<p class="adjusted">WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Hundreds of millions of Christians have suffered discrimination or even persecution in lands as diverse as China and India, but mostly in countries where Islam is the top religion.</p>
<p class="adjusted">Despite this, persecution of Christians is one topic the American public doesn't hear much about. One possible reason: an anti-Christian bias among Western elites.</p>
<p class="adjusted">These Western elites often control the media and educational institutions that spread information to the general public.</p>
<p class="adjusted">But they rarely cover or discuss the reality that Christians may well be the most persecuted religious group on the planet. It has been estimated that Christians number some 2.2 billion people. Harassment of them can range from loss of life to loss of livelihood.</p>
<p class="adjusted"><strong>From Communists to Muslim Extremists</strong></p>
<p class="adjusted">Paul Marshall of the <a href="http://www.hudson.org/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Hudson Institute</span></span></a> has authored seven books on Christian persecution and discrimination.</p>
<p class="adjusted">"Including discrimination, you're talking 600, 700 million Christians," Marshall told CBN News.</p>
<p class="adjusted">"In about two-thirds of the world, Christians of one stripe or another face some sort of harassment," said Brian Grim, senior researcher at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.</p>
<p class="adjusted">Persecution of Christians dates back to the time of Jesus and his disciples, but it is increasing rapidly in the new century. Christian journalist and author David Aikman touches upon this fact frequently in his work.</p>
<p class="adjusted">"Christians in innumerable countries are under huge amounts of pressure, either from the government or from the societies in which they find themselves," Aikman said.</p>
<p class="adjusted">Throughout the 20th century, communist countries caused the most problems for Christians. Today, however, the fear and harassment has shifted to the Muslim world.</p>
<p class="adjusted"><a href="http://www.opendoorsusa.org/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Open Doors USA</span></span></a> tracks persecution around the world and publishes a watch list every January of the worst offenders.</p>
<p class="adjusted">"In this year's top 10, eight of those worst offenders are Islamic countries," Dr. Carl Moeller, Open Doors president and chief executive officer, told CBN News</p>
<p class="adjusted"><strong>Iraq's 'Religicide'</strong></p>
<p class="adjusted">Iraq made the top 10 list of offending countries because of the recent brutal attacks on Christians, including the massacre of 58 Christians in a Baghdad Catholic Church in October 2010.</p>
<p class="adjusted">"The level of brutality is almost unbelievable," Marshall said.</p>
<p class="adjusted">"We're actually labelling it as 'religicide,' as extremists there want to exterminate all Christians from the country of Iraq," Moeller added.</p>
<p class="adjusted"><a href="why-the-west-wont-hear-about-christian-persecution">Read More on CBN Post &gt;&gt;&gt;</a></p>