A global study has reported a rise for the third consecutive year in the number of countries where people face violence or hostility because of their religion, according to a report by the US based Pew Research Center which found that 55 countries recorded high or very high levels of religion-related social hostilities in 2023, the latest year for which data are available, up from 45 countries in 2022.
Pew defines social hostility as religion-related harassment and violence carried out by individuals, organisations, or extremist groups. Government restrictions, also measured by Pew, refer to laws, policies, or official actions that constrain religious practice or religious expression.
Countries recording the highest levels of social hostilities involving religion included Nigeria, India, Israel, and Bangladesh. Apparently Israel joined the “very high” category after the 7 October attacks as did Bangladesh after riots targeting Ahmadi Muslims in the north of the country.
The study also tracked government restrictions on religion, but found little overall change in that measure from 2022. The number of countries with high or very high levels of government restrictions fell by one, to 58, in 2023, the highest levels of which were found in China, Iran, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Syria, and Uzbekistan.
Read the article in the Church Times
here.
