For authoritarian governments, which already limit religious freedom, the pandemic has become a pretext to step up persecution against the Christians, Release International said.
In many developing countries, Christians are denied food and pandemic-related health care assistance and support systems, UCA News reported. In Eritrea, the Christians, who are fleeing persecution, are barred from accessing shelter camps and other UN support systems.
In Pakistan and Egypt, life has become increasingly difficult after the Covid-19. Most of the Christians in these countries live in poverty. Some of them even lacked the money to buy face masks and hand sanitizers.
A Christian in the coastal province of Shandon in China who urged Christians to pray and fast for nine days for the victims of Covid-19 was picked up for organizing an illegal religious service.
Open Doors CEO David Curry explains that the pandemic has become a “catalyst for faith-based discrimination internationally.” He points out that in many of these countries, Christians are consistently treated as second-class citizens, traitors and infidels. Most of the affected Christians come from a Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist background.
Open Doors has learned that thousands of Christians throughout the world have been left out of government relief efforts and marginalized because of their religious choice. We have reports from Christians In Bangladesh, Malaysia, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Nigeria and the Gulf region where believers are facing these types of injustices.
