Christian Persecution in Muslim-Majority Countries

Here's how Muslim-majority countries treat their Christian populations:

SOMALIA

No churches exist. Converts from Islam face death. Al-Shabaab is committed to eradicating Christianity entirely.

YEMEN

Christians can be imprisoned, tortured, or killed. Possessing a Bible in Houthi-controlled areas is dangerous. No legal protection for Christians exists.

SUDAN

Over 100 churches have been damaged or destroyed. Christians have been abducted and killed. Islamist extremists operate with impunity.

SYRIA

Now largely controlled by HTS — an Islamic extremist group with roots in Al-Qaeda. Christian population has collapsed from 1.5 million to 300,000.

NIGERIA

More Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world. Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Fulani militias operate freely. The government has largely failed to prosecute perpetrators.

PAKISTAN

Christians are 1.8% of the population but absorb ~25% of blasphemy accusations — which carry a death sentence.

Mob lynchings of accused Christians are common. Entire Christian neighborhoods have been torched.

Christian girls are kidnapped, forcibly converted, and married off. Courts often back the perpetrators.

LIBYA

No functioning government to protect Christians. Foreign Christians are kidnapped and killed by Islamist groups. No legal protections exist.

IRAN

96 Christians sentenced to 263 years in prison in 2024 alone — a sixfold increase year-over-year.

House churches are raided. Converts are charged with espionage and "enmity against God."

Apostasy is punishable by death. Government's stated goal: eradicate the Persian-speaking Church.

AFGHANISTAN

Christians face death if discovered. No public Christian communities exist. The Taliban is actively working to erase any Christian presence.

SAUDI ARABIA

No churches allowed. No public Christian worship of any kind.

Apostasy and proselytizing are capital offenses under Sharia law.

Bibles are confiscated. Even private worship by expatriates can result in arrest and deportation.

MALI / BURKINA FASO

Pastors executed, churches burned, villages massacred. Governments have lost control of large swaths of territory to jihadist groups including Boko Haram and JNIM.

IRAQ

The Christian population has collapsed from 1.2 million in 2011 to just 120,000 in 2024 — driven by ISIS genocide. Christians are described as "close to extinction."

ALGERIA

All 47 Protestant evangelical churches in the country have been shut down. Converting Muslims is a criminal offense.

MAURITANIA

Apostasy is punishable by death. No churches exist for Mauritanian citizens.

MOROCCO

No public Christian worship permitted. Converting from Islam can result in prosecution. Foreign missionaries are expelled.

QATAR

Apostasy: death penalty under Sharia law.

Proselytizing a Muslim: up to 5 years in prison.

Bringing Christian materials into the country: up to 2 years in prison.

TURKEY

200+ Christian workers expelled since 2020, labeled "national security threats."

No legal training of clergy permitted. The historic Halki Seminary remains closed.

Christian population has collapsed from 20% to 0.2% over the past century.

(Published by Sumul Justus et Peccator (2026) Facebook Page)