迫害
はくがい · hakugai · JLPT N1 · noun
persecution
迫 = press on + 害 = harm: persecution is harm pressed onto a person
迫 also means to close in on or urge, as in 迫る. With 害 (harm), the word describes being hounded and harmed by others over time.
害 — 宀 roof + 丯 (phonetic) + 口 mouth
Originally an ideograph showing harm spoken under a roof, with 宀 (roof/house) on top, a phonetic element 丯 in the middle, and 口 (mouth) below suggesting harmful speech. Over time it shifted from 'injury caused by words' to the broader senses of 'harm,' 'injure,' and 'fear.'