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Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another individual or group. The most common forms arereligious persecution,racism, andpolitical persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these terms.[citation needed] The inflicting ofsuffering,harassment,imprisonment,internment, fear or pain are all factors that may establish persecution, but not all suffering will necessarily establish persecution. The threshold of severity has been a topic of much debate.[1]
As part of theNuremberg Principles,crimes against humanity are part of international law. Principle VI of theNuremberg Principles states that
The crimes hereinafter set out are punishable as crimes under international law:...
(c) Crimes against humanity:
- Murder,extermination,enslavement,deportation, and other inhumane acts done against any civilian population, or persecutions on political, racial, or religious grounds, when such acts are done or such persecutions are carried on in execution of or in connection with any crime against peace or anywar crime.
Telford Taylor, who was Counsel for the Prosecution at the Nuremberg Trials wrote "[at] the Nuremberg war crimes trials, the tribunals rebuffed several efforts by the prosecution to bring such 'domestic' atrocities within the scope of international law as 'crimes against humanity".[2] Several subsequent international treaties incorporate this principle, but some have dropped the restriction "in connection with any crime against peace or any war crime" that is in Nuremberg Principles.
TheRome Statute of theInternational Criminal Court, which is binding on 111 states, defines crimes against humanity in Article 7.1. The article criminalizes certain acts "committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack". These include:
(h) Persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender.[3]..or other grounds that are universally recognized as impermissible under international law, in connection with any act referred to in this paragraph [e.g. murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, imprisonment, torture, sexual violence, apartheid, and other inhumane acts] or any crime within the jurisdiction of the Court
Religious persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group due to theirreligious affiliation. Not only theorists ofsecularization (who presume a decline ofreligiosity in general) would willingly assume that religious persecution is a thing of the past[citation needed]. However, with the rise offundamentalism andreligiously related terrorism, this assumption has become even more controversial[citation needed]. Indeed, in many countries of the world today, religious persecution is a Human Rights problem.
Atheists have experienced persecution throughouttheir history. Persecution may refer to unwarranted arrest, imprisonment, beating, torture, or execution. It also may refer to the confiscation or destruction of property.
The persecution of Baháʼís refers to thereligious persecution of Baháʼís in various countries, especially inIran,[4] which has the seventh largest Baháʼí population in the world, with just over 251,100 as of 2010.[5] TheBaháʼí Faith originated in Iran, and it represents the largest religious minority in that country.
The persecution of Buddhists has been a widespread phenomenon throughout thehistory of Buddhism, a phenomenon which is continuing today. As early as the 3rd century AD, Buddhists were persecuted by Kirder, the Zoroastrian high priest of theSasanian Empire.[citation needed]
Anti-Buddhist sentiment inImperial China between the 5th and 10th century led to theFour Buddhist Persecutions in China of which theGreat Anti-Buddhist Persecution of 845 was probably the most severe. However, Buddhism managed to survive in China, but it was greatly weakened. During theNorthern Expedition, in 1926 inGuangxi, theKuomintang Muslim GeneralBai Chongxi led his troops on a campaign to destroy Buddhist temples and smash idols, they turned the temples into schools and Kuomintang party headquarters.[6] During theKuomintang Pacification of Qinghai, the Muslim General Ma Bufang and his army wiped out many Tibetan Buddhists in the northeast and eastern Qinghai, and destroyedTibetan Buddhist temples.[7]
