Persecution in World s Two Most-Populous Countries Escalates to Troubling Levels

Transcription

1 CONTACT: Christie Cape or Scott Kuteso or mobile DeMoss.com/OpeDoors Persecutio i World s Two Most-Populous Coutries Escalates to Troublig Levels Global Org Releases Aual List of Worst Religious Persecutio Offeders WASHINGTON, Ja. 16, 2019 The 2019 Ope Doors World Watch List reveals disturbig revelatios for the world s two most populous coutries Idia ad Chia which have see a dramatic icrease i the persecutio agaist Christias. As they are each home to more tha a billio people, eve a icremetal rise i persecutio has a outsized, expoetial impact i these coutries. Chia jumps a shockig 16 spots o the Ope Doors World Watch List from No. 43 to No. 27, while Idia eters the top 10 list for the first time. Russia, which last appeared o the list i 2011, eters at No. 41. (Note: A additioal ews release detailig Russia will be set o Ja. 17.) I Idia, Hidu atioalists fueled a crackdow o Christias ad churches, promotig the widespread oppressio of religious miorities. The situatio has deteriorated rapidly i the last several years, as o- Hidus are icreasigly regarded as outsiders i their ow coutry. I some areas, this has traslated to brutal violece agaist Hidus who have coverted to Christiaity. The situatio i Idia is volatile, ad religious miorities i particular face extremely dagerous situatios with mobs of violece breakig out ad demadig death seteces. Chia s dramatic rise i 16 spots from last year s rakig is oe of the highest jumps o the list. The heighteed power of the Chiese govermet is beig wielded to remove ay challeges to the absolute authority of Presidet Xi Jipig, eve if those challeges are related to persoal faith i a god other tha the State. New regulatios ad govermet crackdows have made ope worship for uregistered churches icreasigly risky, particularly i certai regios of the coutry. Pastor Wag Yi s recet arrest alog with some 150 Christias is a recet idicator of the expadig level of cotrol ad religious persecutio. I its 27th year, the list which is the world s defiitive assessmet of religious persecutio based upo i-depth, rigorous aalysis of o-the-groud, first-perso research remais a global idicator of where huma ad religious rights are beig violated, ad those coutries most vulerable to societal urest ad destabilizatio. Overarchig Treds of Persecutio Agaist Christias Globally Across the 50 coutries o the Ope Doors World Watch List, it is estimated that more tha 245 millio Christias ow experiece high, very high or extreme persecutio, a icrease from 215 millio i Durig the reportig period for this study, i the top 50 coutries o the World Watch List, 4,136 Christias were killed for faith-related reasos; 2,625 Christias were detaied without trail, arrested, setece ad/or imprisoed; ad 1,266 churches ad other Christia buildigs were attacked a icrease i all three areas from last year. Overall religious persecutio agaist Christias has icreased as the threshold was higher for a coutry to make the list. Usig a proprietary, 100-poit assessmet scale ad ewly improved research methods, ivestigators ucovered a alarmig rise i coutries scorig 41 poits or higher that still did ot rak amog the top 50 worst atios. (Poits are give for each icidet of persecutio, ad the total poits provide the rakig for each coutry.) Twety-three coutries compared to just eight last year had this dubious distictio, with the majority (13) of these coutries i sub-sahara Africa, a reflectio of the -more-

