Persecuted Christians

Yasin is an undercover believer in Iraq – he has to be very cautious about who he tells about his faith. But he is determined to keep defying threats to share the gospel. When Yasin* first took a Bible home, he covered the title in tape. He had to go undercover. He knew how dangerous it was for an Iraqi Muslim to own a Bible. How dangerous it would be if his secret were revealed. ...
Read More About How Yasin in Iraq risks his life to share the gospel »

Once a dangerous man, Tarik now embraces a dangerous faith. When Tarik* in southern Philippines went to a programme run by Christians more than 20 years ago, it was partly to hide from the police. As a drug lord and hitman, he was ‘wanted’. But he couldn’t hide from God, and as unusual things began happening, it sparked an astonishing transformation. “I didn’t like the lessons, because...
Read More About The hitman turned child of God »

There have been yet more deadly attacks in Nigeria, with Christians among more than 100 killed and thousands displaced. Please pray. More than 100 have been killed and around 5,000 displaced in a series of attacks by Islamist militants in Nigeria, many of which are believed to be ‘revenge’ against a local bishop who testified to the US Congress about the ongoing violence in the region. ...
Read More About “This is horror. This is terror” – more devastating attacks in Nigeria »

On October 10, 2019, 14-year-old Huma Younus was taken from her home in Karachi while her parents were away. She was abducted, forced to convert to Islam, and coerced into marrying her captor, Abdul Jabbar. Despite her family’s desperate attempts to seek justice, the courts turned a blind eye to her suffering. Huma’s parents, devout Christians, filed a police report challenging the...
Read More About Faces of the Persecuted - Huma Younus »

Please pray for Trinh and her children after they were forced from their home for their faith. When Trinh* became a Christian, along with her husband and children, it seemed like everything was coming together. But family pressures took their toll and tore Trinh’s family apart.  Trinh comes from an ethnic minority group – the H’re tribe – in a remote region of Vietnam. She came...
Read More About Christian mother and children forced from home in Vietnam »

As the persecution of Christians throughout the world continues to grow, mainstream reporting of it is conspicuously missing.  The slaughter of Christ followers in Nigeria is hurtling toward genocide levels, and thousands of Christians the world over remain imprisoned simply for their faith. Yet, their stories are rarely told on the evening news.  In 2024,...
Read More About The Plight of Persecuted Christians Should Be Raising Alarm — It’s Not »

More than 170 Christians were killed across Nigeria during the Lenten season and Easter Sunday in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region. The attacks occurred amid growing fears of state inaction and religious persecution targeting Christian farming communities. In Benue state, at least 72 Christians were confirmed dead following a series of deadly attacks by suspected Fulani militants between...
Read More About More Than 170 Christians Killed During Lent, Easter in Nigeria »

Please pray for Barun, his mother, and Akram – three Christian converts who were recently attacked and hospitalised. In Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority country, Christians make up only 0.5% of the total population. Converts from both Hindu and Muslim backgrounds experience the brunt of persecution, as these two recent attacks show.  Barun* (13) is a Christian from a Hindu...
Read More About “Vulnerable and unprotected” – Christian converts in Bangladesh attacked amidst rising persecution »

Yasmina in North Africa became a Christian when she encountered Jesus in the Gospels – and her brothers said she had dishonoured the family. When Yasmina* faced a personal crisis, her friends expected her to turn to the Quran. Growing up as a Muslim in North Africa, this was the place Yasmina was expected to find answers to her questions and comfort for her pain. The pain was...
Read More About Yasmina’s brothers said she’d shamed their family »

Revelation Media announced the results from its six-month campaign where it intentionally and strategically targeted spreading its Real Story of Jesus short film to persecuted nations.   The media group used social media advertising to spread the reach of the film. Results from the six-month campaign include the following:  More than 825,000...
Read More About Online Jesus Film Reaches Persecuted Nations in Southeast Asia and Beyond »

Christians from a Muslim background can be particularly vulnerable to persecution and discrimination during Ramadan. Here are two stories of converts for whom Ramadan is a difficult month. Ramadan can be a difficult time. For Christians who have converted from Islam, it is a period during which their new faith comes under particular scrutiny. Secret believers might be exposed for not...
Read More About What’s Ramadan like when you’re the only Christian in your Muslim family? »

Christians in DRC have again been left reeling after a heinous act of violence that has left 70 believers dead. Please pray for our brothers and sisters in the country as they face escalating persecution. Seventy Christians have been found beheaded in a church in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in what’s the latest devastating attack on believers in the north east of the country....
Read More About 70 Christians found beheaded in church in DRC »

When Jung Jik from North Korea eventually decided to follow Jesus, the unusual activities of her grandmother when he was a child took on a whole new perspective… “My grandmother was a Christian, but I never knew,” says Jung Jik*. “Every morning, when she cooked rice, she would mumble. Before she went to sleep, she sat down and mumbled. I thought she believed in some superstition, but...
Read More About Three escapes, two imprisonments and a heritage of faith – meet Jung Jik from North Korea »