TheMuslim invasion of the Indian subcontinent was the first greaticonoclastic invasion of theIndian subcontinent.[8] According to William Johnston, hundreds of Buddhist monasteries and shrines were destroyed, Buddhist texts wereburnt by the Muslim armies, monks and nuns were killed on theIndo-Gangetic Plain during the 12th and 13th centuries.[9] The Buddhist university ofNalanda was mistaken for a fort because of its walled campus. The Buddhist monks who had been slaughtered were mistaken forBrahmins according toMinhaj-i-Siraj.[10] The walled town, theOdantapuri monastery, was also destroyed by his forces. Sumpa based his account on that ofŚākyaśribhadra who was atMagadha in 1200, states that the Buddhist university complexes of Odantapuri andVikramshila were also destroyed and the monks were massacred.[11] Muslim forces attacked the north-western regions of the Indian subcontinent many times.[12] Many places were destroyed and renamed. For example, Odantapuri's monasteries were destroyed in 1197 byMuhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji and the town was renamed.[13] Likewise,Vikramashila was destroyed by the forces of Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji around 1200.[14] The sacredMahabodhi Temple was almost completely destroyed by the Muslim invaders.[15][16] Many Buddhist monks fled toNepal, Tibet, andSouth India to avoid the consequences of war.[17] Tibetan pilgrim Chöjepal (1179-1264), who arrived in India in 1234,[18] had to flee advancing Muslim troops multiple times, as they were sacking Buddhist sites.[19]
In Japan, thehaibutsu kishaku during theMeiji Restoration (starting in 1868) was an event which was triggered by the official policy of separation ofShinto and Buddhism (orshinbutsu bunri). This policy caused great destruction toBuddhism in Japan, the destruction of Buddhist temples, images and texts took place on a large scale all over the country and Buddhist monks were forced to return to secular life.[citation needed]
During the2012 Ramu violence in Bangladesh, a 25,000-strong Muslim mob set fire to at least five Buddhist temples and dozens of homes throughout the town and throughout the surrounding villages after they saw a picture of an allegedly desecratedQuran, which they claimed had been posted onFacebook by Uttam Barua, a local Buddhist man.[20][21]
The persecution of Christians isreligious persecution thatChristians may be subjected to as a consequence of professingtheir faith, bothhistorically and in themodern era.Early Christians were persecuted for theirfaith at the hands of bothJews fromwhose religion Christianity arose and theRoman Empire which controlled much of theland across which early Christianity was distributed.Early in the fourth century, the religion was legalized by theEdict of Milan, and it eventually became theState church of the Roman Empire.
Christian missionaries, as well as the people that they converted to Christianity, have been the target of persecution, many times to the point of beingmartyred for their faith.
There is also a history of individualChristian denominations suffering persecution at the hands of other Christians under the charge ofheresy, particularly during the 16th centuryProtestant Reformation as well as throughout the Middle Ages when various Christian groups deemed heretical were persecuted by the Papacy.
In the 20th century, Christians have been persecuted by various groups, and byatheistic states such as theUSSR andNorth Korea. During theSecond World War members of many Christian churches were persecuted inGermany for resisting theNazi ideology.
In more recent times the Christian missionary organizationOpen Doors (UK) estimates 100 million Christians face persecution, particularly inMuslim-dominated countries such asPakistan andSaudi Arabia.[22][23] According to theInternational Society for Human Rights, up to 80% of all acts of persecution are directed against people of the Christian faith.[24]
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The Missouriextermination order forced Mormons to move to Illinois. This was afterSidney Rigdon gave hisJuly 4th Oration which meant to state that Mormons would defend their lives and property. This speech was taken critically by thestate government. Missouri state militia troops slaughtered Mormons in what is now known as theHaun's Mill massacre. Their forcible expulsion from the state caused the death of over a hundred due to exposure, starvation, and resulting illnesses. The founder of the church,Joseph Smith, waskilled inCarthage, Illinois by a mob of about 200 men, almost all of whom were members of the Illinois state militia including some members of the militia who were assigned to guard him. The Mormons suffered throughtarring and feathering, their lands and possessions being repeatedly taken from them, mob attacks, false imprisonments, and the US sending an army to Utah to deal with the "Mormon problem" in theUtah War which resulted in a group of Mormons led byJohn D. Lee massacring settlers at theMountain Meadows Massacre.
Throughout the history ofJehovah's Witnesses, their beliefs, doctrines and practices have engenderedcontroversy and opposition from local governments, communities, and mainstream Christian groups.
