Thousands Of Muslims Convert To Christianity In Bangladesh

Posted on July 24, 2016 by Staff in Asia, Christian, News // 3 Comments

In a rare win for the Christian religion these days, reports are that thousands of Muslims have converted over to Christianity amid rising Christian persecution taking place throughout the country of Bangladesh.

According to the human rights group Christian Freedom International, in the past six years, around 91,000 Bangladeshi Muslims have embraced Christianity despite the danger of being handed the death penalty for apostasy in the majority Muslim country.

The number of Christians reportedly living within Bangladesh is around 1.6 million, which only counts for roughly one percent of the population in a nation that is around ninety percent Muslim.

Christian Daily reports,

In a report, Christian persecution watchdog Open Doors UK notes that believers attending house churches opt not to display Christian symbols to avoid being identified as Christians. Mainline churches reportedly also struggle with restrictions concerning religious symbols such as crosses.

Open Doors points out that conversion is not prohibited by the state itself, but Muslims who convert to Christianity face pressure from their family, friends, and neighbors to recant their new faith. Some of them are forced to close down their businesses because of the pressure.

Violence at the hands of Muslim radicals has become rampant because Bangladeshi police often maintain a passive stance on incidents of persecution of religious minorities, CFI notes. For instance, several Christians and members of religious minorities were killed last year by the Islamic State and other extremists.

Additionally Christian Today notes,

As many as 40 people have been killed over the last three years by Islamist extremists in Bangladesh, either members of religious minorities or secularist activists. While responsibility for the killings has been claimed by Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, the government has denied that either group is active in the country, blaming home-grown extremists instead.

Written & Edited By Bart Charles Begley