Most recently, many Assyrians have been displaced from their homeland as a result of ethnic and religious persecutions. This happened due to the Iraq War and the Syrian Civil War. Here are some lesser-known facts about Assyrian Christians:

1. They had a glorious past

In the ancient Middle East, the Assyrian Empire was a major power. Their history can be traced back to the formation of the city of Assur during the 25th century BC. Today, the Assyrians have been reduced to an ethnic minority group and are predominantly Christian. 

2. The traditional Assyrian homeland

Most of the 2-4 million Assyrians in the world live around their traditional homeland. It comprises parts of Syria, northern Iraq, Iran, and Turkey. Many have fled to the neighbouring countries in recent times to escape persecution from Shiite and Sunni militants. The Assyrian diaspora has its members spread all over the world. There are about 100,000 Assyrians living in the United States of America.

3. Syriac is one of their major languages

The three main Assyrian churches have their official language as Syriac. It is a dialect of the Aramaic language, which is believed to have been spoken by Jesus Christ. Many of the Assyrians speak the Aramaic dialects. Today, they often speak the local languages of the regions where they reside.

4. Victims of persecution

The Assyrians have faced persecution for centuries, including the horrific Assyrian genocide. It took place during the First World War when the Ottomans killed about 250,000 Assyrians. Following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the Iraqi Assyrians have faced increased persecution. 

These include attacks on Assyrian churches. Some believe that nearly 60% of Iraqi Assyrians have fled the country when the Iraq war began.

5. Escape from ISIS

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) captured Mosul, a major city of Iraq in 2014. Many of the Assyrians living in Northern Iraq fled owing to fears of persecution. ISIS had demanded that the Christians living under its control must take down their crosses and pay ‘jizya’. It is a tax levied on religious minorities by an Islamic state. 

Those who didn’t pay the jizya had to face a choice between exile and death. Around that time, ISIS had attacked the Assyrian villages and killed or imprisoned hundreds.

6. Appeal to Western governments

The Assyrian leaders described ISIS’s violent campaign against their people as ‘genocide’. As a part of their plan, the ISIS militants destroyed ancient Assyrian artefacts. These artefacts were displayed at the Mosul Museum. The militants destroyed the remains of ancient Assyrian cities. 

The Assyrian leaders appealed to international organizations and Western governments to intervene against the militant group. These leaders also requested aid for the Assyrian refugees. 

7. Calls for the creation of an autonomous region

The Assyrian groups have renewed their calls for the creation of an Assyrian autonomous region. It lies in the Nineveh Plains of Northern Iraq, which has traditionally been an Assyrian stronghold. 

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These authorities were mainly the Roman emperors and magistrates. Today, even though Christians enjoy religious freedom, persecution remains a fact of life for them in certain places. Let’s now explore the history of Christian persecution right from earlier times.

The Roman Empire

Details of Christian persecution can be found in the New Testament. Among the first Christian martyrs was Stephen according to the book of Acts. He was a member of the early church who was charged with blasphemy as was brought before the assembly of Jewish religious leaders, called Sanhedrin. He was then stoned and mass persecution of Christians began, which was led by the Saul of Tarsus. 

However, Saul later changed his name to Paul and became a Christian himself. The reason was his vision of Jesus Christ in the clouds. After he converted to Christianity, he was subject to several beatings and imprisonments.

The Middle East

With the rise of Islamic rule in the Middle East during the 7th century, many conquests happened. Large communities of Christians became victims of these conquests. The Islamic rulers set forth a set of principles that limited the practices of Christians. The followers of Christ were forbidden from displaying the cross on churches and using the bell to summon believers. 

Soon, the status of ‘dhimmi’ or ‘protected status’ was given to the Christians. They were seen as inferior to Muslims and had to pay a tax called ‘jizya’. Christians were encouraged to convert to Islam, but Muslims who converted to Christianity were considered apostates.

The French Revolution

By the early 18th century, Christianity had attained dominance in most of Europe. Despite this, there was mass persecution of Christians in France during the 1790s. The French Revolution overthrew the monarchy of Louis XVI. A republican form of government replaced the monarchy in France. This proved to be an unfortunate event for the Catholic Church, which held great power and wealth. 

It owned almost 6% of the land in the country. This prompted the new government to take some serious steps to curb the power of the Catholic Church. Soon, a mass campaign against the Christian faith took place, which led to the Reign of Terror. 

The churches and Christian monuments, symbols, and signs were destroyed. Even religious education was forbidden as a part of this campaign. It came to an end only when Napoleon Bonaparte took over as the new head of government.

20th Century Europe

The Soviet Union was established under Vladimir Lenin in Russia in 1922. This led to the government targeting religious practices, particularly of the Russian Orthodox Church. The new communist government of Russia wanted to eliminate religion. As a result, many of the clergymen were either sent to labour camps or executed. 

Then, in 1941, the invasion from Nazi Germany caused Joseph Stalin to revive the Orthodox Church. This didn’t last long, as curbs on religious worships returned under his successor, Nikita Khrushchev, during 1959. Religious freedom for Russian Christians was revived only when the Cold War ended.

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As a result, the followers of Jesus Christ have to live under constant surveillance. Traditionally, most of the countries in the Middle East have been known for violence against Christians. However, the people of the Christian faith living in sub-Saharan Africa have been under threat from violent ethnic groups. 

Such incidents are common in regions with weak or non-existent government controls. Some of the Asian countries are also among the places where Christian believers have been persecuted. Listed below are the countries that are well-known for their persecution of Christians:

1. North Korea

North Korea is known for its religious persecution of Christians and has been for quite a long time. Although it presents itself as a communist nation, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea encourages Kim worship. The leader of the ruling Kim dynasty is considered divine and must be worshipped by the citizens. 

People with religious beliefs are viewed as a threat. If any such individuals or groups are identified, they’re sent to labour camps. There have been cases where Christians were either killed or deported to labour camps as political criminals.

2. Afghanistan

Even after two decades of support from the United States of America, this country is unsafe for Christians. It is constantly threatened by the militants and the Taliban controls most of the areas. Additionally, there have been reports of an ISIS-affiliated group targeting Christians at certain places.

3. Somalia

This African country has been plagued by tribalism, civil war, and violent militancy. Conversion is seen as a betrayal of the Somali clan and family. The militants often target the converts and the Christian population has been subject to extreme violence.

4. Libya

Libyan Christians with a background of the Muslim faith often face intense pressure to renounce their religion. As a result, they have been living under threat for several years. The lack of a central authority for maintaining law and order has been a major contributor to this problem. This has created extreme pressure in national as well as church life for Christians.

5. Pakistan

Pakistan is known worldwide as an inhospitable place for Christians and other religious minorities. It was used as a safe haven by the dreaded terrorist, Osama bin Laden. The country is used as a hub for terrorism-related activities by militants and extremists. 

These people also target Christians and Christian churches. The extremists specifically target churches that are involved in evangelism. Anti-blasphemy laws are often applied against the Christian minorities. As a result, they find it difficult to live out their faith in public.

6. Eritrea

A north-eastern African country, Eritrea is often referred to as the North Korea of Africa. It has a nearly equal population of Muslims and Christians. Every citizen suffers under the totalitarian regime of the country. Hundreds of Christians who were members of unregistered churches were sent to prison. Some of them have been living in captivity for more than a decade.

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