2 deterioratig situatio for Christias i that regio, where radical Islamic militat groups operate with ear-impuity. This year s Ope Doors World Watch List does, however, cotai some good ews, icludig i Iraq ad Malaysia, which showed the most sigificat improvemets compared to last year s report. Iraq, which saw a decrease i persecutio aroud private, family, commuity, atioal ad commuity life mostly due to the territorial defeat of ISIS, moved from No. 8 to No. 13. Recetly Iraq also declared Christmas a atioal holiday. Malaysia which saw a uprecedeted 2018 electio victory by the Pakata Harapa, the coutry s federal oppositio prior to the electio, that raised hope amog miorities moved from No. 23 to No. 42. Ope Doors cotiues to see omious persecutio treds agaist Christias, said David Curry, presidet ad CEO of Ope Doors USA. Islamic radicalism cotiues to domiate ad ifluece all spheres of life for Christias, ad we are watchig Chia ad Idia very closely. The distressig impact of billios of people livig i a eviromet i which the govermet oppresses freedom of religio is uravelig day by day as millios of Christias are beig attacked, imprisoed or killed. Ope Doors will cotiue to walk alogside these Christias ad advocate o their behalf for huma rights we take for grated i America. Quick Facts Oe i every ie Christias i the world experieces high levels of persecutio for their faith. Oe i every six Africa Christias experieces high levels of persecutio for their faith. Oe i every three Asia Christias experieces high levels of persecutio for their faith. North Korea tops the list for the 18th year i a row. Algeria had the highest year-over-year icrease i persecutio agaist Christias. Russia Federatio ad Morocco are ewcomers to this year s list. Islamic oppressio fuels persecutio i eight of the top te coutries o the 2019 Ope Doors World Watch List. Bahrai ad Djibouti fell out of the top 50. Top 10 Pakista ad Nigeria had the most violece recorded agaist Christias, with Cetral Africa Republic close behid. Iraq ad Malaysia showed the most sigificat improvemet sice last year. 1. North Korea 2. Afghaista 3. Somalia 4. Libya 5. Pakista 6. Suda 7. Eritrea 8. Yeme 9. Ira 10. Idia -more-

3 Persecutio at a Glace Christias remai oe of the most persecuted religious groups i the world. While persecutio of Christias takes may forms, it is defied as ay hostility experieced as a result of idetificatio with Christ. Christias throughout the world cotiue to risk imprisomet, loss of home ad assets, torture, beheadigs, rape, ad eve death as a result of their faith. Media Resources Iterview David Curry, presidet ad CEO of Ope Doors USA Iterview persecuted Christias from Idia, Iraq, Nigeria ad South Asia View the complete 2019 Ope Doors World Watch List View all ews releases icludig upcomig oes aroud Russia, Africa, Asia ad the Middle East View photos Liste to audio of the ews coferece (to be posted olie soo) Methodology The Ope Doors World Watch List is the oly comprehesive, aual survey of the state of religious liberty for Christias aroud the world. From Nov. 1, 2017, to Oct. 31, 2018, researchers measured the degree of freedom a Christia has to live out his or her faith i five spheres of life private, family, commuity, atioal ad church, plus a sixth category measurig the degree of violece. Poits are give for each icidet of persecutio, ad the total poits provide the rakig for each coutry. For more iformatio o the methodology of the Ope Doors World Watch List, please visit OpeDoorsUSA.org. About Ope Doors USA For more tha 60 years, Ope Doors USA has worked i the world's most oppressive ad restrictive coutries for Christias. Ope Doors works to equip ad ecourage Christias livig i dagerous circumstaces with the threat of persecutio ad equips the Wester church to advocate for the persecuted. Christias are oe of the most persecuted religious groups i the world ad are oppressed i at least 60 coutries. For more iformatio, visit OpeDoorsUSA.org. -30-

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5 CONTACT: Christie Cape or Scott Kuteso or mobile DeMoss.com/OpeDoors Wome Face Twice as May Types of Persecutio as Me Double Persecutio for Beig Female ad Christia Leaves May Wome More Vulerable WASHINGTON, Ja. 16, 2019 Accordig to Ope Doors researchers o the groud i some of the world s most dagerous coutries for Christias, Christia wome aroud the world are facig harsh ad targeted persecutio based o their geder. The latest report idicates that Christia wome experiece a double persecutio i 33 coutries persecutio for beig a Christia ad persecutio for beig a woma. Far from beig geder-blid, persecutio exploits all available vulerabilities wome have icludig lack of educatio, lack of healthcare, forced divorce, travel bas, traffickig, widowhood, icarceratio i a psychiatric uit, forced abortios or cotraceptio, beig deied access to work ad lack of choice to marry a perso of similar faith. The pressures faced by Christia wome are twice as umerous as those experieced by Christia me. Whatever form it takes, oe of the goals of all geder-specific persecutio foud i the report is to destroy the Christia commuity. For istace, the sexual assault of wome i Nigeria by Boko Haram, ad i Iraq by Islamic State, is typically ackowledged as rape, but ot framed i the public dialogue as a tool of religious persecutio. While those assaults have ot bee cofied to Christia populatios, a study of the demographics of victims ad of their testimoies of the words used by attackers leaves o doubt that at least oe primary objective of Boko Haram ad the Islamic State is to eradicate the Christia populatio by ay meas. Christia me ad wome experiece persecutio i very differet ways. I fact, o overlap exists betwee the three most prevalet ways Christia me ad wome experiece pressure to abado their faith. Christia me are most ofte subject to pressures related to work, military/militia coscriptio ad osexual physical violece, whereas Christia wome are specifically ad most frequetly targeted through forced marriage, rape ad other forms of sexual violece. Notably, wome face more physical violece tha me i terms of the quatity ad variety of forms violece ca take. Wome face a icredible challege of livig as secod-class citizes i may coutries. To further complicate ad degrade their value, Christia wome specifically face a eve greater challege. They are targeted specifically for their faith ad ofte are helpless to demad justice, said David Curry, presidet ad CEO of Ope Doors USA. As the Uited States cotiues to focus o improvig the lives of America wome, let us ot forget those who caot eve have a ma arrested for violece agaist them. Persecutio at a Glace Christias remai oe of the most persecuted religious groups i the world. While persecutio of Christias takes may forms, it is defied as ay hostility experieced as a result of idetificatio with Christ. Christias throughout the world cotiue to risk imprisomet, loss of home ad assets, torture, beheadigs, rape ad eve death, as a result of their faith. Media Resources Iterviews with David Curry, presidet ad CEO of Ope Doors USA Iterviews with persecuted female Christias from Idia ad South Asia Full report o geder persecutio -more-

