No matter what part of the world, people have suffered
persecution in the form of their properties being burned down, harassment, and
murder simply because of their faith. Religious persecution is a deeply rooted
issue that will have ripple-like consequences. Here is a closer look at how
faith-based persecutions are shaping global society.
Eliminates Freedom of Speech
Silencing religious minorities does not only mean that they
are not allowed to practice their religion. It also means that they are
deprived of basic human rights like freedom of speech as they are censored and
put under constant surveillance. Such actions are also a very dangerous
predicament because while governments give a sense of nationalism or public
order, they are suppressing the voice of certain people and having full control
over who says what.
Political Leaders Use Oppression of Minorities as Power
In many parts of the world, governments and political
parties use religion to gain the support of the majority and oppress the
minority parties by pinning them as enemies of the state. Such is the case in
India, where the Hindutva movement under Modi has fueled aggression against
non-Hindus in India.
According to Christian persecution statistics, over the past 2 years, there have been 4,949 attacks on
Christian properties, with most of the attacks targeting their homes. In May
2023, unrest happened in Manipur, and ever since then, the situation has gotten
worse. Hindu extremists from Meiteis targeted the Christian Kuki community and
then proceeded to burn down churches and homes of Church leaders and pastors.
Refugee Crisis
When persecution becomes unbearable, people escape. 123.2 million individuals have lost their houses by the end of 2024 alone. Such
was also the case for the 700,00 Rohingya Muslims. When the Myanmar military
destroyed their villages, sexually assaulted their women, and began ethnic
cleansing, they were compelled to escape to refugee camps in Bangladesh. In
this way, sometimes, people from all around the world must leave their homes
suddenly.
Too many people living in congested refugee shelters, where
everyone lives in filthy circumstances, contribute to the spread of infectious
illnesses of all kinds. It can also lead to people getting involved in human
trafficking, like those of the Christian Nigerian women and children in refugee
camps.
Loss of Cultures
The loss of a religious minority does not only mean that
only certain people are lost. It also means that the world loses the
traditions, languages, and ways of life that these people bring. Most of the
time, faith is also intertwined with culture, and dissolving tribes or a group
of people also eliminates their culture and weakens global heritage.
Moral Complicity and Desensitization
A serious implication of religious persecution happening
globally and regularly is that it has now become an everyday norm. Every day,
you open social media or switch on the TV and find out about some religious
minority that has been targeted and is under oppression. You hear about it every
day, and to the point that eventually it stops bothering you, and you skip the
news as an everyday normal thing happens. And this is what is most alarming “
the silence of people when large communities get erased while everyone sits and
watches.
Fake Propaganda and Stereotypes
When governments or social or political groups promote fake
propaganda and stereotypes against people, it develops unnecessary hate and
suspicion in the hearts of followers of those people. The followers start to
think of these people as evil and justify all the wrong happening to them. Here
is where things go wrong. Once people start justifying wrongs, they think they
can do everything and will try to force people into what they think is correct
behavior. Such a state of mind also gives rise to mob mentalities and violence,
like in the case in India against a Muslim mob lynching Muslims for the
consumption of beef. Such acts widen religious divides, and in the world of
social media, keyboard warriors will say anything.
Conclusion
Religious persecution is just not relevant to the people it
is being done on. It affects global peace and challenges the basic concept of
living in a free and just society.
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