The Palace of Westminster will be lit up in red tonight to commemorate all those who have suffered because of their religion.
The gesture is part of the Red Wednesday campaign run by Aid to the Church in Need.
In Communion this morning, we prayed for all victims of religious violence around the world - and for governments too. #RedWednesday
— Justin Welby ن (@JustinWelby) November 23, 2016 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">The Catholic charity is aiming to raise awareness of the extent to which people are targeted around the world for their religion. A recent religious freedom report from the US State Department found three-quarters of the world's population lives under high or very high levels of religious restriction.
Here are three countries you can pray for today:
Iraq
The campaign to recapture Mosul from ISIS is dragging on as thousands of civilians remain trapped.
Christians, Yazidis and Muslims are trying to flee the jihadis' stronghold but are trapped by landmines and reports say they are being used as human shields by the militant group.
On top of that, refugees from Iraq are not eligible for resettlement to the UK, even if they make it to the relative security of a UNHCR camp. The Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme is only open to those with Syrian documentation, but ISIS spans the border so those targeted on the Iraqi-side have no option of safety in the UK.
Pakistan
Persecution charity Open Doors' analysis has found that Christians experience more violence in Pakistan than almost anywhere else.
The 'Forced Marriages and Inheritance Deprivation' report from the Karachi-based Aurat Foundation claims that up to 700 Christian girls are married forcibly each year and forced to convert to Islam.
The country also upholds notorious blasphemy laws that are frequently used to target religious minorities including Christians. Christian mother-of-five Asia Bibi remains in prison after being sentenced to death for blasphemy in 2010. More than half a million people have signed a petition for her release from death row but the Pakistani government has yet to act.
Nigeria
Sporadic attacks continue against Christian communities in the otherwise Muslim-dominated north of Nigeria.
Although militant group Boko Haram has suffered setbacks, Fulani herdsman frequently target villages with devastating attacks. A recent incident left 45 dead and several more injured, according to World Watch Monitor. Five villages were attacked and 12 houses, including eight house-churches, burnt down on 13 November.
According to reports, even those freed from captivity under Boko Haram are frequently rejected by their home communities, especially women who have become pregnant from rape by militants.
