Throughout the world, millions of Christians fear for their lives simply because of their beliefs.  Oppressive governments, extremist Islamic leaders, and other forces are pushing Jesus followers into the dark. Here are some of the countries where Christians are facing the most difficult situations, and what you can do to help.

Afghanistan 

Population: 32 Million Religion: Muslim 99.8%, Christian 0.05%

Ideology: Islam

Threat to Religious Freedom:  Taliban and Islamic Extremism All Afghan Christians come from a Muslim background. Believers who are discovered face discrimination from family and community, Muslim clergy and local authorities. The government treats converts in a hostile manner, using any means possible to make them recant. Christians cannot meet in public; meetings in private homes are possible. However they require great caution. Not a single official Christian church building remains in Afghanistan.

What can you do?

• Give to Afghani Christians
• Pray for those that are suffering extreme persecution under Taliban rule.
• Pray that God would bring Justice and Peace to the region.

Egypt

Population: 82.5 Million

Religion: Muslim 88%, Christian 12%

Ideology: Islam

Threat to Religious Freedom:  Islamic Extremism – the Muslim Brotherhood.

In rural areas, Egyptian Coptic Christians are constantly terrorized, while security forces turn a blind eye; Coptic girls are abducted and forced into Islamic marriages. Support for the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists was growing. The Salafist Nour Party in 2011 won a quarter of the seats in the Egyptian parliament.

What can you do?

• Give to Egyptian Christians
• Pray for those that are suffering extreme persecution by the Islamic Extremists groups
• Pray that God would bring Justice and Peace to the region.

Iraq

Population: 35 Million

Religion: Shia 60%,  Sunni 37%, Others 3%.

Ideology: Islam

Threat to Religious Freedom:  ISIS – Islamic Extremism

Over the past year, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria aka ISIS emboldened by the Arab spring and the Syrian crisis, heightened Sunni-Shia’ tensions through a series of inhumane brutal attacks, rapes, murder, beheadings and kidnappings in Iraq.

What can you do?

• Give to Iraqi Christians
• Pray for those that are suffering extreme persecution under Islamic Extremism and evil.
• Pray that God would bring Justice and Peace to the region.

Nigeria

Population: 175 Million

Religion: Muslim 50%, Christian 50%

Ideology: Islam

Threat to Religious Freedom:  Boko Haram, a Jihadist Islamist group Muslim with links to Al-Qaeda which wants Islamic systems under Sharia law.

Boko Haram translated means ‘Western Education is forbidden’.  remains an uncompromising Islamic terrorist group in Northern Nigeria. Their brutality and is only second dot IRSIS. Boko Haram seeks to impose a strict version of Sharia (Islamic law), ridding the country of Christianity. The country’s president, Sheikh Sharif Sheik Ahmed, has embraced a version of Sharia that mandates the death penalty for those who leave Islam. Source: Compass Direct News.

What can you do?

• Give to Nigerian Christians
• Pray for those that are suffering extreme persecution by the terrorist group Boko Haram.
• Pray that God would bring Justice and Peace to the region.

Somalia

Population: 10.5Million

Religion: Muslim 99%

Ideology: Islam

Threat to Religious Freedom:  Al-Shabaab, a Jihadist Islamist group Muslim with links to Al-Qaeda which wants Islamic systems imposed for all Somalia under Sharia law.

Sunni Muslim Sunni Muslim (Islam) is the official religion of the country. Al-Shabab states that all Somalis are born Muslims. Therefore any of those found practicing other faiths or converting to Christianity is considered guilty of “apostasy”, or leaving Islam, and should be put to death. Al-Shabaab seeks to impose a strict version of Sharia (Islamic law), ridding the country of Christianity.

What can you do?

• Give to Somalia Christians
• Pray for those that are suffering extreme persecution under al-Shabaab Islamic Extremists.
• Pray that God would bring Justice and Peace to the region.

Syria

Population: 21.8 Million

Religion: Majority Sunni Muslim

Ideology: Islam

Threat to Religious Freedom:  Terrorist groups and Islamic Extremism.

*UN estimates, as of mid-March 2014, the Syrian crisis had led to more than 2.5 million regis­tered refugees, mostly in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt. More than half of the UN-registered refugees are women and girls, and close to half of those are under the age of 17. Terrorist organizations use violence to attempt to create of an Islamic state with no room for religious diversity. They terrorist groups mostly aligned with Al-Nusrah front and AQ affiliated group have carried out religiously-motivated attacks and violent executions and massacres against Muslim Alawite, Shi’a, and Christian groups.

*US Commission on International Religious Freedom

What can you do?

• Give to Syrian Christians
• Pray for those that are suffering extreme persecution in Syria.
• Pray that God would bring Justice and Peace to the region.

Christian persecution, hostility experienced from the world as a result of one’s identification as a Christian, includes everything from verbal harassment to outright violence. In many areas of the world, Christians pay a heavy price for practicing their faith. Over 75% of the people in the World live in areas with “severe religious restrictions” (according to The Pew Research Center). The U.S. Department of State identified over 60 countries where Christians face persecution from their government and society simply because of their religious identification.

Christians are beaten, tortured, confined and imprisoned; subjected to discrimination in employment and education; suffer in slavery, and are even killed on a daily basis. According to Open Doors, USA, each month:

• 322 are killed for their faith.
• 214 Christian properties and churches are destroyed.
• 772 acts of violence (rapes, abductions, beatings, forced marriages, arrests, etc.) are committed against Christians.

