Persecuted Christians

It takes up a strip of land in the Evin neighborhood of Tehran, Iran. But the real estate and walls that serve as Evin Prison symbolize the evil, torture, and broken lives of so many Christians. Its chains have shackled religious freedom for decades. Iranian Christians face a cascade of everyday threats and struggles for simply expressing their faith publicly. It is inside Evin’s walls,...
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Your prayers are needed following an attack against another Christian in Egypt. On 5 July, Abdel-Masih Sadeq Khalil was tragically killed by a Muslim extremist in front of his son and two nephews. A 58-year-old Christian man from Egypt was brutally murdered in front of his son and two nephews, with the attacker heard saying, “I killed this Christian kaffir to get to paradise.” ...
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At least 896 civilians have been killed in violent attacks in Nigeria during the first three months of 2022. This, according to Open Doors, includes hundreds of Christians who were murdered because of their faith.  Open Doors is a non-denominational organization supporting persecuted Christians in the world.  Open Doors cited a report by SBM Intelligence, a Nigeria-based...
Read More About Nigeria is World’s Scariest Country to be a Christian »

Mehr in India was viciously attacked for being a Christian - and, when she got to hospital, doctors and nurses refused to treat her. All because she follows Jesus. But you can help Mehr's faith - and that of other Indian Christians - remain unshaken. For Mehr*, an Indian Christian in her twenties, being violently assaulted was only the start of her persecution. After the attack, she...
Read More About Mocked. Beaten. Yet unshaken: Why Mehr in India has courageous faith »

After experiencing rejection from her community on top of her ordeal at the hands of Islamic militants Boko Haram, Agnes from Nigeria is slowly healing, thanks to your prayers and support. Please note that you may find some details of this story particularly distressing.   “The day I found freedom, I felt so much joy in my heart. I stayed with the soldiers, but nobody...
Read More About From rejection to restoration – how Agnes is healing from her kidnapping ordeal, thanks to you »

Aisha and her family had to flee their home in Chad because of persecution – but your prayers and support have sustained them as they start to build a new life. Islamic extremism is on the rise in West Africa, but you are helping to strengthen believers as they face increasing violence and hostility.   Aisha’s* journey to faith in Jesus began when her 27-year-old son Mansour*...
Read More About Aisha from Chad experiences God’s comfort after persecution, thanks to you »

There is rising persecution in Kyrgyzstan against Christian converts. You can hear some of their stories here, as well as how your prayers and support are equipping Open Doors partners to stand with persecuted believers. Kerim* wasn’t allowed to attend his mother’s funeral. In his small village in Kyrgyzstan, the fact that he is a Christian is enough to ban him. After everyone left,...
Read More About Threats, poisoned pets and nowhere to bury your dead: life for Kyrgyzstan’s Christian converts is getting worse »

Dhea in South East Asia didn't want the Bible that a missionary gave her. She tried to destroy it. But something stopped her - and when she started reading it, she chose to follow Jesus. As a Christian and as a woman, she has faced extreme persecution - but remains hopeful and active in ministry.   By any measure, Dhea has had a difficult life. Even before she became a Christian...
Read More About How a smuggled Bible changed Dhea’s life »

Your gifts and prayers mean that this community of persecuted Christians are able to show Jesus’s love to their neighbours – in the form of clean water from a well. Christians in Vietnam often face persecution from their neighbours, particular in rural areas where tribal communities are expected to follow traditional gods. Members of these groups who choose to follow Jesus face...
Read More About How persecuted Christians in Vietnam forgave and blessed their neighbours »

You’ve helped Latifa from North Africa as she’s faced rejection, shame and abuse. School is often a place where big decisions are made. This was certainly true from Latifa* from North Africa – but not in the academic sense. “When I was a student, I was influenced by the Gulf War, which made me identify more with Islam,” Latifa recalls. “I decided to wear a veil. I considered Islam as...
Read More About “You thought of me without knowing me” – Latifa’s story »

The 20-year-old daughter of a Muslim Cleric who converted to Christianity was found murdered on March 7 in northern Iraq. The assassination of Iman Sami, who was known as Maria, is suspected to have been retaliation by her family following a TikTok video she posted where she was singing Christian spiritual songs.   Jeff King, ICC’s President, shared his concern that  “For...
Read More About Christian Convert Assassinated in Iraq Following TikTok Video »

Sarah in North Africa was thrown out of her home because of her faith. Later, her husband threw her out of another home. As a woman, she is particularly vulnerable – throwing out endangered her. Around the world, millions of women from religious minorities face persecution for their faith and their gender. See Sarah. See change. Sarah in North Africa has faced persecution for her faith,...
Read More About Sarah in North Africa was thrown out because of her faith. Twice »

