  ov.uk/media/59786a0040f0b65dcb00000 a/042-persecution-of-christians-in- the-middle-east.pdf > the persecution of christians in the middle east > 1. a century ago, christians in the middle east comprised 20 percent of the population; today, they constitute no more than 3-4 percent of the regions population (pew research center, 2015; cited in ben-meir, 2016). the drastic decline in the number of christians in the middle east is considered to be part of a longer-term exodus related to general violence in various countries, lack of economic opportunities in the region, and religious persecution (katulis et al., 2015; hanish, 2014; weiner, 2014). the tremendous changes in the political order in the middle east since 2003, and the rise of violent extremist ideologies, have adversely impacted on muslim- christian relations and on the protection of christian and other minority groups (kraft and manar, 2016; ben-meir, 2016; katulis et al., 2015). > christians throughout the middle east experience various forms of persecution and discrimination, including > violence and harassment: mob violence, involving targeted attacks on person and property, against christian communities is prevalent in some contexts in the middle east, particularly in iraq, syria and egypt (savage, 2014). in iraq and syria, christian women have been the targets of sexual and gender based violence (nicolas, 2016) > expulsion: ultimatums by extremists to christians to convert to islam, pay a tax or be killed have resulted in an exodus of christian families from various cities and neighbourhoods in the region, particularly in iraq and syria (nicolas, 2016; acnuk, 2016; katulis et al., 2015; hanish, 2014).
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