The persecution of Copts is a historical and ongoing issue inEgypt againstCoptic Orthodox Christianity and its followers. It is also a prominent example of the poor status ofChristians in the Middle East despite the religion being native to the region.Copts are theChrist followers in Egypt, usuallyOriental Orthodox, who currently make up around 10% of the population of Egypt — the largest religious minority of that country.[a] Copts have cited instances of persecution throughout their history andHuman Rights Watch has noted "growing religious intolerance" and sectarian violence against Coptic Christians in recent years, as well as a failure by the Egyptian government to effectively investigate properly and prosecute those responsible.[29][30]
TheMuslim conquest of Egypt took place in AD 639, during theByzantine empire. Despite the political upheaval, Egypt remained a mainly Christian, but Copts lost their majority status after the 14th century,[31] as a result of the intermittent persecution and the destruction of the Christian churches there,[32] accompanied by heavytaxes for those who refused to convert.[33] From theMuslim conquest of Egypt onwards, the Coptic Christians were persecuted by different Muslims regimes,[34] such as theUmayyad Caliphate,[35]Abbasid Caliphate,[36][37][38]Fatimid Caliphate,[39][40][41]Mamluk Sultanate,[42][43] andOttoman Empire; the persecution of Coptic Christians included closing and demolishing churches andforced conversion toIslam.[44][45][46]
Since 2011 hundreds of Egyptian Copts have been killed in sectarian clashes, and many homes, Churches and businesses have been destroyed. In just one province (Minya), 77 cases of sectarian attacks on Copts between 2011 and 2016 have been documented by theEgyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.[47] The abduction and disappearance of Coptic Christian women and girls also remains a serious ongoing problem.[48][49][50]
For almost 1000 years,[51] theDogon people, an ancient tribe ofMali[52] had faced religious and ethnic persecution—through jihads by dominant Muslim communities.[51] These jihadic expeditions were to forced the Dogon to abandontheir traditional religious beliefs for Islam. Such jihads caused the Dogon to abandon their original villages and moved up to thecliffs of Bandiagara for better defense and to escape persecution—often building their dwellings in little nooks and crannies.[51][53] In the early era ofFrench colonialism in Mali, the French authorities appointed Muslim relatives ofEl Hadj Umar Tall as chiefs of theBandiagara—despite the fact that the area has been a Dogon area for centuries.[54]
In 1864,Tidiani Tall, nephew and successor of the 19th centurySenegambian jihadist and Muslim leader—El Hadj Umar Tall, chose Bandiagara as the capital of theToucouleur Empire thereby exacerbating the inter-religious and inter-ethnic conflict. In recent years, the Dogon accused theFulanis of supporting and shelteringIslamic terrorist groups likeAl-Qaeda in Dogon country, leading to the creation of the Dogon militiaDan Na Ambassagou in 2016—whose aim is to defend the Dogon from systematic attacks. That resulted in theOgossagou massacre of Fulanis in March 2019, and a Fula retaliation with theSobane Da massacre in June of that year. In the wake of the Ogossagou massacre, thePresident of Mali,Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta and his government ordered the dissolution of Dan Na Ambassagou—whom they hold partly responsible for the attacks. The Dogon militia group denied any involvement in the massacre and rejected calls to disband.[55]
Historically the relationship between theDruze andMuslims has been characterized by intense persecution.[57][58][59] TheDruze faith is often classified as a branch ofIsma'ili. Even though the faith originally developed out ofIsmaili Islam, mostDruze do not identify asMuslims,[60][61][62] and they do not accept thefive pillars of Islam.[63] TheDruze have frequently experienced persecution by different Muslim regimes such as theShiaFatimid Caliphate,[64]Mamluk,[65]SunniOttoman Empire,[66] andEgypt Eyalet.[67][68] The persecution of the Druze includedmassacres, demolishing Druze prayer houses and holy places andforced conversion to Islam.[69] Those were no ordinary killings in the Druze's narrative, they were meant to eradicate the whole community according to the Druze narrative.[70] Most recently, theSyrian Civil War, which began in 2011, saw persecution of the Druze at the hands ofIslamic extremists.[71][72]
Ibn Taymiyya a prominentMuslimscholarmuhaddith, dismissed the Druze as non-Muslims,[73] and hisfatwa cited that Druzes: "Are not at the level of ′Ahl al-Kitāb (People of the Book) normushrikin (polytheists). Rather, they are from the most deviant kuffār (Infidel) ... Their women can be taken as slaves and their property can be seized ... they are to be killed whenever they are found and cursed as they described ... It is obligatory to kill their scholars and religious figures so that they do not misguide others",[74] which in that setting would have legitimized violence against them asapostates.[75][76]Ottomans have often relied on Ibn Taymiyya religious ruling to justify their persecution ofDruze.[77]
Falun Gong was introduced to the general public byLi Hongzhi inChangchun,China, in 1992. For the next few years, Falun Gong was the fastest growingqigong practice in Chinese history and, by 1999, there were millions of practitioners. Following the seven years of widespread popularity, on July 20, 1999, the government of thePeople's Republic of China began a nationwide persecution campaign against Falun Gong practitioners, except in the special administrative regions ofHong Kong andMacau.[78][79] In late 1999, legislation was created to outlaw "heterodox religions" and retroactively applied to Falun Gong.[80]Amnesty International states that the persecution is "politically motivated" with "legislation being used retroactively to convict people on politically-driven charges, and new regulations introduced to further restrict fundamental freedoms".[81]
Persecution of Hindus refers to thereligious persecution inflicted uponHindus that may undergo as a consequence of professing their faith, both historically and in the current era. Hindus have been brutally persecuted during the historicalIslamic rule of theIndian subcontinent[82][better source needed] and duringPortugueserule ofGoa.
