The international nonprofit ministry Open Doors USA released its annual list of the most dangerous countries for Christians. North Korea topped the list for the 15th consecutive year. Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Sudan rounded out the top five. David Curry, president and CEO of Open Doors, said Christians suffered more persecution in 2016 than in any other year on record. He said 215 million Christians—1 in 12—experienced high levels of persecution for their faith. Experts pointed to the rise of Islamic extremists as the most deadly force around the world for Christians, followed by governments hostile to Christianity. Edward Awabdeh, a pastor from Syria, spoke about the persecution of Christians in his country but said not all Muslims were to blame:

Pastor Edward Awabdeh: “The majority of Muslims are not radicals. I mean, we are friends and neighbors, we go to school together, we live together, we respect each other, we respect the opinion of each other and the faith of each other. We don’t have a problem with Muslims, the moderate Muslims and the people who are living in the community. Our problem is with radicals.”