6 Methodology Nov. 1, 2016, to Oct. 31, 2017, researchers measured the degree of freedom a Christia woma has to live out her faith i five spheres of life private, family, commuity, atioal ad church, plus a sixth category measurig the degree of violece. View more iformatio o the methodology of this report here. About Ope Doors USA For more tha 60 years, Ope Doors USA has worked i the world's most oppressive ad restrictive coutries for Christias. Ope Doors works to equip ad ecourage Christias livig i dagerous circumstaces with the threat of persecutio ad equips the Wester church to advocate for the persecuted. Christias are oe of the most persecuted religious groups i the world ad are oppressed i at least 60 coutries. For more iformatio, visit OpeDoorsUSA.org. -30-

7 CONTACT: Christie Cape or Scott Kuteso or mobile DeMoss.com/OpeDoors Russia Amog Most Dagerous Places for Christias Per Ope Doors World Watch List WASHINGTON, Ja. 16, 2019 For the first time sice 2011, the Russia Federatio jois murderous atios like North Korea ad Ira o the 2019 Ope Doors World Watch List the oly comprehesive aual rakig of the 50 coutries most dagerous for Christias. This startlig regressio is due i o small part to legislatio squelchig proselytizatio ad basic religious freedoms i the coutry ad i Russia-occupied areas for Protestats ad Evagelicals, as the coutry favors the Russia Orthodox Church. Media Resources: Full press release ad details o 2019 Ope Doors World Watch List, icludig a full profile o persecutio of Christias i Russia. With more tha 81 percet of Russia s 144 millio residets cosiderig themselves Christia, this uptick i adverse actios agaist Christias may at first seem couterituitive. The ext biggest religious group i Russia is Muslims mostly Suis. Eve though they oly make up 12.2 percet of the populatio, most of the persecutio of Christias i Russia comes from the Muslim eviromet. Amog the more coservative Muslims livig i Russia s Norther Caucasus regio, a strog, radical Islamic culture exerts eormous adverse pressure ad violet outbursts agaist Christias who have coverted from a Muslim backgroud. I may parts of this regio, Islam is the domiat religio, ad Christias are the miority. Though radical Islam is largely to blame for Russia s poor stadig i how Christias are treated withi its borders, the Russia legislatio is ufairly applied to o-russia Orthodox Christias as ew laws ad restrictios are costatly beig imposed. Russia Orthodox churches experiece fewer problems with the govermet, whereas uregistered churches active i evagelism may face obstructios i the form of surveillace ad iterrogatio. The Russia Orthodox Church ofte cosiders Protestat groups as sects who are teachig heresy. The state ofte regards these groups as u-russia, Wester spies. Sice 2012, the Russia Duma has passed a umber of laws that impose restrictios o society, icludig religio. For example, Russia s Supreme Court declared the Jehovah Witess atioal headquarters ad all local orgaizatios to be extremists, baig all activity ad orderig its property be seized by the state. I respose, the Russia Catholic Church codemed the ba ad said the rulig was a threat to religious freedom. I stark cotrast, the Russia Orthodox Church agreed with the rulig. Though the impetus for these laws is usually political or to curb extremism, local authorities i Russia have a reputatio of usig secular legislatio to restrict o-russia Orthodox Christia activities. The govermet s approach ad the iterpreatatio of that approach at the local level to o-orthodox churches has begu to adversely affect Christias i may ways, such as: A so-called ati-missioary amedmet that has bee used to puish churches A immigratio law, which has bee used to target ad expel expatriates who used social media to share evagelical messages Uregistered churches active i evagelism facig obstructios of surveillace ad iterrogatio As the coutry s ties to Wester coutries are becomig more straied, the Russia Federatio may become icreasigly isolated. This will particularly affect those Christias who belog to deomiatios regarded as Wester. -more-