Even in modern times, Hindus inPakistan andBangladesh have suffered persecution. Most recently, thousands of Hindus fromSindh province in Pakistan have been fleeing toIndia voicing fear for their safety. After thePartition of India in 1947, there were 8.8 million Hindus in Pakistan (excluding Bangladesh) in 1951. In 1951, Hindus constituted 1.58% of the Pakistani population.[83] Today, the Hindu minority amounts to 1.7 percent of Pakistan's population.[84]
TheBangladesh Liberation War (1971) resulted in one of the largest genocides of the 20th century. While estimates of the number of casualties was 3,000,000, it is reasonably certain that Hindus bore a disproportionate brunt of the Pakistan Army's onslaught against the Bengali population of what was East Pakistan. An article inTime magazine dated 2 August 1971, stated "The Hindus, who account for three-fourths of the refugees and a majority of the dead, have borne the brunt of the Muslim military hatred."[85] SenatorEdward Kennedy wrote in a report that was part ofUnited States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations testimony dated 1 November 1971, "Hardest hit have been members of the Hindu community who have been robbed of their lands and shops, systematically slaughtered, mass rape and in some places, painted with yellow patches marked "H". All of this has been officially sanctioned, ordered and implemented under martial law fromIslamabad". In the same report, Senator Kennedy reported that 80% of the refugees in India were Hindus and according to numerous international relief agencies such asUNESCO andWorld Health Organization the number of East Pakistani refugees at their peak in India was close to 10 million. In a syndicated column "The Pakistani Slaughter That Nixon Ignored",Pulitzer Prize–winning journalistSydney Schanberg wrote about his return to liberated Bangladesh in 1972. "Other reminders were the yellow "H"s the Pakistanis had painted on the homes of Hindus, particular targets of the Muslim army" (by "Muslim army", meaning thePakistan Army, which had targeted Bengali Muslims as well), (Newsday, 29 April 1994).
In Bangladesh, on 28 February 2013, theInternational Crimes Tribunal sentencedDelwar Hossain Sayeedi, the Vice President of theJamaat-e-Islami to death for the war crimes committed during the 1971Bangladesh Liberation War. Following the sentence, activists ofJamaat-e-Islami and its student wingIslami Chhatra Shibir attacked the Hindus in different parts of the country. Hindu properties were looted, Hindu houses were burnt into ashes and Hindu temples were desecrated and set on fire.[86][additional citation(s) needed] The violence included the looting of Hindu properties and businesses, the burning of Hindu homes, the rape of Hindu women,[citation needed] and thedesecration and destruction of, according to community leaders, more than 50Hindu temples; 1,500 Hindu homes were destroyed in 20 districts.[87][88] While the government has held theJamaat-e-Islami responsible for the attacks on the minorities, theJamaat-e-Islami leadership has denied any involvement. The minority leaders have protested the attacks and appealed for justice. The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has directed the law enforcement to startsuo motu investigation into the attacks. US Ambassador to Bangladesh express concern about attack of Jamaat on Bengali Hindu community.[89][90]
Thepersecution of Jews is a recurring phenomenon throughoutJewish history. It has occurred on numerous occasions in widely different geographic locations. It may includepogroms,looting and the demolition of private and public Jewish property (e.g.,Kristallnacht), unwarranted arrest, imprisonment,torture, killing, or even mass execution (inWorld War II alone, approximatelysix million people were deliberately killed because they were Jewish). They have beenexpelled from their hometowns/countries, hoping to find safe havens in other polities. In recent timesanti-Semitism has often been manifested asAnti-Zionism,[91][92] where Anti-Zionism is a prejudice against the Jewish movement for self-determination and the right of the Jewish people to a homeland inthe State of Israel. Anti-Zionism can include threats to destroy the State of Israel (or otherwise eliminate its Jewish character), unfounded and inaccurate characterizations of Israel's power in the world, and language or actions that hold Israel to a different standard than other countries.[93]
The persecution ofMuslims has been a recurring phenomenon throughout thehistory of Islam. Persecution may refer to unwarranted arrest, imprisonment, beatings, torture, or execution. It may also refer to the confiscation or destruction of property, or incitement to hate Muslims.
