Malala’s 2012 shooting came at time of high social hostilities in Pakistan
Malala Yousafzai's shooting came at a time when social hostilities involving religion were at a high point, both globally and in Pakistan.
Malala Yousafzai's shooting came at a time when social hostilities involving religion were at a high point, both globally and in Pakistan.
Today, more than 80 countries either have an official religion or favor one or more religious groups over others.
Islam is the most common state religion, but many governments give privileges to Christianity.
Christians were harassed by governments or social groups in a total of 128 countries in 2015 – more countries than any other religious group.
While sub-Saharan Africa had fewer religious restrictions than many other parts of the world in 2015, it experienced a larger increase than any other region.
Brazil and Japan were among countries with the lowest levels of religious restrictions in 2015, while Russia and Egypt were among countries with the highest.
Europe in 2015 saw a rise in social hostilities involving religion, particularly against the continent’s Muslims.
Among the world's 25 most populous countries, Russia, Egypt, India, Pakistan, and Nigeria stand out as having the most restrictions on religion (as of the end of 2015) when both government restrictions and religious hostilities are taken into account.
Thirty-eight European governments harassed religious groups in limited or widespread ways in 2015, while 24 used some type of force against religious groups.
Government restrictions on religion and social hostilities involving religion increased in 2015 for the first time in three years. Government harassment and use of force surged in Europe, as did social hostilities against Muslims.