Daily, people around the world face extreme danger or ostracisation, simply because of their religious beliefs.

Living in Jamaica, a predominantly Christian country, it might be easy to forget that Christians and Jews are still among the most persecuted religious groups in history.

With extremist groups like The Taliban, Al Qaeda and Fulani Islamic, there is little peace in the Middle East for those who have devoted themselves to the Christian faith.

Ahead of The International Commemoration of Victims of Acts of Violence based on Religion or Belief Day (August 22), here a look at some of the many Christians who have been beaten, raped, kidnapped, and tortured in the name of ‘justice’ around the world.

In Nigeria, Africa

Rebecca’s village in Northern Nigeria was burnt down in a violent religious attack resulting in the loss of both her husband and son.

The village where she had grown up, got married, and raised her children was now nothing but ashes and smoke.

The only thing that remained of her belongings after the attack was The Bible that she had received on her wedding day.

In her devastation, it was this Bible and her relationship with God that empowered her to overcome.

In Former Soviet Republic, Turkmenistan

Brother Silas, formerly Muslim, has been relentlessly persecuted by the Turkmenistan Government in their efforts to control the people.

His Church meetings and even his home has been raided by his government on many occasions. One of these raids resulted in the physical removal of him, his wife and two sons, and all their belongings, leaving them with no option but to live on the street.

It doesn’t stop there.

Turkmenistan government have written lies about the former lawyer, labelling him a criminal leader, betrayer and foreign spy because of his evangelistic pursuits.  

He’s been arrested several times and even banned from entering his capital city.

The only way to end the persecution was to stop preaching the gospel, something Brother Silas would never do.

In Eritrea, Africa

Helen Berhane never stopped singing her praises to God, even amid terrible persecution.

In 2002, the Eritrean government banned evangelical churches from holding public worship services.

Berhane, just like many others, did not want to stop worshipping God and therefore began to meet illegally.

After being caught one night, Berhane was thrown into a metal shipping container where she was subsequently tortured and beaten.

Despite this, nothing could silence her praises to God.

“It doesn’t matter if they put you in fire,” the worship leader lamented. “You will be okay…like gold.”

From her experience, Berhane has written the book Song of the Nightingale: One Woman’s True Story of Faith and Persecution in Eritrea.

In India

An imam (Muslim Leader) developed a fixation on Jesus Christ one day as he read about him in the Quran as Isa.

In his pursuit to know more about the ‘prophet’, the now-former imam came into possession of a New Testament Bible.

From here on, he began to preach more about Jesus as the Son of God, and less about him as just another prophet (as is taught in the Quran).

This proved to be a problem for his then Muslim congregation, and they began to accuse him of betraying their religion and converting to Christianity.

And this was only the beginning.

The now-former imam was subsequently kicked out of his mosque and prevented from teaching.

He was also subjected to extreme shame, beaten up and disowned by his own family.

Despite this, he has not given up his desire to know Jesus Christ and is still spreading the gospel to those around him whenever he can.