Sudan and northern Nigeria saw the steepest increases in persecution against Christians in 2011, according to the annual World Watch List by Christian support organization Open Doors.
Sudan—where northern Christians experienced greater vulnerability after southern Sudan seceded in a July referendum, and where Christians were targeted amid isolated military conflicts—jumped 19 places last year from its 2010 ranking of 35th to 16th. In northern Nigeria, a rash of Islamist bombings, guerrilla-style attacks, and increased government restrictions on Christians contributed to the region leaping from 23rd to 13th place.
As it has the previous nine years, North Korea topped the list as the country where Christians are most persecuted. Egypt landed at 15th in the 2012 list after being ranked 19th last January, before political chaos loosened the grip on Islamic extremists. Ethiopia went from 43rd to 38th place, and Indonesia from 48th to 43rd place. Most of the countries on the list have an Islamic ...
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