Christian charity Open Doors has warned that Islamic extremism is still one of the main sources of persecution of Christians across the world despite the defeat of the Islamic State terror group.
In an article published last week, Open Doors highlighted the top 10 persecutors of Christians around the world in an effort to "to move us all toward prayer and action."
The list, which was not in any particular order, included terror groups such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab and militant Fulani herdsmen among the top persecutors of Christians.
Open Doors noted that there had been nearly one million Christians in Iraq a decade ago, but many were driven out by the targeted attacks from ISIS.
The Christian organization warned that although ISIS had now been driven out of Iraq and Syria, it is still active in Southeast Asia.
Al-Qaeda, under the leadership of Ayman al-Zawahiri, has also been known to target Christian communities throughout the Middle East. The terror group takes advantage of "distracted governments" to carry out its attacks, according to Open Doors.
Boko Haram, which is mainly active in Nigeria, has gained notoriety after the group abducted more than 200 girls from a local school. The group has carried out kidnappings, raids, bombings and assassinations as part of its goal to eliminate any Western influence.
Another group that persecutes Christian communities in Nigeria is the Hausa-Fulani Muslim Herdsman, according to Open Doors. The predominantly Muslim group has reportedly killed thousands of Christians in Nigeria's Middle Belt area, but their crimes have remained largely unreported by the national media.
In Eastern Africa, Christians are under threat from the extremist group al-Shabaab, which is considered by some as the Eastern African version of Al-Qaeda. In Kenya, at least 148 Christian students were killed after al-Shabaab militants carried out an attack on the campus of Garissa University College in 2015.
Open Doors listed radical Islam separately as one of the main causes of persecution. "Islamic Oppression is one of the most widely recognized sources of persecution for Christians in the world today — and it continues to spread — aiming to bring many parts of the world under Sharia law," Open Doors noted.
"The movement, which often results in Islamic militancy and persecution of Christians, is expanding in Asia (Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia) and Africa (Egypt, Nigeria, Somalia)," it continued.
According to the persecution watchdog, more than 215 million Christians around the world are facing "intimidation, prison—even death—for their faith in Jesus Christ."
Apart from radical Islam and extremist groups, Open Doors also listed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Hindu nationalists and drug cartels in Colombia and Mexico as major persecutors of Christians.
The organization contended that the ultimate enemy behind all the persecution of Christians across the globe "is Satan, who prowls this world as a roaring lion."
Open Doors went on to note that "God's kingdom is forcefully advancing, and that in the end, Satan is overthrown and all things are made new."