The Reasons for Religious Persecution of Christians

Freedom of religion helps define us and serves as a foundation for our contribution to society. If one lives in a country whose government restricts or abuses freedom of religion, they are denied a basic human right and suffering results. Christian persecution occurs for many reasons. The three primary ones are:

• Authoritarian governments seek to control all religious thought and expression and consider members of many religious groups a threat as their beliefs do not put loyalty to the state and its rulers of primary importance. An example is North Korea.

• Majority populations persecute minority and nontraditional religious groups. For example, Islamic majority countries often persecute Christians and other minority religious groups.

• Some countries lack basic human rights in many societal areas, including religion, causing persecution and the need for citizens to flee the country. The African country, Eritrea, lacks basic human rights and, according to Human Rights Watch, has a human rights record considered among the worst in the world.

The Frequency of Religious Persecution of Christians

Christian persecution continues its alarming increase. Many have called Christianity “the most persecuted religion in the world.” Christianity is even facing extinction in its Biblical homeland as between half and two-thirds of Christians in the Middle East have been killed or left the area over the last one hundred years.

One of the first steps in decreasing the incidences of Christian persecution is becoming aware of its prevalence.

• JoshuaCord, a religious persecution watch group, bringing awareness to some 215 million Christians around the world facing some degree of persecution.

• Christian persecution by nationalist Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim religious movements, has increased in Pakistan, India, and Myanmar.

• Approximately 39 million Christians – more than have of the 64 million Christians in India, have experienced direct persecution, according to a study by Open Doors.

• Incidents of Christian persecution are on the rise in Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations, in addition to Syria and Iraq, where ISIS targets Christians.

• Despite the facts that Christianity is the most practiced religion, North, Central, and South America have also seen increased Christian persecution, with Christian leaders in Mexico and Colombia killed specifically because of their faith. Mexico, with more than 80% of their population Catholic, has had several priests attacked and killed in the last few years.

Without government intervention, a responsive media willing to report on and condemn Christian persecution, and individual awareness and active resistance to occurrences of Christian persecution, the suffering of Christians around the world will only increase. Once one knows how serious the problem of Christian persecution has become, it is impossible to remain passive to this growing problem. One should actively explore ways to alleviate the suffering of Christians.

Every day, Christians around the world experience persecution – harassment, abuse, rape, assault, slavery, unjust imprisonment, and death.

Christians in over 60 countries face daily persecution from their governments or those living close to or with them because of belief in Jesus Christ, according to the U.S. Department of State. The persecution of Christians should be of concern to all those who profess belief in Jesus Christ for humanitarian, economic and political, and religious reasons.

Christians in over 60 countries face daily persecution from their governments or those living close to or with them because of belief in Jesus Christ, according to the U.S. Department of State. The persecution of Christians should be of concern to all those who profess belief in Jesus Christ for humanitarian, economic and political, and religious reasons.

Humanitarian Reasons We, As Christians, Should Be Concerned About Christian Persecution

Countries that persecute Christians are often the same countries that deny their citizens other basic human and social rights, such as freedom of speech, assembly, and the ability to determine one’s occupation and receive an adequate education. In addition:

• These countries usually lack adequate food, clothing, and shelter, often placing a burden on neighboring countries.
• People fleeing countries where persecution occurs, create imbalanced populations.
• Fleeing refugees experience difficulty settling and readjusting to a new culture.

Economic and Political Reasons, We, As Christians, Should Be Concerned About Christian Persecution

Christian persecution creates problems that economically impact the rest of the world. Religious beliefs and traditions form the foundation of a healthy society with stable beliefs and a basis for morality. When a country persecutes its citizens for their religious convictions, the very fabric that holds its society together is destroyed. Economic chaos and political unrest usually result.

Often entire communities are devastated. Economic and political burdens are placed not only on the citizens of the country involved but on its neighbors, as those who are persecuted flee from danger.

Religious Reasons We, As Christians, Should Be Concerned About Christian Persecution

Every day children are orphaned as parents are killed. Women are widowed and left without the emotional and financial support of husbands who are killed or imprisoned. 

The Bible says in James 1:27 (New International Version – NIV) that “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Thus, Scripture admonishes us to care for those left suffering and alone.

Day to day living conditions for Christians in many countries are deplorable. For example, Christian families in Egypt are rejected by the government, forcing entire Christian communities to live in the slums on the outskirts of Cairo. They survive collecting and recycling garbage. Without the basic necessities of life, they suffer from disease and illness.

In Romans 12:5 (New International Version – NIV), the Bible tells us: “so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Therefore, Christian persecution becomes a shared experience for the members of the body of Christ; as our brothers and sisters in Christ suffer, so do we.

So, what should be our response to Christian persecution?

First of all, we should pray for those who persecute Christians (Matthew 5:44). We must also stay informed about the reasons for persecution and watch for opportunities to assist those who come to this country seeking religious freedom.

Finally, you can encourage your local congregation to be actively involved in assisting those who suffer persecution for their religious belief.  Encourage them to schedule a screening of Joshuacord’s new documentary, Christians In the Mirror.  Only with knowledgeable involvement can we begin to stem the increasing occurrence of violence against and persecution of Christians.