Children are Targeted Because of Their Faith
June 4th was the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, Open Doors decided to highlight how children are not just victims but targets of violence too.
More than 450 million children, one out of six in the world, were living in a conflict zone last year. The impact of the violence on their lives ranges from severe injuries and death to displacement, forced marriage, as well as recruitment by armed groups, and – largely as a result – missed opportunities such as education.
Risk factors include a child’s age, education, levels of social protection but also – as research by Open Doors has identified – gender and religion.
“As well as being victims of aggression, children and youth can be explicitly targeted for their religious identity, their links to marginalized communities, and their potential to hold roles in leadership, work and family in the future,” said Rachel Morley, persecution analyst with Open Doors World Watch Research.
An Open Doors report about how religious persecution affects children and youth, shows how particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, children face high levels of sexual, physical and psychological violence as well as abductions. “Violent insurgent groups exploit opportunities provided by the lack of protection for communities, with state and foreign military forces often overstretched and thus less able to intervene,” it said.
“With many countries shifting resources to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, extremist groups can further exploit gaps provided by the withdrawal of peacekeeping and counterterrorism forces.”
Echoing the words of Graça Machel, Mozambique’s former Minister of Education and expert to the UN Secretary General, that millions of children caught up in violent conflict “are not merely bystanders, but targets”, the report highlights the strategic intention “to prevent the next generation from building up the Church.”
“Christian communities run the risk of being deprived of the current young generation, as well as future founders of families or leaders in the Christian faith. Children and youth are targeted because they have the potential to revive and perpetuate the Church,” the report said.
