Open Doors asks football fans to blow whistle on persecution

Open Doors has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of the suffering experienced by Christians from countries with teams participating in the World Cup.

The campaign has been launched with less than two weeks to go until the first matches of the tournament kick off on June 11.

Open Doors says the World Cup is an opportunity to raise awareness of the plight of Christians living in countries like North Korea, Algeria and Nigeria, all of which have teams competing. The three countries are featured in the ministry’s 2010 blacklist of the world’s 50 worst persecuting states.

As part of the campaign, Open Doors is asking football fans to hold a two minute silence in solidarity with Christians in communist North Korea, where persecution is especially intense, and Nigeria, where hundreds of Christians have been killed in sectarian clashes in recent months.

A campaign spokesman said: “Blow the Whistle is a fantastic opportunity to highlight some the best kept secrets of human suffering. We want to get stuck in and put the issue of persecution at the top of the table, and what better way to do that than with the World Cup?”

Open Doors will hold a World Cup Party at West Bromwich Albion football grounds on June 18, with a meal, quiz, auction and live screening of England’s match against Algeria. On June 19, the organisation will host a 6-a-side football tournament.

On the web: www.opendoorsuk.org/blowthewhistle