saracens, the Moors, the Ottoman Turks and the Barbary Pirates, among many others. Since the end of World War I however, most Muslim countries were run by secular strongmen (Ataturk, Nasser, Assad, Saddam Hussein, the Shah, etc.), but in recent years the religious fundamentalism has resurfaced, resulting in the overthrow of some of these secular leaders and the institution of Sharia based authority that is hostile to Christianity. My feeling is that American intervention in Iraq, for instance, just accelerated that process which would’ve occurred sooner or later anyway. Nevertheless, it is imperative that American political leaders understand these facts; namely that the Muslims are not interested in democratic institutions, free markets, etc., but the promulgation of their religious identity, to the detriment of all who live among them who don’t share it. It is the ultimate in bigotry and has the potential for horrific genocide.