LAOS, July 18, 2001: In the communist state of Laos, officials in have declared Christianity the “No. 1 enemy of the state.” Christians in droves are being forced to sign a declaration officially renouncing their faith. According to The Bible League, those who refuse to sign the document face prison sentences under very hard conditions. Laos ranks No. 2 on the Open Doors International Persecution List, which means it is the second most restrictive nation in the world in terms of religious freedom. This very interesting “persecution list” is available at http://www.gospelcom.net/od/wwlist.htm. Saudi Arabia ranks first, Pakistan 18th, Indonesia 29th, India 37th, Iraq 41st, Nepal 42nd, Sri Lanka 48th, Malaysia 49th, Israel 69th, Mauritius 70th, Bangladesh 71st, Thailand 72nd and Singapore 75th out of the 86 countries considered by this organization to seriously impair religious freedom, or more specifically, the freedom of Christians.
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