Cato Institute scholar Doug Bandow has a column on the rise of religious persecution around the world. Basing his column on a report by the Pew Forum on Religion, Bandow notes that
According to Pew’s new study, “more than 2.2 billion people — about a third of the world’s population– live in countries where government restrictions or social hostilities involving religion are increasing. About 1% live in countries where government restrictions or social hostilities are decreasing.”
In many cases these restrictions are not minor. Explained Pew: “The number of countries in which governments used at least some measure of force against religious groups or individuals rose from 91 (46%) in the period ending in mid-2008 to 101 (51%) in the period ending in mid-2009. This violence was wide-ranging, including individuals being killed, physically abused, imprisoned, detained or displaced from their homes, as well as damage to or destruction of personal or religious properties.”…
By simple number, the most persecuted faith is Christianity: 130 countries (two-thirds of those studied) limit or harass Christians. Muslims face pressure in 117 nations, while Jews — despite their smaller numbers — are at risk in 75 states. Hindus and Buddhists face restrictions in 27 and 16 countries, respectively. Other religions, such as Baha’i, Zoroastrians, and Sikhs, are victimized in 84 nations.
Pew noted that “restrictions on religion are particularly common in countries that prohibit blasphemy, apostasy or defamation of religion. While such laws are sometimes promoted as a way to protect religion, in practice they more often serve to punish religious minorities whose beliefs are deemed unorthodox or heretical.” Indeed, Pew devoted an entire section to these restrictions, imposed by 44 different governments. Again, the Middle East has the worst record. 60 percent of countries in the Middle East/North Africa have and enforce blasphemy statutes; another 20 percent have passed statutes but don’t apply them.
Religious liberty is a rare and precious flower. We have an obligation to nurture it here in America.