Persecution can extend beyond those who perceive themselves to be Muslims and include those who are perceived by others as Muslims, or it can include Muslims who are considered non-Muslims by fellow Muslims. TheAhmadiyya regard themselves as Muslims, but are seen by many other Muslims as non-Muslims and "heretics". In 1984, the Government ofPakistan, under GeneralZia-ul-Haq, passedOrdinance XX,[94] which banned proselytizing by Ahmadis and also banned Ahmadis from referring to themselves asMuslims. According to this ordinance, any Ahmadi who refers to oneself as a Muslim by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation, directly or indirectly, or makes the call for prayer as other Muslims do, is punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years. Because of these difficulties,Mirza Tahir Ahmad migrated to London.[citation needed]
Persecution of Pagans refers to the historical and ongoing acts of religious intolerance, violence, and oppression against followers of pagan or polytheistic religions. This persecution has been carried out by various religious and political groups, including Christians, Muslims, and governments throughout history. The rise of Christianity as a state religion in theLate Roman Empire led to the persecution of Pagans, who were seen as a threat to the new faith and persecution of pagans have continued in Post-RomanEurope, Arabia, and North Africa. The destruction and conversion of pagan temples into churches, mosques, or other structures were common practices during theChristianization of the Roman Empire and later theSpread of Islam inMiddle East and North Africa. This was done to eradicate paganism and assert the dominance of Christianity and Islam. During theAge of Discovery, Many Europeans consider aspects ofNative American,African Tribes, Polynesian, andAboriginal Australian religion as pagans, which attributed to theirgenocide andforced conversions. Some notable examples are thePersecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire,Christianisation of the Germanic peoples,Islamization of the Sudan region,Persecution of pagans under Theodosius I,Persecution of pagans under Constantius II,Scramble for Africa,Colonization of Australia, andColonization of the Americas. Modern Pagans, who practice various forms of paganism, are a religious minority in every country where they exist. They have been subject to religious discrimination and/or religious persecution. The largest modern Pagan communities are in North America and the United Kingdom, and the issue of discrimination receives most attention in those locations. Although the persecution of Pagans has decreased in recent centuries, it still exists in some parts of the world. The community of Pagans andWiccans continues to face Christian persecution, particularly in the United States, where they are frequently subjected to negative stereotypes and misconceptions, such as those perpetuated during theSatanic Panic.
Philosophers throughout thehistory of philosophy have been held in courts and tribunals for various offenses, often as a result of their philosophical activity, and some have even been put to death. The most famous example of a philosopher being put on trial is the case ofSocrates, who was tried for, amongst other charges, corrupting the youth and impiety.[95] Others include:
The persecution of theSerer people ofSenegal,Gambia andMauritania is multifaceted, and it includes both religious and ethnic elements. Religious and ethnic persecution of the Serer people dates back to the 11th century whenKing War Jabi usurped the throne ofTekrur (part of present-day Senegal) in 1030, and by 1035, introducedSharia law and forced his subjects to submit toIslam.[102] With the assistance of his son (Leb), theirAlmoravid allies and otherAfrican ethnic groups who have embraced Islam, the Muslim coalition army launchedjihads against the Serer people of Tekrur who refused to abandonSerer religion in favour of Islam.[103][104][105][106] The number of Serer deaths are unknown, but it triggered the exodus of the Serers of Tekrur to the south following their defeat, where they were granted asylum by thelamanes.[106] Persecution of the Serer people continued from themedieval era to the 19th century, resulting inthe Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune. From the 20th to the 21st centuries, persecution of the Serers is less obvious, nevertheless, they are the object of scorn and prejudice.[107][108]
The 1984 anti-Sikh riots or the 1984 Sikh Massacre was a series ofpogroms[109][110][111][112] directed againstSikhs inIndia, by anti-Sikh mobs, in response to theassassination of Indira Gandhi, on 31 October 1984, by two of her Sikhbodyguards in response to her actions authorising the military operationOperation Blue Star. There were more than 8,000[113] deaths, including 3,000 in Delhi.[111] In June 1984, duringOperation Blue Star,Indira Gandhi ordered theIndian Army to attack theGolden Temple and eliminate any insurgents, as it had been occupied by Sikh separatists who were stockpiling weapons.Later operations by Indian paramilitary forces were initiated to clear the separatists from the countryside ofPunjab state.[114]
