Christianity threatened in the Bible lands

Christianity faces being wiped out of the "biblical heartlands" in the Middle East because of mounting persecution of worshippers, a new report says.

It warns that Christians suffer greater hostility across the world than any other religious group.

And it claims politicians have been "blind" to the extent of violence faced by Christians in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

The most common threat is militant Islam, it says, claiming that oppression in Muslim countries is often ignored out of a fear that criticism will be seen as "racism". It warns that converts from Islam face being killed in Saudi Arabia, Mauritania and Iran and risk severe penalties in other countries across the Middle East.

The report, by the think tank Civitas, says: "It is generally accepted that many faith-based groups face discrimination or persecution to some degree. A far less widely grasped fact is that Christians are targeted more than any other body of believers." It cites estimates that 200?million Christians, or one in 10 worldwide, are "socially disadvantaged, harassed or actively oppressed for their beliefs".

"Exposing and combating the problem ought in my view to be political priorities across large areas of the world. That this is not the case tells us much about a questionable hierarchy of victimhood," says the author, Rupert Shortt, a journalist and visiting fellow of Blackfriars Hall at Oxford University.

He adds, "The blind spot displayed by governments and other influential players is causing them to squander a broader opportunity. Religious freedom is the canary in the mine for human rights generally."

The report quotes estimates that between a half and two-thirds of Christians in the Middle East have left the region or been killed in the past century.