The harassment of Jews worldwide continued to increase in 2014
even as government restrictions on religion and social hostilities involving
religion decreased modestly, according to a new study.
The Pew Research Center’s annual
study of 198 countries released Thursday also found
an increase in religion-related terrorism, with 82 of the nearly 200 countries
studied experiencing religion-related terrorist activities in 2014 — the most
recent year studied. In 60 countries, the terrorist activities led to
injuries or deaths. Casualties from religion-related terrorist activities have
been rising in recent years, the study reported.
The study did not address the religion with which the majority of
the perpetrators of religion-related terrorism identified. However, all the
examples cited were of acts perpetrated by Islamist groups and Muslim
individuals.
More than half, or 58 percent, of the incidents of anti-religious
hate crimes in the U.S. in 2014 were motivated, in whole or in part, by
anti-Jewish bias, the study reported, citing FBI statistics. Sixteen percent of
such hate crimes were motivated by anti-Muslim bias.
The study found a “notable increase in the number of countries in
which Jews and Hindus were harassed.” While Jews make up just 0.2 percent of
the world’s population, they were harassed in 81 countries, up from 77 in 2013.
While some religious groups are more likely to be harassed by
governments, the study found that Jews are more likely to be harassed by
individuals or groups. In 31 countries did governments restrict Jews, while
individuals or groups harassed Jews in 80 countries.
The study also found that among the world’s 25 most populous
countries, the highest overall restrictions on religion in 2014 were in Egypt,
Indonesia, Pakistan, Russia and Turkey. With the exception of Russia, these
countries are majority Muslim.