The Indian government reported 2,700 deaths in the ensuing chaos. In the aftermath of the riots, the Indian government reported 20,000 had fled the city, however thePeople's Union for Civil Liberties reported "at least" 1,000displaced persons.[115] The most affected regions were the Sikh neighbourhoods inDelhi. TheCentral Bureau of Investigation, the main Indian investigating agency, is of the opinion that the acts of violence were organized with the support from the then Delhi police officials and the central government headed byIndira Gandhi's son,Rajiv Gandhi.[116] Rajiv Gandhi was sworn in as Prime Minister after his mother's death and, when asked about the riots, said "when a big tree falls, the earth shakes" thus trying to justify the communal strife.[117]
There are allegations that the government destroyed evidence and shielded the guilty. TheAsian Age front-page story called the government actions "the Mother of all Cover-ups"[118][119] There are allegations that the violence was led and often perpetrated by Indian National Congress activists and sympathisers during the riots.[120] The chief weapon used by the mobs,kerosene, was supplied by a group of Indian National Congress Party leaders who owned filling stations.[121]
The Persecution ofYazidis has been ongoing since at least the 10th century.[122][123] TheYazidi religion is regarded asdevil worship byIslamists.[124] Yazidis have been persecuted by MuslimKurdish tribes since the 10th century,[122] and by theOttoman Empire from the 17th to the 20th centuries.[125] After the 2014Sinjar massacre of thousands of Yazidis by theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Yazidis still face violence from theTurkish Armed Forces and its ally theSyrian National Army, as well as discrimination from theKurdistan Regional Government. According to Yazidi tradition (based on oral traditions and folk songs), estimated that 74 genocides against the Yazidis have been carried out in the past 800 years.[126][127][128][129]
Persecution of Zoroastrians is the religious persecution inflicted upon the followers of theZoroastrian faith. The persecution of Zoroastrians occurred throughout the religion's history. The discrimination and harassment began in the form of sparse violence andforced conversions.Muslims are recorded to have destroyedfire temples. Zoroastrians living underMuslim rule were required to pay a tax calledjizya.[130]
Zoroastrianplaces of worship were desecrated,fire temples were destroyed and mosques were built in their place. Many libraries wereburned and much of their cultural heritage was lost. Gradually an increasing number of laws were passed which regulated Zoroastrian behavior and limited their ability to participate in society. Over time, the persecution of Zoroastrians became more common and widespread, and the number of believers decreased by force significantly.[130]
Most were forced to convert due to the systematic abuse and discrimination inflicted upon them by followers ofIslam. Once a Zoroastrian family was forced to convert toIslam, the children were sent to anIslamic school to learnArabic and study the teachings ofIslam, as a result some of these people lost their Zoroastrian faith. However, under theSamanids, who were Zoroastrian converts to Islam, thePersian language flourished. On occasion, the Zoroastrian clergy assisted Muslims in attacks against those whom they deemed Zoroastrian heretics.[130]
A Zoroastrian astrologer namedMulla Gushtasp predicted the fall of theZand dynasty to the Qajar army in Kerman. Because of Gushtasp's forecast, the Zoroastrians of Kerman were spared by the conquering army ofAgha Mohammad Khan Qajar. Despite the aforementioned favorable incident, the Zoroastrians during theQajar dynasty remained in agony and their population continued to decline. Even during the rule of Agha Mohammad Khan, the founder of the dynasty, many Zoroastrians were killed and some were taken as captives toAzerbaijan.[131] Zoroastrians regard the Qajar period as one of their worst.[132] During the Qajar dynasty, religious persecution of the Zoroastrians was rampant. Due to the increasing contacts with influential Parsi philanthropists such as Maneckji Limji Hataria, many Zoroastrians leftIran forIndia. There, they formed the second major Indian Zoroastrian community known as the Iranis.[133]
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Ethnic persecution refers to perceived persecution based onethnicity. Its meaning is parallel to that ofracism, (based onrace). TheRwandan genocide remains an atrocity that the indigenousHutu andTutsi peoples still believe is unforgivable. TheJapanese occupation of China caused the death of millions of people, mostly peasants who were murdered after theDoolittle Raid in early-World War II.[citation needed]
African Americans have faced persecution in the forms ofslavery,legal discrimination, andracial violence.
