Religious Persecution and Mass Displacements

Abstract

Mass displacements due to religious persecution continue in several countries around the world. This article, while detailing instances of mass displacements due to religious persecution, emphasizes that religion is often one factor and not necessarily "the" factor in these conflicts. Listed are cases which include Iran, where the "Iranian Diaspora" is estimated at 4 million people in 1999. Of these, 408,000 emigrated or were displaced because of religious persecution. In Egypt, though there are still about 6 million Coptic Christians their numbers are constantly decreasing. Other instances include southern Mexico, where in the last 30 years over 25,000 Chamula Indians, who had become Evangelicals, were expelled from their homes and lands by local "caciques" or informal rulers. What will it take to stop mass displacements due to religious persecution? When will we learn to respect each other and live together, in spite of our differences? These questions still remain unanswered.