Photo: Amazon Book - Sword of Islam

In last Thursdays' article The 13 Worst Countries for Christian Persecution, we noted without discussion that "Despite communist North Korea topping the list for the ninth consecutive year, the most dangerous countries in which to practice Christianity are overwhelmingly Islamic ones."

But is there a difference between North Korea and Muslim countries? Isn't persecution the same whether by a Muslim country or not? Actually, yes to the first and no to the second question; North Korea, and Laos as well, persecute Christians not because they despise Christianity, but because they despise all religions. The persecution there is done by the governments, not by the people themselves.

For example, North Korea's major religion, if one had the freedom to practice religion, is Buddhism. But Buddhists do not go out burning, raping, murdering Christians. However in Muslim countries, it is Muslims who go out burning, raping, murdering Christians whether sanctioned by their governments or not.

North Korea as a government is doing the persecuting while in Iran or Afghanistan, in Uzbekistan or Iraq, in Pakistan or Somalia, it is Muslims who are doing the persecuting. North Korean officials, not North Korean people, are doing the persecuting while Persian and Pashtun Muslims, Uzbek and Arab Muslims, Punjabi and Somali Muslims are doing the persecuting.