Due to their Christian faith and ethnicity, the Assyrians have been persecuted since their adoption of Christianity. During the reign ofYazdegerd I, Christians in Persia were viewed with suspicion as potential Roman subversives, resulting in persecutions while at the same time, they promotedNestorian Christianity as a buffer between the Churches ofRome andPersia. Persecutions and attempts to imposeZoroastrianism continued during the reign ofYazdegerd II.[134][135]
During the eras of Mongol rule underGenghis Khan andTimur, there was indiscriminate slaughter of tens of thousands of Assyrians and destruction of the Assyrian population of northwestern Iran and central and northern Iran.[136]
More recent persecutions since the 19th century include theMassacres of Badr Khan, theMassacres of Diyarbakır (1895), theAdana massacre, theAssyrian genocide, theSimele massacre, and theal-Anfal campaign.
TheHazara people of centralAfghanistan have been persecuted byAfghan rulers at various times in the history. Since the tragedy of 9/11,Sunni Muslimterrorists have been attacking the Hazara community in southwestern Pakistani town ofQuetta, home to some 500,000 Hazara who fled persecution in neighbouring Afghanistan. Some 2,400 men, women and children have been killed or wounded withLashkar-e-Jhangvi claiming responsibility for most of the attacks against the community. Consequently, many thousands have fled the country seekingasylum in Australia.[citation needed]
Antiziganism is hostility,prejudice, discrimination orracism directed against theRomani people as an ethnic group, or people who are perceived as being of Romani heritage.
ThePorajmos was the planned and attempted effort, often described as agenocide, duringWorld War II by the government ofNazi Germany and its allies to exterminate the Romani (Gypsy) people of Europe. Under the rule ofAdolf Hitler, a supplementary decree to theNuremberg Laws was issued on 26 November 1935, defining Gypsies as "enemies of the race-based state", the same category as Jews. Thus, the fate of Roma in Europe in some ways paralleled that of the Jews.[137] Historians estimate that 220,000 to 500,000 Romani were killed by the Nazis and their collaborators, or more than 25% of the slightly less than 1 million Roma in Europe at the time.[137]Ian Hancock puts the death toll as high as 1.5 million.[138]
The UN human rights chief slammedMyanmar's apparent "systematic attack" on theRohingya minority, warning that "ethnic cleansing" seemed to be underway.Ethnic Rohingya Muslims who fled from security forces in Myanmar'sRakhine State have described killings, shelling, and arson in their villages that have all the hallmarks of a campaign of “ethnic cleansing,” Human Rights Watch said.“Rohingya refugees have harrowing accounts of fleeing Burmese army attacks and watching their villages be destroyed,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director. “Lawful operations against armed groups do not involve burning the local population out of their homes.”[139]
Widespread attacks on Sri Lankan Tamils came in the form of island wide ethnic riots, including The 1958 anti-Tamil pogrom and the Black July riots. Further persecution through murders, targeted rape and kidnapping occurred. Whilst previously, the majority of Tamils demanded instead for a separate state, by 1983 armed struggles against Sinhalese extremists began to rise, culminating in the formation of theLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.[citation needed]
Uyghurs and otherTurkic peoples in modern-dayXinjiang (calledEast Turkestan byindependence activists) declared two short-lived independentEast Turkestan Republics in the 20th century.[140][141] In late 1949, the region and the rest of China came under the control of thePeople's Republic of China.[140]
Uyghur activist groups have said that anger towards the Chinese government has been fueled by years of state-sponsored oppression and discrimination.[140] In 2017, the China began a large-scale crackdown on the Xinjiang region, which it justifies as a counterterrorism campaign following sporadic terrorist attacks in Xinjiang.[140] Scholars estimate that the Chinese government detained over one million Uyghurs ininternment camps (also called re-education camps) in order to indoctrinate them away from religion andSinicize them (assimilate them intoChinese culture).[140][141] Critics of the policy have described it as theSinicization of Xinjiang and they have also called it anethnocide or acultural genocide,[142][143][144] while some governments, activists, independentNGOs,human rights organizations, academics, government officials, and theEast Turkistan Government-in-Exile have called it agenocide.[145][146]
Persecution on the basis ofalbinism is frequently based on the belief that albinos are inferior to persons with higher concentration ofmelanin in their skin. As a result, albinos have been persecuted, killed and dismembered, and graves of albinistic people dug up and desecrated. Such people have also been ostracized and even killed because they are presumed to bringbad luck in some areas. Haiti also has a long history of treating albinistic people as accursed, with the highest incidence under the influence ofFrançois "Papa Doc" Duvalier.[citation needed]
People withautism spectrum disorders have commonly been victims of persecution, both throughout history and in the present era. InCameroon children with autism are commonly accused ofwitchcraft and singled out for torture and even death.[147][148]
Additionally, it is speculated that many of the disabled children murdered duringAction T4 inNazi Germany may have been autistic,[149] making autistic people among the first victims ofThe Holocaust.
