Persecuted for their faith

The Sahel – Edited by Al McNair: About 400 million people inhabit the Sahel, a narrow strip of the vast African continent hugging the Sahara desert’s Southern reaches and stretching from Senegal’s Atlantic coastline in the West to the Red Sea in the East. Mostly a figment of the cartographer’s imagination, the Sahel is a region plagued by extreme poverty, deep civil unrest, and rampant extremism that threatens to eradicate the very fabric of society. Portions of at least 11 countries – Burkina Faso, Chad, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sudan – make up the Sahel, rendering it difficult to speak of laws and governance in the regional collectively. Indeed, in many parts of the region, law and governance have been practically abolished, supplanted by terrorist forces intent on establishing their vision of an Islamic caliphate. Human rights and the right to worship freely have suffered a devastating blow under the influence of these terrorist groups, which are openly dedicated to eradicating any vestiges of a representative or rights-based order. Due to the mass unrest in the Sahel, millions of civilians have been uprooted from their homes and displaced, either internally or across borders in refugee camps.  While this displacement has affected followers of every religion, terrorist groups often target Christians, who are particularly vulnerable to being uprooted. By refusing to recognize the way Christian communities are targeted for their faith, the region’s governments make it impossible to stop the persecution plaguing its people. As the Sahel’s scattered Christian communities look to the future, the potential for real change seems dim. Please Pray for our Christian brothers and sisters in all the countries of the Sahel, for strength, courage, boldness, perseverance, and protection.https://www.persecution.org/2025/01/16/desert-of-danger-how-extremism-shapes-the-sahels-future/

Sudan – Edited by Al McNair: The ongoing war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed thousands and displaced as many as 8 million civilians since fighting between the groups broke out in April 2023, including many religious minorities who have long struggled to survive in the country.  Only about 5 percent of Sudan’s population is Christian, while about 91 percent identify as Sunni Muslim. The state of religious freedom in Sudan has been bleak for decades, with Christians severely persecuted during the 30-year reign of dictator Omar al-Bashir and the Sharia-based legal system he imposed. This current war has utterly devastated Sudan’s civilian population, both Christian and Muslim. Both sides in the conflict have been recorded attacking churches, harassing members, and killing religious leaders. According to reports, 165 churches have had to close since the war broke out. Some churches are now used as bases for military operations in the war, with people sheltering there forced out or even killed to make way for soldiers. Members of the clergy have been singled out for particular violence, with soldiers shooting or stabbing priests and others during their raids. The well-equipped SAF often bombs churches, indiscriminately injuring or killing those sheltering inside, including women and children. A tiny minority in a country rocked by militancy and instability, Sudan’s Christians are in a particularly vulnerable place today. International efforts to quell the conflict have produced few results, and little seems to be happening to address the targeted violence against Christians caught in the crosshairs. The international community must increase its efforts to bring peace to Sudan and to protect the country’s fragile Christian population. Source: www.persecution.org

Iran: Three Christians facing lengthy prison Sentences – Three Christian converts, including a woman who is pregnant with her first child, have been sentenced to lengthy prison sentences on charges relating to their religious beliefs and worship meetings. The Iranian believers were sentenced by Judge Iman Afshari at a Revolutionary Court on March 8. Narges Nasri is 37 years old and halfway through her first pregnancy. She received the stiffest sentence among those of the three accused Christians: ten years for “propaganda activities contrary to Islamic law,” five years for membership in an “opposition group,” and an additional year for “propaganda against the state.” The charges allegedly stem from a social media post that Narges had made. Abbas Soori likewise received a sentence of ten years for “propaganda activities contrary to Islamic law” and an additional five years for membership in an “opposition group.” Abbas had been previously accused of distributing propaganda in 2022. As a result of these former charges, rather than being sentenced to prison, the believer received ten years of “deprivation of social rights,” which carries numerous restrictions relating to areas such as employment, health care and education. (For more information on this previous incident, go to this report.) The third Christian sentenced on March 8 was Mehran Shamloui who received a term of eight years for spreading propaganda and 30 months for membership in an “opposition group.” All three followers of Jesus were arrested during concurrent raids on their homes in Tehran on November 3. At least ten other Christians were arrested on the same day through coordinated raids across the country. Voice of the Martyrs

India: Large mob attack at pastors’ gathering – On February 19, a group of pastors had gathered in Kusumba Village, a town located in the Jalgaon District of Maharashtra, India. As the meeting was taking place, a mob of approximately 400 Hindu nationalists suddenly attacked, brutally assaulting many of the pastors. As a result of the violence, two of the church leaders were left in critical condition. In addition to the physical assaults, the Hindu militants destroyed various furniture items belonging to the Christians, along with six motorcycles. Shortly thereafter, police arrived at the scene and managed to bring the situation under control. Despite having committed the violence, the attackers were all allowed to leave, while 28 pastors were detained for questioning before being released that evening. According to local reports, the violent incident has deeply affected all of the Christians in the community. In India, mob attacks against Christians are common, particularly by those determined to make the country a Hindu nation. Voice of the Martyrs

Pakistan: Needed freedom from kidnapping – On January 5, 12-year-old Saba Shafique was abducted from her home in Lahore, Pakistan, and forced to convert to Islam before being married to her abductor. This devastating incident occurred despite the country’s laws prohibiting child marriage. The man responsible, Muhammad Ali, was a Muslim neighbour who became friends with Saba’s family. On the day of the kidnapping, Muhammad took the Christian girl to the bazaar. However, rather than returning to her home afterwards, they travelled by bus to the city of Sialkot where a cleric fabricated a certificate claiming that Saba had converted to Islam. The cleric then falsely stated that Saba was 18 years old before marrying them. A few days later, fearful that he would be discovered by the authorities, Muhammad fled the area – taking Saba with him – and travelled to a village in Sindh Province. While initially it appeared as though the police were not adequately investigating the case, Lahore authorities had conducted a raid on March 5 in conjunction with police from Sindh Province. Thankfully, following the arrest of her abductor, Saba was recovered and then safely returned to her family the next day. In a separate incident, a 14-year-old Christian girl named Saneha Sharif was lured from her home in Sialkot on January 9. The young teen was forced into a van by a group of seven individuals, one of whom was identified as her neighbour. Voice of the Martyrs