ICC NOTE:  In no surprise a recent global survey showed the rise of radical Islamic extremism to be the main culprit for persecution against Christians. To continue the trend of a finding which does not seem to be surprising is how a vast majority of its victims are Christian women. Women are kidnapped and sold into sex slavery or married off to Islamic extremist fighters around the globe. Southeast Asia is not immune to the plight of Christian women around the globe. In the Indonesian province of Aceh, a Christian woman was publicly caned as punishment for her actions under sharia even though sharia is only meant to be used for Muslims. Christian persecution is real, regardless of what media outlets suggest or the various countries which allow it to occur under their noses. North Korea has been the worst violator of religious freedom for 14 straight years. Vietnam, China, and Burma are listed as countries of particular concern according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) annual report.

4/29/2016 Southeast Asia (CNA) – recent global survey reveals that the rise of radical Islamic extremism is the primary reason for the persecution of Christians around the world – and many of the victims are women.

“Unfortunately, more and more women are the target of terrorist groups,” Emily Fuentes, communications director for Open Doors, told CNA April 20.

“There are numerous international incidents of women being kidnapped, raped, and forced to convert from Christianity to Islam by radical extremist groups like Boko Haram. Many are also sold on the open market. This brutality is not only occurring in the Middle East but in Africa and in many other places.”

The California-based Open Doors organization focuses on anti-Christian persecution in countries around the world. According to its 2016 World Watch List, the level of violence against Christians globally has reached an all-time high, with numbers almost doubling every year. The report also found that Islamic extremism is “the primary driving factor in 35 out of the top 50 states.”

“In many of these countries, women are subject to persecution because they are considered second-class citizens because of their gender,” Fuentes added. “As minorities in both gender and faith, Christian women face double the persecution. Although we don’t have an exact number, we know that millions of women are being persecuted.”

In the last two years, the Islamic State group has reportedly executed 250 girls in for refusing to become sex slaves. Two years ago, Boko Haram infamously stormed a school in Chibok, Nigeria, kidnapping 276 teen girls. The majority of those girls are still missing.

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