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A number of countries, especially those countries in theWestern world, have passed measures to alleviate discrimination againstsexual minorities, including laws againstanti-gayhate crimes andworkplace discrimination. Some countries have also legalizedsame-sex marriages orcivil unions in order to grant same-sex couples the same protections and benefits as those which are granted to opposite-sex couples. In 2011, theUnited Nations passed its first resolution which recognizesLGBT rights and, in 2015, same-sex marriages were legalized in all states of theUnited States.[citation needed]
ʿUmar is depicted as having ordered that "the poll-tax should be taken from all men who would not become Muslims"
Al Hakim Bi-Amr Allah (r. 996—1021), however, who became the greatest persecutor of Copts.... within the church that also appears to coincide with a period of forced rapid conversion to Islam
By late 1012 the persecution had moved into high gear with demolitions of churches and the forced conversion of Christian ...
Some Muslim rulers and jurists have advocated the persecution of members of the Druze Movement beginning with the seventh Fatimi Caliph Al-Zahir, in 1022. Recurring period of persecutions in subsequent centuries ... failure to elucidate their beliefs and practices, have contributed to the ambiguous relationship between Muslims and Druzes
Historically, Islam classified Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians as protected "People of the Book," a secondary status subject to payment of a poll tax. Nevertheless, Zoroastrians suffered significant persecution. Other religions such as the Alawites, Alevis, and Druze often suffered more.
the Druze religion, though originating from the Isma'lliyya, an extreme branch of the Shia, seceded completely from Islam and has, therefore, experienced periods of persecution by the latter.
Most Druze do not consider themselves Muslim. Historically they faced much persecution and keep their religious beliefs secrets.
While they appear parallel to those of normative Islam, in the Druze religion they are different in meaning and interpretation. The religion is considered distinct from the Ismaili as well as from other Muslims belief and practice... Most Druze consider themselves fully assimilated in American society and do not necessarily identify as Muslims..
Theologically, one would have to conclude that the Druze are not Muslims. They do not accept the five pillars of Islam. In place of these principles the Druze have instituted the seven precepts noted above..
With the succession of al-Zahir to the Fatimid caliphate a mass persecution (known by the Druze as the period of themihna) of the Muwaḥḥidūn was instigated ...
Therefore, many of these scholars follow Ibn Taymiyya'sfatwa from the beginning of the fourteenth century that declared the Druzes and the Alawis as heretics outside Islam ...
Subsequently, Muslim opponents of the Druzes have often relied on Ibn Taymiyya's religious ruling to justify their attitudes and actions against Druzes...
The Mohammedan Conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. It is a discouraging tale, for its evident moral is that civilization is a precarious thing, whose delicate complex of order and liberty, culture and peace may at any time be overthrown by barbarians invading from without or multiplying within. The Hindus had allowed their strength to be wasted in internal division and war; they had adopted religions like Buddhism and Jainism, which unnerved them for the tasks of life; they had failed to organize their forces for the protection of their frontiers and their capitals, their wealth and their freedom, from the hordes of Scythians, Huns, Afghans and Turks hovering about India's boundaries and waiting for national weakness to let them in. For four hundred years (600–1000 AD) India invited conquest; and at last it came.
The 25th anniversary of Indira Gandhi's assassination revives stark memories of some 3,000 Sikhs killed brutally in the orderly pogrom that followed her killing