8 Today s Russia is certaily lightyears better for Christias tha the days behid the Iro Curtai, said David Curry, presidet ad CEO of Ope Doors USA. Yet for o-russia Orthodox Christias i Russia, every move by the govermet to squelch religious freedom is aother step toward makig Russia a icreasigly difficult place to live, especially for those Christias who are also already experiecig aggressio i areas domiated by Islam. Persecutio i Russia Summarized Islamic oppressio: Islamic militats are fightig agaist the Russia army to establish a Muslim emirate i the Caucasus regio. Islam is also becomig icreasigly ifluetial i Tatarsta ad threateig church life. Dictatorial paraoia: Though Russia has a parliamet (with electios), it is completely domiated by the Uited Russia party of Presidet Vladimir Puti ad Prime Miister Dmitry Medvedev. The govermet is costatly restrictig existig legislatio ad imposig ew restrictios. This results i policies that favor the Russia Orthodox Church at the expese of other Christia groups. Deomiatioal protectioism: Outreach activities by o-orthodox deomiatios are looked upo with suspicio. These Christia groups are regarded as beig alie to Russia. I its 27th year, the Ope Doors World Watch List which is the world s defiitive assessmet of religious persecutio based o i-depth, rigorous aalysis of o-the-groud, first-perso research remais a global idicator of coutries where huma ad religious rights are beig violated, ad those coutries most vulerable to societal urest ad destabilizatio. Persecutio at a Glace Christias remai oe of the most persecuted religious groups i the world. While persecutio of Christias takes may forms, it is defied as ay hostility experieced as a result of idetificatio with Christ. Christias throughout the world cotiue to risk imprisomet, loss of home ad assets, torture, beheadigs, rape, ad eve death, as a result of their faith. Media Resources Iterview David Curry, presidet ad CEO of Ope Doors USA, ad persecuted Christias from Idia, Iraq, Nigeria ad South Asia View complete 2019 Ope Doors World Watch List View all ews releases icludig overarchig treds, Africa, Asia ad the Middle East View photos Liste to audio of the ews coferece (posted olie soo) Methodology The Ope Doors World Watch List is the oly comprehesive, aual survey of the state of religious liberty for Christias aroud the world. From Nov. 1, 2017, to Oct. 31, 2018, researchers measured the degree of freedom a Christia has to live out his or her faith i five spheres of life private, family, commuity, atioal ad church, plus a sixth category measurig the degree of violece. Poits are give for each icidet of persecutio, ad the total poits provide the rakig for each coutry. For more iformatio o the methodology of the Ope Doors World Watch List, please visit OpeDoorsUSA.org. About Ope Doors USA For more tha 60 years, Ope Doors USA has worked i the world's most oppressive ad restrictive coutries for Christias. Ope Doors works to equip ad ecourage Christias livig i dagerous circumstaces with the threat of persecutio ad equips the Wester church to advocate for the persecuted. Christias are oe of the most persecuted religious groups i the world ad are oppressed i at least 60 coutries. For more iformatio, visit OpeDoorsUSA.org. -30-

