Persecuted Christians

Since 2002, North Korea has been the place where Christians face the most extreme persecution. Thanks to you, Open Doors secret fieldworkers are supporting Christians who've managed to flee to China, through underground networks. Now, first, imagine that you can’t meet in person.  That won’t take a big stretch of the imagination, given the past twelve months. But now imagine...
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In Cuba, I sat down with Oleda to learn the spiritual history of Cuba. She was chosen to speak with me because the government wouldn’t arrest her. She was 80 years old and almost done with her race, so she could convey to me the amazing but dangerous story of the Church’s rise in Cuba.   The first thing she said to me was, “My body wants to die and I feel like dying, but I am...
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12/15/2020 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that the Lahore High Court has acquitted Imran Ghafur Masih, a Christian sentenced to life in prison under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. According to Imran’s family, they have moved into hiding following the acquittal due to potential threats from extremists. On December...
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A family wonderfully transformed – and you played a massive role. Abnober is from Colombia. When he got involved with the wrong crowd as a youngster, his parents sent him to the Open Doors Children’s Centre. Little did they know that this one decision would change the whole family. At just 12 years old, Abnober – who grew up in a broken home where his father was a heavy drinker – got...
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When I first heard about Jamaa, he had just received his second prison sentence for sharing his faith. This time, it was a 15-year sentence under the pretense of property damage. Jamaa found Jesus while studying abroad in Europe. When he returned to Morocco, he persisted in practicing his beliefs and sharing the Gospel, leading to his first arrest in 1995.  The judge charged...
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In October, a 13-year-old Christian girl named Arzoo Raja was abducted as she played outside of her family’s home in Karachi, Pakistan. Arzoo’s parents reported the abduction to local police but were told two days later that their daughter had willingly converted to Islam and married their 44-year-old Muslim neighbor, Ali Azhar. Since then, Arzoo’s case has made headlines in Pakistan and...
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Like many young people, Wanda* from Indonesia had dreams of what her life would look like. But circumstances dashed her dreams, prompting questions that led to a dream where she was asked a crucial question. Today, Wanda follows Jesus, but it’s not easy – and Covid-19 has only added to her challenges. Your support has enabled partners to help her, and she is deeply moved by it. ...
Узнать больше О Dashed dreams to a decisive dream: Wanda’s story »

After Mao Zedong (1893-1976) declared the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, missionaries and Chinese clergy flooded out of mainland China to escape the coming anti-Christian persecutions. There were some clergy, however, who remained with their beleaguered flock, such as the American Jesuit,  Father Charles McCarthy, SJ,  (1911-1991) and the Chinese Jesuit, Father...
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On July 5, 2013, jubilant Vietnamese Catholics celebrated the closing of the diocesan phase of Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan’s beatification process. Although he is not yet canonized, the Vietnamese faithful already consider him a saint and view him as an icon of the Vietnamese Church. Cardinal Thuan, being a man of faith, hope, and charity, epitomizes the virtues of past and...
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To many people, 10 October is just a normal day. But to North Koreans, it is Party Foundation Day – an annual public holiday to celebrate the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea. This year is the 75th anniversary. If you’re wondering how Kim Jong-un’s government came to be, and what they value, we’ve answered some key questions below.  What is the Workers’ Party of Korea? ...
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Sumitra is an Indian woman whose decision to follow Jesus ushered in a decade of grave hostility. But her faith remained unshaken, and today, whilst some opposition remains, she is in a much happier place – thanks in large part to your support in establishing a chip-making business. Ten years. That’s how long Sumitra* prayed that her husband would stop tormenting her for...
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An unlikely encounter led to Alya, from a Muslim background in Syria, giving her life to Jesus. Here’s her story, and how your gifts and prayers are helping Syrian believers like her.  Alya has had to escape a terrible situation more than once. She, her husband and their five children fled Deir Ez-Zor in 2012, because of Syrian rebels. They were in Raqqa for two years when...
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Over the past two years, I have traveled frequently to the Middle East and worked as an international missionary and humanitarian under my grandmother, Dr. Michelle Corral. My eyes were opened and my cultural understanding was deepened. I have gained a new understanding of people and a new sensitivity to social norms. Although America is a melting pot of people from all nations,...
Узнать больше О How This Missionary Discovered A Muslim Woman’s Secret Love For Jesus In Saudi Arabia »