Nala found out about Jesus online – and made an extremely risky decision in choosing to follow Him. In Somalia, that decision could mean her death sentence. Here’s her extraordinary story. It’s very rare to hear the story of a Somali Christian. It’s hard to even estimate how many people from Somalia are Christians, because of the extreme secrecy they are forced to live in. It’s estimated...
Read More About How a secret Christian escaped Somalia »

Your prayers are needed for a young Christian family in Vietnam after they were forced from their home for refusing to deny their faith in Jesus.  A Christian family from Vietnam made homeless after refusing to deny Jesus has been forced to sign a document saying that the eviction is not due to persecution.     Last December, just a few months after becoming...
Read More About Vietnamese family driven from home for their faith and told to sign document denying persecution »

Your prayers are urgently needed following two attacks by Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Chibok, Nigeria. On 21 January, Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked Piyemi village in Chibok, Nigeria. Several people were killed and 16 people (15 girls and one male) kidnapped. A church was destroyed and shops and houses looted. The attack was confirmed...
Read More About Prayer needed for kidnapped Nigerians »

Oscar Amaechina, the president of the Afri-Mission and Evangelism Network of Nigeria, recently spoke with The Christian Post (CP) about the challenges of spreading the Gospel in Nigeria. A former pastor, Amaechina told CP that an estimated 66 million Nigerians have not heard about Jesus. Islamic extremism in the country’s northern and middle-belt regions has made ministering in these...
Read More About The Dangers of Sharing the Gospel in Nigeria »

Bae was sentenced to a lifetime of backbreaking labour and starvation rations - just for having a Bible. Here's her story - and the one time she managed to escape. If you were to see Bae* during the day, you’d assume that her work was picking crops. Every morning in the village she’s forced to live in, Bae spends the day working in the fields. She has to meet her work quota of...
Read More About Life in exile in North Korea: Will you show Bae she isn't alone? »

This year, despite the pain our persecuted church family often experience, your prayers and support have brought hope, healing and joy to thousands of persecuted Christians – thank you! North Korea: “You strived to help the weakest part of the body of Christ” Brother Simon* is an Open Doors partner working with North Korean believers through networks in China. You may have...
Read More About Here's how you made a difference in 2021 »

According to the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN), church leaders in India believe a case registered against the Missionaries of Charity in Gujarat is part of an intentional strategy to denigrate the institution and its founder, Mother Teresa. On December 13, police in Vadodara city launched an investigation into a shelter home run by Missionaries of Charity nuns. A complaint was...
Read More About Church Leaders in India Believe Attack on Missionaries of Charity Part of a “Well-Orchestrated” Strategy »

Adel (10) felt like his life had no purpose – until he came across a children’s ministry class in a nearby church supported by Open Doors local partners. There, he encountered Jesus! Find out how your prayers and support are making a life-transforming difference for hundreds of persecuted children like Adel. All names in this article have been changed for security reasons.    ...
Read More About Egypt: Adel’s first Christmas with Jesus »

The incident stems from rumours that baptisms were performed in the school. In reality, only four students out of 1,500 are Christian. For Bishop James Athikalam of Sagar, the attack is part of “a planned strategy” linked to upcoming local elections; “local (nationalist) leaders want to gain prominence by attacking Christian schools.”   After churches and other places of...
Read More About Hindu extremists attack Catholic school in Madhya Pradesh »

Despite the current food shortage in North Korea, leader Kim Jong-un has told his people that they ‘must eat less food until the country re-opens its borders with China in 2025’. In a seemingly hopeless and despite situation, North Korean escapee Timothy Cho, who himself lived through the last famine in North Korea, reflects on where his hope – and the hope of the North...
Read More About ‘Prisoners of hope’: keeping the faith in a time of famine »

As a minority in Bangladesh, Christians are acutely vulnerable to persecution. These three stories highlight how costly it can be to be a Christian in Bangladesh – which is  number 31  on the World Watch List – and how, with your help and prayers, Open Doors local partners are coming alongside them to provide support – even if only to remind them that they are not alone.  ...
Read More About Three stories of courageous faith in Bangladesh – and your role in them »

(International Christian Concern) – According to Asia News, a 12-year-old Christian girl from Pakistan’s Punjab province was abducted by an adult Muslim man last week. The girl’s family believes she has been taken to another province to be forcefully converted to Islam and married to her abductor. On November 2, Meerab Abbas, age 12, was abducted by Muhammad Daud, a Muslim adult and...
Read More About 12-Year-Old Christian Girl in Pakistan Abducted by Muslim Man »

The Olive Tree Bible app has been removed from China’s Apple Store after its creators were unable to provide a permit to distribute the app in China during a review process. Sadly, this is part of a continuing trend that is seeing the Chinese government assert their control over religious groups in the country.  It comes as part of a wider crackdown by Chinese...
Read More About Bible app removed from Chinese Apple Store in further crackdown on Christian resources »