9 CONTACT: Christie Cape or Scott Kuteso or mobile DeMoss.com/OpeDoors Oe i Every Three Christia Asias Experieces High Persecutio Aual Watch List Exposes Worst Religious-Persecutio Offeders WASHINGTON, Ja. 16, 2019 The 2019 Ope Doors World Watch List reveals ew persecutio umbers for Christia Asias. With a icrease i religious persecutio, the research reports that oe i every three Christia Asias experieces high persecutio due to their faith. This is a icrease from last year s data i which oe i every four Christias experieced high persecutio. More tha 403 millio Asias cosider themselves to be Christias. Overall, Ope Doors World Watch List estimates that over 245 millio Christias ow experiece high, very high or extreme persecutio, a icrease from 215 millio i North Korea cotiues to the top the list for the 18 th year i a row sice Pakista cotiues to be oe of the most violet coutries for a Christia. With the acquittal of Asia Bibi, days of mass protest ad disruptio erupted across Pakista as radical Islamic groups demaded for the judges who ruled i favor of Bibi ad for Bibi herself to be killed. Eve with the acquittal ad her freedom, Bibi still fears for her life ad is uable to leave Pakista to seek asylum i a safe coutry. The situatio i Idia cotiues to rise as the coutry eters the top 10 list for the first time. Hidu atioalists fueled a crackdow o Christias ad churches, while promotig the widespread oppressio of religious miorities. The situatio has deteriorated rapidly i the last several years, as o-hidus are icreasigly regarded as outsiders i their ow coutry. I some areas, this has traslated to brutal violece agaist Hidus who have coverted to Christiaity. The situatio i Idia is volatile ad religious miorities i particular face extremely dagerous situatios, with mobs of violece breakig out ad demadig death seteces. Chia s dramatic rise 16 spots from last year s rakig is oe of the highest jumps o the list from No. 43 i 2018 to No. 27 i The heighteed power of the Chiese govermet is beig wielded to remove ay challeges to the absolute authority of Presidet Xi Jipig, eve if those challeges are related to persoal faith i a god other tha the State. New regulatios ad govermet crackdows have made ope worship for uregistered churches icreasigly risky, particularly i certai regios of the coutry. Pastor Wag Yi s recet arrest, alog with some 150 Christias, is a recet idicator of the expadig level of cotrol ad religious persecutio. I its 27th year, the list which is the world s oly assessmet of religious persecutio based upo idepth, rigorous aalysis of o-the-groud, first-perso research remais a global idicator of where huma ad religious rights are beig violated, ad those coutries most vulerable to societal urest ad destabilizatio. Ope Doors cotiues to see omious persecutio treds agaist Christias, said David Curry, presidet ad CEO of Ope Doors USA. We are watchig Chia ad Idia very closely. The distressig impact of billios of people livig i a eviromet i which the govermet oppresses freedom of religio is uravelig day by day as millios of Christias are beig attacked, imprisoed or killed. Ope Doors will cotiue to walk alogside these Christias ad advocate o their behalf for huma rights we take for grated i America. -more-

10 Top North Korea 2. Afghaista 3. Somalia 4. Libya 5. Pakista 6. Suda 7. Eritrea 8. Yeme 9. Ira 10. Idia Persecutio at a Glace Christias remai oe of the most persecuted religious groups i the world. While persecutio of Christias takes may forms, it is defied as ay hostility experieced as a result of idetificatio with Christ. Christias throughout the world cotiue to risk imprisomet, loss of home ad assets, torture, beheadigs, rape, ad eve death, as a result of their faith. Media Resources Iterviews with David Curry, presidet ad CEO of Ope Doors USA Iterviews with persecuted Christias from Idia, Iraq, Nigeria ad South Asia View the complete 2019 Ope Doors World Watch List View all ews releases overarchig treds, Russia, Africa ad the Middle East View photos Liste to audio of the ews coferece (to be posted olie soo) Methodology The Ope Doors World Watch List is the oly comprehesive, aual survey of the state of religious liberty for Christias aroud the world. From Nov. 1, 2017, to Oct. 31, 2018, researchers measured the degree of freedom a Christia has to live out his or her faith i five spheres of life private, family, commuity, atioal ad church, plus a sixth category measurig the degree of violece. Poits are give for each icidet of persecutio, ad the total poits provide the rakig for each coutry. For more iformatio o the methodology of the Ope Doors World Watch List, please visit OpeDoorsUSA.org. About Ope Doors USA For more tha 60 years, Ope Doors USA has worked i the world's most oppressive ad restrictive coutries for Christias. Ope Doors works to equip ad ecourage Christias livig i dagerous circumstaces with the threat of persecutio ad equips the Wester church to advocate for the persecuted. Christias are oe of the most persecuted religious groups i the world ad are oppressed i at least 60 coutries. For more iformatio, visit OpeDoorsUSA.org. -30-