Ani has been hearing God’s call since she was 13 years old. With frequent interaction with Christian friends, sometimes she would hear Bible verses running through her head. Even when she was only an elementary school student, she was curious about faith. One time, a teacher talked about Heaven in class. Little Ani asked,  “Where is Heaven?”  Her teacher only responded, ...
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In Malaysia, the Bahasa language, which is spoken by the majority, does not have a Bible readily available. The authorities in Malaysia have seized more than 20,000 Bibles in recent years, as the reference made to God in these Bibles are printed as “Allah,” a term considered offensive in the Muslim-majority country. These Bibles were written in the country’s official language, Malay – in...
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Rajesh is an Open Doors partner in India. Even before the pandemic, his role and calling involved a great deal of risk - but he sees the joy of serving the persecuted church. Open Doors partners like Rajesh* are courageously going out to take vital resources to Indian Christians who are the last in line for Covid-19 aid. He is taking great risks despite the virus and ongoing persecution...
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Testimony of Mahlil Ahmad, a mocker turned worshiper
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It’s 65 years since Brother Andrew started taking Bibles to persecuted Christians in Eastern Europe. The work of Open Doors, the organisation he founded, has changed significantly in its scope and methods – but at the heart of it is the same God and the same mission.    In July 1955, a Dutchman called Andrew started to encourage the church in Eastern Europe and Russia. To...
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06/30/2020 Washington D.C.  (International Christian Concern) – We were amazed by the tes­timonials of a group of MBBs in Africa, who con­tinue to live in Muslim-dominated communities in order to reach other Muslims with the Good News. We traveled to Africa to meet with three of these evangelists, two of whom are former Muslims. They gave us a firsthand witness of their work with new...
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In this interview, Pastor Ngoc explains the history of Christianity in Vietnam and how persecution has made believers grow stronger - even in the face of Covid-19. Meet Ngoc*, a courageous Vietnamese Pastor who has lived through intense persecution from government, but still leads a thriving church. Here he explains what life was like as a young Christian and how things are for...
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In this interview with Heena, an Open Doors partner in India, she explains why persecuted Christians are often last in line for vital aid (and how your support is helping).   A pandemic and its aftermath don’t happen in a vacuum. In many countries, discrimination in aid distribution is another method of persecution. We spoke to Heena*, an Open Doors partner working in India, to...
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Iran is one of the countries that has been hit hard by Covid-19 – possibly 20 times worse  than the reported figures, according to  Open Doors UK and Ireland . Like most churches around the world, believers had to stop meeting – but, for Iranian Christians, meeting together already had to be done in small, secret house churches. “As soon as the outbreak of the virus was...
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Have you ever considered what it cost you to turn to Christ? For some, this decision comes with a lifestyle change away from past sins. For others, it may lead to growing apart from old friends. But for others, it can cost them their livelihood, well-being, and family.  This was the case for Chao Vang, who forfeited nearly everything to pursue Jesus. After choosing to follow...
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I want to share a story with you about a young man with a family who risked everything to turn to Christ.  It all started when Bwambale Abraham, the son of a Muslim imam in Uganda, and some of his friends decided to attend a Christian outreach event showing the Jesus Film in September of 2019.   His story is especially meaningful to me because I worked with the Jesus Film...
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Handwritten letters are making a tangible difference in the lives of imprisoned believers around the world. in 2009, Maryam and Marziyeh were taken before the Iranian Revolutionary Court and commanded to recant their faith. In return, they would be granted their freedom. “We will not deny our faith,” the women responded, “If we come out of prison, we want to do so with honor.” Bible...
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