Every two hours, a Christian loses their life for following Jesus, yet these deaths—and sometimes massacres—rarely make headlines. The numbers tell a harrowing story: One in seven Christians worldwide faces high levels of persecution, with the worst cases happening in nations where Islamic law controls everyday life.
These are five nations where extreme force, physical and mental abuse, torture and even death are used to coerce Christians into Muslim conformity. Our brothers and sisters in these countries face these types of persecution from government policy, friends and family, and from the culture where Islamic loyalty shapes relationships, community belonging, and national citizenship.
1. Pakistan: Where Blasphemy Laws Create Fear
Members of our team delivering emergency relief kits
Pakistan’s Christian population—about 2.8 million people—faces extreme discrimination that goes beyond the legal system, infiltrating jobs, education, and social interactions. For Muslims who convert to Christianity, the challenges multiply. Pakistani society views such conversions as betraying both religious and national identity, since Islam plays a central role in Pakistan’s founding story. Converts typically face complete rejection from their families and communities. They also become targets for extremist groups who believe their belief in Jesus deserves death.
A Story from Our Team in Pakistan:
Ranjha discovered what a serious offense it is to their Islamic way of life when two strict and devout Muslims publicly accepted Christ through his preaching. His ministry work had remained secret until this public breakthrough triggered community-wide outrage. Neighbors quickly turned against him, forcing him to move multiple times as threats grew worse. His purchase of land for a church building ignited attempts to steal the property. Death threats became routine. Now, Ranjha and his sister move frequently to stay ahead of persecution. Their ministry continues despite the opposition they face....and our team is coming alongside him, supporting him both spiritually and through practical support.
You can listen to our Field Minister Rachid speak firsthand about our work in Pakistan in this podcast, where he shares a story of a man named Walid, who nearly lost his life because he refused to deny Christ.
2: Libya: Where Christians Live in Hiding
When Libya’s government collapsed, it created the perfect conditions for Christian persecution. With no main government system, armed militias and extremist groups roam freely, targeting religious minorities without consequences.
Libya’s Christians are mostly foreigners who have come from nearby countries to work. They represent less than one percent of the population, and their ethnicity and faith in Jesus makes them doubly vulnerable.
The country treats leaving Islam as apostasy, though this isn’t always written into formal law. More dangerous are groups like the “Guardians of Virtue,” who act as self-appointed morality police. These groups view any Christian person or symbol as an insult to Islam, potentially punishable by death.
A story from Our Team in Libya:
Our sister Sakhra learned this when her ex-husband discovered that she accepted Jesus and began verbally abusing her. Coming from a strict Muslim background in Syria, she thought running away from him might give her the safety she longed for when she moved to Libya. Instead, his threats to report her to authorities as an apostate, combined with pressure from extremist neighbors to remove Christian symbols from her home, forced her to make an impossible choice. Our Field Ministers recently helped her escape to a safe house.
You can listen to our Field Minister Aseel speak firsthand about our work in Libya in this podcast.
3: Iran: The Underground Church Under Attack
Iran’s government views Christianity as something designed to undermine Islamic rule. And while Iran’s constitution technically protects recognized Christian minorities like Armenians and Assyrians, it offers no protection for Muslim converts to Christianity. The government treats conversions as treason, punishable by imprisonment, torture, and sometimes death. House churches face regular raids, and participants risk years in prison.
A Story from Our Team in Iran:
As a member of the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force, Majid had been trained to defend the Islamic Republic of Iran against internal and external threats. His conversion to Christianity, followed by his public announcement of faith, represented exactly the kind of apostasy that Iranian authorities view as most threatening.
Basij members began regular visits to his home. They found Christian imagery that confirmed their suspicions. They interrogated him, froze his business assets, and began surveillance that made normal life impossible. The constant psychological pressure, combined with threats against his family, eventually forced Majid to flee Iran entirely. Even now in a neighboring country, Iranian agents continue threatening him and his wife.
Our Field Minister Qasem, who runs Pedaraneh and serves Iranian refugees in Türkiye, shares what ministry looks like in this podcast.
4: Afghanistan: Where Taliban Rule Means Death for Christians
Afghanistan under Taliban control has become one of the most dangerous places on earth for Christians. The extremist group’s interpretation of Islamic law leaves no room for religious diversity. They view Christianity as a foreign ideology that must be eliminated. Unlike other countries where Christians face persecution within existing legal frameworks, Afghanistan offers no protection for non-Islamic faiths.
The Taliban’s approach to Christians is brutal. They actively hunt down known believers, often using torture to get information about other Christians before executing them. Those who escape death face complete social rejection and economic destruction. No one dares employ or associate with suspected Christians.
A story from Our Team in Afghanistan:
Hashir witnessed the Taliban’s particular cruelty during nine months of imprisonment that included watching fellow believers executed. The Taliban’s interrogation methods combined physical torture with psychological warfare designed to break down Christian faith.
One day, commanders brought Hashir to a senior official who pressed a gun directly between his eyes. The ultimatum was simple: give up Christianity or die immediately. When Hashir refused and told the commander to pull the trigger if he wished, his captors declared him insane and released him. His escape to Pakistan with his sister’s family came only after the Taliban had killed her husband for his Christian faith.
You can listen to our Field Minister Rustam speak on what it’s like in Afghanistan and our friend Timothy, whose nearly lost his life at the hand of the Taliban, here.
5: Iraq: Where Ancient Christian Communities Disappear
Iraq’s Christian population has declined by more than 80% since 2003. They’re fleeing violence that has destroyed communities that traced their origins to the earliest Christian centuries. While ISIS received international attention for its persecution of Christians, the problems in Iraq began long before the extremist group’s rise and continue after its territorial defeat.
Various tribal militias founded on different sects of Islam, operate throughout Iraq with different levels of government connection. Many share a common hostility toward Christians. These groups view Christians as participants in Western culture, reasonable targets for extortion, and obstacles to establishing pure Islamic governance.
A Story from Our Team in Iraq:
When Zahra’s family discovered her Christian faith, her father used an iron stick to beat her and her husband. This wasn’t just anger about not sharing the same religious beliefs, it was a father’s rage at a daughter who had dared to go against her family.
The situation escalated to police involvement, and soon her husband dropped charges rather than face extended conflict with her family. Zahra decided to leave her husband and family and fled to another region that is traditionally more tolerant of Christians. Today, Zahra moves periodically to stay ahead of family members who view her Christian faith as ongoing betrayal that justifies violent abuse.
You can listen to our Field Minister Salam talk about a recent conference and stories with Iraqi Christians here.
Our Work in the Field
In the Islamic World, Christianity is seen as threat to generations of families and to the function of their governments. That’s why persecution often comes just as much from family members and neighbors as it does from government authorities.
Our Field Ministers continue working in these dangerous regions, providing emergency rescue services, medical care, safe housing, and long-term discipleship support. But beyond material assistance, these believers desperately need prayer support from fellow Christians.
When you join our Prayer Network, you become part of God’s protection over His people in the world’s most hostile regions. Your prayers create tangible results in these dangerous places, providing strength and supernatural intervention for believers who face daily threats because of their faith.
Join thousands of believers praying for our persecuted family. Sign up for weekly prayer updates from the field.