The review estimates that one in three people suffer from religious persecution. Of these, Christians are the most persecuted.

Hunt says he thinks "political correctness" has played a part in the issue not being confronted.

The report says the main impact of "genocidal acts against Christians is exodus" and that Christianity faced being "wiped out" from parts of the Middle East.

It points to figures claiming Christians in Palestine represent less than 1.5% of the population, while in Iraq, the Christian population has fallen from 1.5 million before 2003 to less than 120,000.

Millions of Christians in the region have been uprooted from their homes and many have been killed, kidnapped, imprisoned and discriminated against.

The report also highlights discrimination across south-east Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and in east Asia - often driven by state authoritarianism.

"In some regions, the level and nature of persecution is arguably coming close to meeting the international definition of genocide, according to that adopted by the UN."

Religion "is at risk of disappearing" in some parts of the world.

Hunt, who commissioned the review on Boxing Day 2018 amid an outcry over the treatment of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who faced death threats after being acquitted of blasphemy in Pakistan, says he thinks governments have been "asleep" over the persecution of Christians.

In his opinion, the report and the deadly Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka had "woken everyone up with an enormous shock".

"I think there is a misplaced worry that it is somehow colonialist to talk about a religion that was associated with colonial powers rather than the countries that we marched into as colonisers.

"That has perhaps created an awkwardness in talking about this issue - the role of missionaries was always a controversial one and that has, I think, also led some people to shy away from this topic.

"What we have forgotten in that atmosphere of political correctness is actually the Christians that are being persecuted are some of the poorest people on the planet."

The review is due to publish its final findings within the next few months.

Source

• BBC
• The Guardian
• Image: The Japan Times

Like many young boys, he is happy to be interviewed.

This is war-torn Iraq, however, so he tells of the day ISIS came to his village. He starts to recount, horror after horror, what took place. It is hard to accept that one so young has already seen so much evil. Gradually, his retelling of what happened slows and he breaks down.

It is hard to watch as the tears flow down his cheeks. He tries to stem them, brushing them away…but to no avail. His grief is too great. He is now talking to himself as much as to the camera. He talks of when he used to go to school, ride his bicycle and play soccer with his friends—he stops. Again, he looks at the camera, finishing with the words: "Now all that is gone…"

This is just one of the harrowing testimonies in the new documentary Our Last Stand. The award-winning film tells the story of what is left of the ancient Christian communities in Iraq and Syria. ISIS, along with other Islamic extremists, is destroying the lives and the lands of Christians who have for centuries lived in peace with their more numerous Muslim neighbors. In this latest genocide, no one came to the aid of the Christians. They looked to the West, but no avail.

I recently spoke with the filmmakers, Jordan Allott and Helma Adde, after a screening of Our Last Stand.

CWR: What was the genesis of Our Last Stand?

Jordan Allott: For a number of years, I had been traveling in the Middle East doing work (shooting video, writing, taking photos) for an organization called In Defense of Christians. As I was learning more and more about the region, I was constantly thinking how best to present the plight of Christians in places like Iraq and Syria to a Western audience through film. Once I met Helma, who is a schoolteacher from New York (I was on a Fox News program with her father, who is a Syriac Orthodox priest) I knew she could act as a bridge between her family and community in Syria and an American or Western audience. After convincing Helma to travel with me, we set out to plan our journey to Iraq and Syria. Continue reading

Sources

• The Catholic World Report, article and interview by K.V. Turley, a London-based freelance writer and filmmaker with a degree in theology from the Maryvale Institute.
• Image: Breitbart

But for so many other Christians throughout the world who courageously refuse to deny Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior - with all that that means - persecution means torture, rape, enslavement and death.

In his well-researched book, "The Global War on Christians," Catholic journalist John Allen, cites studies that indicate the number of Christians killed for the faith every year ranges from 7,300 to 100,000 worldwide.

Even the lower figure of 7,300 people murdered every year because of their faith in Christ is shocking, and sadly alarming.

It is incumbent on those of us who are safe and sound to tirelessly pray, advocate for, and work on behalf of hurting and vulnerable Christians.

While followers of Jesus have a strict obligation to help all people in need to the best of our ability - regardless of their race, ethnicity, nationality or religion - we have a special responsibility to reach out to our suffering brothers and sisters in Christ.

For as St. Paul teaches, "So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all, but especially to those who belong to the family of the faith" (Gal 6:10).

Allen writes, "Christians today indisputably are the most persecuted religious body on the planet, and too often their new martyrs suffer in silence."

Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel said, "We must take sides. … Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."

So, what should we do to help end the genocide?

Pray!

Every day let's remember in our personal and liturgical prayers those who suffer in any way - especially for their faith in Jesus.

Parishes can sponsor a refugee family. Pope Francis has asked every parish in Europe to do just that. In the spirit of Francis, parishes throughout the world should likewise open their doors to our persecuted brothers and sisters. It's really not that hard.

And many of us can increase our individual contributions to help. An excellent international Catholic organization dedicated to helping persecuted Christians worldwide is Aid to the Church in Need. Please go to this link to make a donation http://bit.ly/25dsdoy.

Bill O'Keefe, vice president for government relations and advocacy for Catholic Relief Services shared with me that it is also essential for every believer to email and call (Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121) their congressional delegation urging them to provide significantly increased humanitarian funding and support for the immediate and long-term needs of refugees in the Middle East, full support for a negotiated peace in Syria, and a comprehensive plan to rebuild Syria once the fighting ends.

According to U.S. State Department figures, since March of 2011 - when the Syrian conflict started - approximately 1,550 Syrians have been admitted through the U.S. refugee resettlement program. The U.S. can certainly do far better than this, especially since it has just recently declared that the Islamic State is committing genocide against Christians and other minorities (see: http://bit.ly/1R2lt2A).

As I write, the solemness of Good Friday is close at hand. And many of the followers of the crucified Jesus are being crucified with him. Let us do everything we can to remove them from their crosses, and lighten the weight of our Lord's cross who suffers with them.

• Tony Magliano is an internationally syndicated social justice and peace columnist. He is available to speak at diocesan or parish gatherings about Catholic social teaching. His keynote address, "Advancing the Kingdom of God in the 21st Century," has been well received by diocesan and parish gatherings from Santa Clara, Calif. to Baltimore, Md. Tony can be reached at tmag@zoominternet.net.