A Christian evangelist couple in India was convicted on Jan. 22 for the mass conversion of Dalit community members under Uttar Pradesh’s anti-conversion law. This is the first time that such a conviction has occurred in India. The convicted couple was deemed culpable under section 3/5 of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act. The couple, Pastor Jose Pappachan...
Read More About Christian Husband, Wife First to Be Convicted Under Anti-Conversion Law »

Rooble, a Somali believer living in the Horn of Africa, has lost everything for choosing to follow Jesus. But nothing will stop him from sharing the gospel.   In Somali society, to be Somali is to be Muslim. “Somali Christian” is a paradox, and yet Rooble* – a Somali Christian living in the Horn of Africa – exists. “Once I realised that Jesus is the Way and the Truth and eternal...
Read More About Serving secretly as a Somali believer »

Zahra from Yemen has witnessed God move amidst persecution – and it’s made her bolder    The text messages will be forever etched into Zahra’s* mind. They were sent to her friend, Anis*, after she walked down a street with him and his son. “We wanted to kill you today, but we saw you walking with others,” they said. “We don’t want to harm them, but we’re coming for you.” A...
Read More About Zahra has witnessed God move amidst persecution – and it’s made her bolder »

Joo Min fled North Korea – and found Jesus at an Open Doors safe house. What would make her go back to the darkest place to be a Christian? It wasn’t the first time that Joo Min* had crossed the border between North Korea and the neighbouring country. She knew that the river was deep and treacherous. Guards patrolled the riverbank, holding machine guns. If anybody discovered her, she’d...
Read More About If you escaped the darkest place on earth… what would make you go back? »

Churches in north Bangladesh have received long letters telling believers to ‘say your goodbyes’ ahead of their Christmas celebrations. For many churches around the world, Christmas services are among the most special of the year. People gather with their loved ones to sing carols and celebrate the Nativity – perhaps sharing gifts, food and joy. But for some churches in the north of...
Read More About Christmas services get death threats in Bangladesh »

For more than a decade now, one country alone has produced the majority of the world’s Christian martyrs. Nigeria has seen more than  50,000 Christians  killed between 2009 and 2023. During that period, millions were displaced from their homes.  Though many persons both inside and outside Nigeria have sought to deny or obfuscate the anti-Christian sentiment in these...
Read More About Christians in Northern Nigeria Prepare for Christmas Violence »

Christians in Pakistan are often forced into the back-breaking work of making thousands of bricks a day. A system of greed keeps their families trapped in these horrible conditions for generations. These brick kiln laborers, often unseen an unheard, are among the most marginalized and vulnerable in Pakistan. A seemingly innocuous loan sets in motion a debt spiral. Due to the conditions of...
Read More About A Way Out for Good: Pakistan Brick Kilns »

Young Preeti from India has already experienced persecution first-hand, when her mother and grandfather were attacked. Thanks to your prayers and support, they have been strengthened by local Open Doors partners and can celebrate the Christmas season with joy. “Jesus’s name gives salvation. Jesus’s name gives peace,” sings Preeti*. “This is my favourite song to sing at Christmas. The...
Read More About Upheld with justice: Preeti’s Christmas promise »

Ailin is a teenager from Central Asia who has faced persecution – including being arrested and interrogated – with enormous courage. Both her parents are deaf, and therefore considered cursed by their community. But your prayers and support have shown Ailin and her family that they are loved. From a young age, Ailin* from Central Asia attended church with her mum and dad. Now a teenager,...
Read More About Ailin’s family are called cursed – but she knows their true worth is found in Jesus »

What do cakes and kidnappings have in common? OK … the opening line here hangs like a comedian’s pregnant pause, just waiting for the punch line to drop and the laughter to follow. Sadly, in this case, there is no laughter.  Cakes and kidnappings are indicators of Christian persecution around the world. Jack Phillips, a Colorado cakeshop artist, spent 12 years in and out of courts,...
Read More About Cakes and Kidnappers: Persecution on Account of Christ »

Rumana (9) in Bangaldesh faces rejection and bullying for being a Christian. She has extraordinary faith, but often feels alone. Every morning, Rumana starts her day like many other nine-year-olds around the world. She washes her face and eats her breakfast. She prays about her day and asks God to bless her and her family. She packs pens, pencils and schoolbooks in her backpack, and she...
Read More About Rumana shouldn’t have to be alone at Christmas »

A family of converts from Islam received death threats when a group of Muslim extremists came to their door late at night – the latest example of escalating persecution in Bangladesh.S Pastor Sirajul in Bangladesh was asleep when the knock came at his door. It was 10pm on 25 September, and Pastor Sirajul wasn’t expecting any visitors. ​​“Why are you knocking on my door this late at...
Read More About Death threats and destruction for believers in ongoing unrest in Bangladesh »