11 CONTACT: Christie Cape or Scott Kuteso or mobile DeMoss.com/OpeDoors Oe i Every Six Christia Africas Experieces High Persecutio Aual Watch List Exposes Worst Religious-Persecutio Offeders WASHINGTON, Ja. 16, 2019 The 2019 Ope Doors World Watch List reveals ew persecutio umbers for Christia Africas. With a icrease i religious persecutio, the research reports that oe i every six Africa Christias experieces high persecutio due to their faith. This is a icrease from last year s data, i which oe i every eight Christias experieced high persecutio. More tha 631 Africas cosider themselves to be Christias. Overall, Ope Doors World Watch List estimates that over 245 millio Christias ow experiece high, very high or extreme persecutio, a icrease from 215 millio i Islamic oppressio fuels persecutio i eight of the top 10 coutries o the 2019 Ope Doors World Watch List. While the violece from Islamic State ad other Islamic militats has mostly disappeared from the Middle East, their loss of territory there meas that fighters have dispersed to a larger umber of coutries ot oly i the regio, but, icreasigly, ito sub-sahara Africa. Their radical ideology has ispired, or ifiltrated, umerous spliter groups such as Islamic State West Africa Provice (ISWAP), a deadly group that broke away from Nigeria s Boko Haram, ad that also eslaves Christia wome ad girls as a itegral part of their strategy. Sub-Sahara Africa poses oe of the world s most potet security challeges, as weak goverace, poverty ad radical Islam icreasigly collide. Istability, corruptio, poverty, uemploymet ad lack of goverace feed ito Christia persecutio, because states either are ieffective or sometimes actively cospire due to ethic, tribal or political affiliatios. The effect of the esuig accumulatio of structural vulerabilities is also bore out i distict patters of persecutio for me ad wome of the regio. Almost 30 violet Islamist groups are kow to be active i the Africa regio, ad most perpetrate violece i more tha oe coutry. Some of them cotiue to hold expatriate Christia aid workers as hostages i Mali, Burkia Faso ad other coutries. Nigeria s Boko Haram shows the fluidity of violece across the Sahel ad Lake Chad Basi, istigatig attacks i four coutries. The potet mix of radical Islam layered o top of regioal ad local coflicts meas that Christia Africas cotiue to die i ortheast Keya (No. 40), the Cetral Africa Republic (No. 21), ad orth ad cetral Nigeria (No. 12). I its 27th year, the list which is the world s oly assessmet of religious persecutio based upo idepth, rigorous aalysis of o-the-groud, first-perso research remais a global idicator of where huma ad religious rights are beig violated, ad those coutries most vulerable to societal urest ad destabilizatio. The situatio i Africa cotiues to be oe of the more itese ad volatile regios for Christias, said David Curry, presidet ad CEO of Ope Doors USA. Weak govermets ad a iability or wat to help provide stability for all Africa peoples have oly heighteed the risk for Christias who cotiue to be targets of mass killigs, beatigs ad kidappigs. -more-

12 Top North Korea 2. Afghaista 3. Somalia 4. Libya 5. Pakista 6. Suda 7. Eritrea 8. Yeme 9. Ira 10. Idia Persecutio at a Glace Christias remai oe of the most persecuted religious groups i the world. While persecutio of Christias takes may forms, it is defied as ay hostility experieced as a result of idetificatio with Christ. Christias throughout the world cotiue to risk imprisomet, loss of home ad assets, torture, beheadigs, rape ad eve death, as a result of their faith. Media Resources Iterviews with David Curry, presidet ad CEO of Ope Doors USA Iterviews with persecuted Christias from Idia, Iraq, Nigeria ad South Asia View the complete 2019 Ope Doors World Watch List View all ews releases overarchig treds, Russia, Asia ad the Middle East View photos Liste to audio of the ews coferece (to be posted olie soo) Methodology The Ope Doors World Watch List is the oly comprehesive, aual survey of the state of religious liberty for Christias aroud the world. From Nov. 1, 2017, to Oct. 31, 2018, researchers measured the degree of freedom a Christia has to live out his or her faith i five spheres of life private, family, commuity, atioal ad church, plus a sixth category measurig the degree of violece. Poits are give for each icidet of persecutio, ad the total poits provide the rakig for each coutry. For more iformatio o the methodology of the Ope Doors World Watch List, please visit OpeDoorsUSA.org. About Ope Doors USA For more tha 60 years, Ope Doors USA has worked i the world's most oppressive ad restrictive coutries for Christias. Ope Doors works to equip ad ecourage Christias livig i dagerous circumstaces with the threat of persecutio ad equips the Wester church to advocate for the persecuted. Christias are oe of the most persecuted religious groups i the world ad are oppressed i at least 60 coutries. For more iformatio, visit OpeDoorsUSA.org. -30-

