Bible smuggler group defenders of persecuted Christians

ERMELO – A Dutch international Christian organisation which has for decades distributed Bibles behind various ‘curtains’, also compiles an list of countries each year showing which are persecuting Christians. Founded by Bible distributor Anne van der Bijl, Open Doors started the list in 1993, basing its findings on 50 questions. The annual report for 2008 which was recently released, gives the top spot once again to North Korea, followed by Saudi-Arabia, Iran and Afghanistan. The list of fifty is largely made up of Islamic countries in Asia and Africa and includes one former Soviet republic in Europe: Belarus. Indonesia ranks 41st. The ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands has made religious freedom one of its policy planks and has raised religious freedom issues with various governments around the world.