Persecution of Christians for their religious beliefs has become a serious concern in many places throughout the globe. However, the oppression is particularly severe in “restricted” nations. These are nations in which people are not generally free to enter or leave without special permission.
What Is A Restricted Nation?
Most countries restrict travel to a certain degree. Regulations and controls are necessary for both travel and immigration, but a “restricted nation” is a different story. In these countries, it is generally very difficult to leave. Visiting these countries is either heavily restricted or outright barred. Communist nations, in particular, have a longstanding habit of restricting travel to and from their territory.
Example 1: North Korea
North Korea is the number one oppressor of Christians in the entire world. According to numerous sources, they have illegally interned tens of thousands of Christians in labor camps. Labor camps throughout history have one thing in common: People being worked to death in horrible conditions.
Not all of these internment victims are Christians, as practitioners of traditional Asian Shamanism have also been heavily persecuted. However, it is no secret that the government of North Korea has a particular hatred for all things Western. They see Christianity as a toxic foreign influence, which is used as a justification for all sorts of human rights abuses. Some estimates place the labor camp population as high as 70,000 people.
North Korea, like most nations, claims to guarantee freedom of religion. However, their human rights record says otherwise. This is a government that promotes atheism and which basically encourages the people to fanatically worship the state and its leader.
Example 2: China
China certainly isn’t as oppressive as North Korea, but they still discriminate against religious minorities (including Christians) in a number of ways. This report from the U.S. State Department indicates that the government of China uses its well-known surveillance apparatus to spy on and harass religious minorities, including Christians. Of course, due to the restricted nature of China itself, it is hard for us to see the full scope of the problem. However, the U.S. authorities at least seem confident that Christians are suffering state-approved discrimination at the very least.
Technically, China’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but we can find many examples that show their lack of commitment to the concept. A lot of people know about the internment of ethnic Uighurs in Xinjiang, but many people do not know that the Chinese government has also reportedly interned Christians. If true, these stories of “re-education camps” would be highly consistent with known patterns.
Example 3: Iran
While Iran is nowhere near as oppressive as our other two examples, it is still basically illegal to be a Christian in Iran. According to this source, the Iranian government jailed approximately 122 Christians for faith-related charges in 2022. In 2021, that number was 59, so you can see why many people were alarmed.
While some governments (like the Taliban) use terrorist groups and local Islamist militias to carry out massacres of Christians, the Iranian state prefers to oppress them using the law. Our source also says that there are many reports of abuse and discrimination related to these cases.
However, being oppressed by the law isn’t much different than being oppressed by a terror group. While it is not directly illegal to be a Christian in Iran, this is another country that has a huge distaste for anything seen as “Western.” When you add the element of Sharia law, you can understand why Iran is a highly unfriendly place for Christians of any sort. Islamic law, when interpreted literally, commands death for those who convert away from Islam. It also commands death for the one who converted them.
Conclusion
All of these nations restrict travel, which makes it harder for them to receive help from other Christians. It also makes it more difficult for them to leave and free themselves of such oppression. However, such people still need help and they need it more than most. Until the world stops turning a blind eye to the abuses of fanatical dictators and abusive governments, things are not likely to improve. We thank you for your time and understanding.
