This surge in discrimination against Christian communities in countries where they have lived for many centuries can be explained largely by increasing Islamist militancy and the rise of political Islam in the wake of the Arab Spring. As Islamist parties have taken power in the region, a wave of intimidation and discrimination has been unleashed on Christian minority populations.
根据国际人权协会（International Society for Human Rights）的数据，2012年全世界80%的宗教审判行为针对基督徒。在基督徒群体定居好几百年的国家发生对基督徒歧视激增的现象大体上可以用伊斯兰好斗性的上升和阿拉伯之春所唤醒的政治伊斯兰的崛起来解释。随着伊斯兰政党正在中东地区掌权，威胁和歧视的潮流侵袭了基督徒少数派。