In an interview with CBN, Joel Veldkamp, head of communications with Christian Solidarity International (CSI), stated that the recent political crisis in Bangladesh has opened the door for persecution of Christians.

The country located in South East Asia has a population of 170 million people of which 91% are Muslim. Over the years, the country has held a tolerant view of other religious groups.

However, the recent change of government, which was essentially a military overthrow, has resulted in political instability. This has emboldened Muslim extremists to launch mob attacks against minority religions.

Veldcamp told of a CSI coworker who recently fled Bangladesh after a mob of Muslims armed with guns and machetes came to his home and told him to leave.

“They threatened him and his wife — and they said, ‘This is going to be a 100% Muslim country from now on. There’s no room for Hindus; there’s no room for Christians. You have to leave,’ and so he left,” Veldcamp reported.

What’s equally disturbing is similar to what happened during World War II, when the Nazis put yellow stars on the homes of Jews, Muslims are drawing crosses on the homes of Christians to mark them as well, Veldcamp added.

While Christians in the west are not facing the same level of persecution, things are changing here as well.

Christ warned this would be happening, when the disciples asked what signs would signal His second coming and end of the age (Matthew 24:3).

Jesus listed many events, including the appearance of false Christs, and then the Lord spoke of the coming persecution:

“Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.”

(Matthew 24:9 NASV)

Notice how Jesus specifically says that those who believe in Jesus ‘will be hated by ALL NATIONS.” It will take place in every country, not just a select few.

Now there may be varying degrees of how this hate manifests itself, but as we see in Bangladesh it will ultimately be tied to politics.

This can manifest as deliberate government persecution, which is taking place in Communist China, or it can happen indirectly through political failure.

Jesus addressed this latter issue a few verses later when He talked about a growing lawlessness in the end times.

“And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold.”

(Matthew 24:12 NASV)

This lawlessness can occur one of two ways, political instability, which we see happening in Pakistan and also by political decisions to go soft on crime as we see taking place in the west.

Both scenarios provide opportunities to those who ‘hate Christ’ to turn on Christians.

This wave of soft on crime politics in the West may be responsible for the increased vandalism of churches taking place In both the US and Canada.

According to the Christian Post, there have been over 436 reports of vandalism against American churches in 2023, double what was reported in 2022, and eight times more than what took place in 2018.

The CBC reports in Canada that in the past few years, over 33 churches were deliberately set on fire and completely burned to the ground and at least another 70 were partiially burned or vandalized.