2008 California Election Forum

The annual report from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has just been released. Issued by a State Department advisory panel, the overview doesn't look good as repression, violence and killing of Christians for their faith is on the rise.

Here is a run down of the worst countries:

• Russia—Legislation has targeted non-profit groups growing restrictions on the exercise of religion, especially in regional and local levels.
• Turkey—Government actions that deny private property rights, and violence that doesn't stop, including the recent torture—and murder—of three Christians by Islamists.
• Iraq—Over ½ of pre-invasion Christians have had to flee to Jordan or Syria. Muslim fundamentalists recently told Christian families to move, convert, pay protection money, or turn over a daughter for marriage.