The number of Christians killed for their faith around the world nearly doubled in 2013 from the year prior, an annual survey has revealed.
Open Doors, a non-denominational group aimed at serving persecuted Christians, said on Wednesday it had documented 2,123 “martyr” killings, compared with 1,201 in 2012, Reuters reported.
Still, the number is much lower considering reports in the media that cite numbers as high as 8,000, said Frans Veerman, head of research for Open Doors.
The Open Doors report placed North Korea at the top of its list of the world’s 50 most dangerous countries for Christians, followed by Somalia, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, Reuters reported.
“Islamist extremism is the worst persecutor of the worldwide church,” the report said said, citing radical Muslims as the main source of persecution in 36 countries on its list.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.