Persecution of Christians in the 21st century

On the 9th of October last year, tens of thousands of Coptic Christians took part in a rally in Maspero district of Cairo on which they asked for easier procedures to build churches, anger broke out after authorities began demolishing a church saying it was built without a permit, which was a lie.
Police and army repressed the demonstration, 29 people were killed and some 232 were seriously injured, all this bloodshed within many hours.

In Europe, we have just entered into 2012, the EU is suffering from an employment and debt crisis, the future is uncertain, food-prices are rising, lots of people work overtime to pay back the loans and their interest. The bigger problem is that most of the people are indifferent regarding their acquaintance, entourage and their environment.
Lots of people are living through hard times but not so drastic ones like in other parts of the world.

I am writing this to you, dear reader, because what happened in Egypt is specifically a crime against Christians, dozens of people including women and children were killed for holding a cross in a peaceful demonstration dedicated for the rights of the Christian minority.
But, this massacre is not a unique case, in Nigeria several attacks were accomplished against Christian churches killing nearly 35 people on Christmas. On 31st October 2010 al Qaeda militants killed 58 Christian Iraqis in the All Saints Church. On 2nd March 2011, Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian in the Pakistani Government was killed for opposing the Blasphemy law, a law which gave a base to accuse lots of Pakistani Christians of blasphemy against Muslims’ Prophet, without proving the truth of the accusations.

In the Western World, very few people know that there are large Christian minorities in the Muslim World, less people know how the majority of societies and regimes treat Christians, how the freedom of Speech and Religion are handled. Media does not tell much about these incidents however these murders are part of renewing phenomenon in the 21st century… The Persecution of Christians.

Does this really still exist in present times?
Are Christians still killed because of their religion?
How is it possible when 4 out of the 5 countries of the UN Security Council have Christian roots?

Just google the word “persecution” and see what the challenge of Christian people will be in the 21st century. I think, we all concerned should pray for them in the new Year!