While severe cases of religious persecution continue to plague African and Asian nations, a new report reveals concerning trends in Europe and the Western world. Published by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the 2023 Religious Freedom in the World report highlights the emergence of compelled speech, hate speech laws, censorship, cancel culture, and a growing intolerance towards certain faith-based beliefs in Western societies.

ACN is closely monitoring religious freedom threats in Ukraine, particularly from the Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian governments amidst the ongoing war. Meanwhile, direct persecution in some African and Asian countries takes more overt forms, such as China's internment of Uyghur Muslims or the targeted attacks on Christians by Nigerian Islamists. In Western nations, discriminatory policies against religious groups manifest in subtler ways.

According to ACN-USA Director of Outreach Edward Clancy, Western societies experience a different kind of persecution, often described as "polite persecution," a term coined by Pope Francis. Clancy pointed to several examples, including a U.K. doctor losing his job for refusing to use preferred pronouns, French laws restricting religious symbols in specific public spaces, and COVID-19 restrictions imposing stricter rules on religious gatherings compared to other activities, as seen in New York.

The report also highlighted the impact of cancel culture, noting that the rejection of alternative gender concepts has led to threats of "legal sanction" in some Western countries. Laws, such as hate speech legislation, have been introduced to enforce and solidify these concepts as new human rights.

One case discussed in the report involves Finnish Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola and Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen, who faced hate speech charges based on a Twitter post discussing Lutheran teachings on homosexuality. The prosecutor general alleged that Räsänen's post, referencing a 2004 pamphlet by Pohjola, was likely to incite intolerance, contempt, and hatred towards homosexuals.

Although the charges were ultimately dismissed, the prosecutors have appealed the verdict, indicating an ongoing concern.

Clancy pointed out that Ukraine has suppressed Russian-speaking religious services, while Russia has restricted Ukrainian religious activities in areas dominated by the Russian population. ACN has a history of working with both countries due to the persecution experienced in the region during the era of communism.

Regarding religious freedom concerns, the report has identified Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus as countries under observation for future reports due to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. Clancy explained that most of the religious freedom threats in these countries occurred after the data considered in the 2023 report. However, ACN is well aware of the presence of ethnic religious nationalism from both Russia and Ukraine.

Clancy highlighted that individuals are being prosecuted for violating certain standards, such as using preferred pronouns or holding traditional marriage views, which go against the prevailing secular worldview.

An instance of compelled speech mentioned in the report involves a practice direction issued by the British Columbia Supreme Court in Canada. The directive advises parties and their lawyers to use self-identified gender pronouns, which the report argues indirectly imposes adherence to gender identity beliefs without considering religious or conscientious objections.

Clancy acknowledged that the current form of religious persecution in the Western world is a solemn reminder of the past, albeit distinct from the threats Christianity faced during the era of communism. He emphasized that the present challenges, characterized by compelled speech, hate speech laws, and subtle discrimination, have their own unique nature and implications for religious freedom.