The Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka are only the latest and deadliest in an uptick of violence against the Christian minorities in the country, who make up 7 percent of the populace. In 2018, Buddhist extremists burned down both Muslim-owned shops and Christian churches across the country, while the state police and civil authorities were criticised for not adopting stronger measures to protect the religious minorities targeted.

Pew Research lists Christians as the most attacked faith in the world, with significant levels of persecution in 144 countries, according to 2016 data.

The persecution varies widely. In countries like Egypt, Syria, and Iraq it is due to the effects of Islamic fundamentalism and sectarian violence in the region.

In China, the authoritarian atheist government is tightening its restrictions on the country’s Christians.

Indian Christians face an “extreme” level of persecution, up from “high” just five years ago, due to spikes in Hindu extremism targeting churches, as well as halfhearted government responses failing to protect these minorities

Even in the West, hostility to religion is on the rise. Journalists have reported a record 47 documented desecrations of church property in France for February 2019. In Germany, three-quarters of resettled Christian refugees claim to experience persecution, mostly from the Muslim refugees which surround them. The number of attacks on Catholic churches in the whole of Europe is already up 25 percent compared to the number of attacks during a similar period last year.