Study: Christians Most Persecuted Group in 2016; Islamists and Leftists Top Persecutors

Christian persecution in the Middle East and worldwide is on the rise. Coptic Christians in Egypt worship (above), but are becoming all but extinct at the hands of Islamists. (Photo: AP)

Christians were the most persecuted religious group in the world in 2016, according to a new study conducted by the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR). The group, which is based in Turin, Italy, found that 90,000 Christians were killed last year, of which 30% were killed by Islamists.

The remaining 60,000 persecuted and murdered Christians were killed largely by secular leftist-run state and non-state actors around the world, including but not limited to the communist regime in North Korea.

Georgetown University describes CESNUR as “an independent international network that engages in scholarly research and provides accurate information to the public on new religious movements, always protecting religious freedom while acknowledging the criminal nature of certain cult activities.”