Christian persecution is continuing to “get worse” across the globe, with Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern (ICC), lamenting the escalating “slow burn.”
King’s organization just released the “2025 Global Persecution Index,” which underscores just how deadly and dangerous anti-Christian persecution has become.
The 116-page report explores “every corner of the world” to identify where these issues are most pervasive, finding that there are around 300 million Christians globally who face a range of punishments, including prison, torture, and assassination.
“We have staff all over the world … so they’re feeding us back news of what’s going on in their countries, and what are the trends, and what are the incidents,” King said of ICC’s data collection for the report. “And then we’ve got a team of fellows.”
He added, “We’re constantly monitoring, and watching … to see what’s happening.”
The “2025 Global Persecution Index” shows a worsening persecution picture, ranging from terrifying government restrictions in China to rampant persecution and land-grabbing inside Nigeria.
Syria is one nation where newfound threats are on the horizon, with King warning that Al-Qaeda and ISIS are taking control after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. While the militants have been labeled “rebels” by some, he believes what’s unfolding in Syria is far more nefarious, with extremist Muslims taking over.
“That’s who these guys are, they’re called HTS [Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham],” he said, expressing doubt these forces wouldn’t harm or go after Christians. “They did a name change. They did a rebranding, as it were. And these guys are the worst of the worst.”
King also said Russia has destroyed hundreds of churches and heritage sites in Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion, among other disturbing issues.
“And then you’ve got all the usual places like India and Egypt and just all over the world, North Korea, Nigeria,” King said. “It’s an absolutely horrible situation, but it just goes on and on. It’s not necessarily new, but it’s terrible.”
He said Nigeria and North Korea are without a doubt the two most difficult nations to be a Christian, with persecution at the most intense of rates. As for the former, he said Fulani terrorists and other Islamic extremists routinely target the faithful.
“[If] you’re a Christian farmer, you’re a Christian villager … the Fulani terrorists, the Islamic terrorists [might] come in with guns, with machetes, and they shoot, and they maim, and they slice, and they drive you off the land,” King said. “And if you decide to come back, they’ll attack you again.”
He said the Nigerian government often does little to stop the carnage — and added that the U.S. government doesn’t put the required pressure on them to help stop the madness.
“Three-plus million Christian farmers have been driven off their lands,” King said.
As for North Korea, he lamented a government system that tends to “mimic Christianity” by elevating dictator Kim Jong Un to a god-like status.
“They’re constantly being told the propaganda that they live in a utopia and the best country on earth and the United States is the worst place on earth,” King said, noting anyone who goes against that narrative risks their lives.
Tragically, Christians bear the brunt of furor.
“If you’re a real Christian, you’re either killed right away or you’re sent to a gulag, a massive, massive prison camp,” he said. “These prison camps, some of them are the size of Washington, D.C., and they’re basically slow extermination chambers.”
