Agencies which support persecuted Christians round the world are responding to the UK government’s recent Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) conference.
This brought together over 800 government representatives, parliamentarians, faith and civil society representatives from 100 different countries; at the conference national governments represented were invited to co-sign one or more of a set of eight written statements covering freedom of religion or belief issues.
Keynote speaker Fiona Bruce MP said: ‘Some 360 million Christians around the world suffer persecution for their faith. Somewhere in the world every two hours a Christian is killed for their faith.’
Release International called on the government to make good its promises to take a decisive stand against rapidly rising Christian persecution around the world. CEO Paul Robinson demanded: ‘How many more Christians have to die for their faith before governments around the world take decisive action?’
A new and especially disturbing trend is cyberpersecution. The FoRB statement on this issue acknowledged that ‘digital technologies can be used as a means of targeted persecution, including towards religious or belief minorities’ and committed to ‘protecting human rights online, including freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression’.
This was not, however, enough for Open Doors. Its report, published to coincide with FoRB, Digital Persecution:The New Frontier for Freedom of Religion or Belief, warns that: ‘The fast-growing threat of digital persecution will, if unchecked, consign religious minorities worldwide to an “Orwellian existence”.’ It describes how the phenomenon is rapidly spreading across the world and remains largely ignored by governments and tech companies.
The report highlights three key strands of digital persecution. Firstly, Surveillance, through for example CCTV, data harvesting, spyware, and state monitoring of social media. Secondly, Censorship, by blocking websites, communications, and posts, punishing users who visit certain websites, and cancelling activities and platforms. And finally, Disinformation, through targeted fake news, discord bots and incitement of mob violence through social platforms.
Open Doors’ Director of Advocacy and Media, Dr David Landrum, said: ‘It’s vital that governments and tech companies grasp the gravity of the situation. All forms of digital persecution are growing at a frightening pace, leaving potential enforcers trailing in their wake’.
