Religious persecution facts for kids

Religious persecution is when people are treated unfairly because of their religion. This unfair treatment can happen to individuals or entire groups. The goal is often to make people leave an area or give up their beliefs. The word "persecution" comes from a Latin word meaning "chase." Long ago, it often meant chasing someone to harm them. Today, it covers many different kinds of unfair actions.

Religious persecution can show up in several ways:

• violence, which means physical harm or attacks. Sometimes this includes pogroms, which are organized attacks on a group.
• Social discrimination, where people are treated differently in everyday life.
• Not getting a job or other opportunities because of your religion.

Reports of religious persecution come from many countries around the world. For example, the United States Department of State has reported concerns about attacks on smaller religious groups in India. They also noted organized attacks against religious minorities there. In Iran, the Bahá'í Faith is not allowed, and its followers face many challenges.

What is Religious Cleansing?

Sometimes, you might hear the term "religious cleansing." This usually means when a group of people is forced to leave a certain area. In ancient times, this often happened for economic or political reasons. Sometimes, it was also because of ethnic differences. It's a very serious form of persecution.

Related topics

• Antisemitism
• Freedom of religion
• Persecution of Christians
• Persecution of Muslims
• Religious violence

Images for kids

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  During Nazi rule, Jews were forced to wear yellow stars which identified them as such. Jews are an ethno-religious group and Nazi persecution of them was based on their race.

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  Saint Peter, an apostle of Jesus, was executed by the Romans.

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  President Donald Trump meets with survivors of religious persecution from 17 countries in July 2019.

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  According to tradition, early Christians were fed to lions in the Colosseum of Rome.

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  Greek Christians in 1922, fleeing their homes from Kharput to Trebizond. In the 1910s and 1920s the Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian genocides were perpetrated by the Ottoman government

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  Countries where Jehovah's Witnesses' activities are banned

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  Ruins of the Martand Sun Temple. The temple was completely destroyed on the orders of Muslim Sultan Sikandar Butshikan in the early 15th century, with demolition lasting a year.

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  Woodcut of the Seleucid persecution depicting martyrs refusing to sacrifice from Die Bibel in Bildern

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  A Zoroastrian family in Qajar Iran, about 1910