13 CONTACT: Christie Cape or Scott Kuteso or mobile DeMoss.com/OpeDoors Egyptia Copts Remai Targets for Islamic Extremists Aual Watch List Exposes Worst Religious-Persecutio Offeders WASHINGTON, Ja. 16, 2019 The 2019 Ope Doors World Watch List is soudig a alarm for Egypt, eve as violet excesses of Islamic State ad other Islamic militats have mostly disappeared from headlies. Sice 2017, Islamic militats have gaied stregth i Egypt, where they cotiue to recruit ad capture pockets of territory, ladig Egypt at No. 16 o the 2019 Ope Doors World Watch List. Egypt has the Middle East s largest populatio of Christias who are Copts. The Islamic State cotiues to threate to wipe out Copts who make up approximately 10 percet of the 100 millio populatio i the Middle East by terrorizig them with targeted murders of respected leaders, such as doctors. Other Islamic groups have also targeted Copts with bombigs of churches ad killig a bus full of pilgrims. Despite Copts pleas for protectio, the govermet has give little respose, eve with the covictio of some killers ad attackers. Egypt remais a hotbed for Islamic extremists to target ad attempt to destroy the Christia commuity, said David Curry, presidet ad CEO of Ope Doors USA. We must cotiue to be vigilat i advocatig for Christias i the Middle East who have limited religious freedom rights. Overall, Ope Doors World Watch List estimates that over 245 millio Christias ow experiece high, very high or extreme persecutio, a icrease from 215 millio i I its 27th year, the list which is the world s oly assessmet of religious persecutio based upo idepth, rigorous aalysis of o-the-groud, first-perso research remais a global idicator of where huma ad religious rights are beig violated, ad those coutries most vulerable to societal urest ad destabilizatio. Top North Korea 2. Afghaista 3. Somalia 4. Libya 5. Pakista 6. Suda 7. Eritrea 8. Yeme 9. Ira 10. Idia Persecutio at a Glace Christias remai oe of the most persecuted religious groups i the world. While persecutio of Christias takes may forms, it is defied as ay hostility experieced as a result of idetificatio with Christ. Christias throughout the world cotiue to risk imprisomet, loss of home ad assets, torture, beheadigs, rape ad eve death, as a result of their faith. -more-

14 Media Resources Iterviews with David Curry, presidet ad CEO of Ope Doors USA Iterviews with persecuted Christias from Idia, Iraq, Nigeria ad South Asia View the complete 2019 Ope Doors World Watch List View all ews releases overarchig treds, Russia, Africa ad Asia View photos Liste to audio of the ews coferece (to be posted olie soo) Methodology The Ope Doors World Watch List is the oly comprehesive, aual survey of the state of religious liberty for Christias aroud the world. From Nov. 1, 2017, to Oct. 31, 2018, researchers measured the degree of freedom a Christia has to live out his or her faith i five spheres of life private, family, commuity, atioal ad church, plus a sixth category measurig the degree of violece. Poits are give for each icidet of persecutio, ad the total poits provide the rakig for each coutry. For more iformatio o the methodology of the Ope Doors World Watch List, please visit OpeDoorsUSA.org. About Ope Doors USA For more tha 60 years, Ope Doors USA has worked i the world's most oppressive ad restrictive coutries for Christias. Ope Doors works to equip ad ecourage Christias livig i dagerous circumstaces with the threat of persecutio ad equips the Wester church to advocate for the persecuted. Christias are oe of the most persecuted religious groups i the world ad are oppressed i at least 60 coutries. For more iformatio, visit OpeDoorsUSA.org. -30-