In Somalia, the Islamic extremist group al-Shabaab said, as reported by the BBC, that COVID-19 spreads “by the crusader forces who have invaded the country and the disbelieving countries that support them.” Their message – that religious minorities are somehow responsible for the outbreak – incites violence toward anyone suspected of disbelief in Islam, especially in Somalia and surrounding countries.

Open Doors reports that economic discrimination is the second-most prevalent form of persecution toward men in the Middle East and North Africa. As a result, many Christians in the region are forced into low-paid jobs due to religious discrimination. Additionally, those who convert to Christianity from other faiths are often disowned by their families, leaving them without a financial safety net or support system.

Christians in India are under similar pressure. Many were day labourers before the twenty-one day-lockdown, but now they are struggling to even feed their families. The coronavirus crisis has caused significant job loss, leaving many of them without income. The result is a large number of people with an urgent need for food, shelter and medical care.

In total, twenty-five of the countries currently reporting cases of COVID-19 are on Open Doors’ 2020 World Watch List, an annual ranking of the world’s worst persecutors of Christians. In each of these contexts, religious minorities face additional barriers — from health care discrimination to reduced access to social services — in battling COVID-19.

Religious persecution is thus multiplying exponentially in the wake of coronavirus.

Source: christianpost.com