ICR seeks to address the needs of persecuted children in ways that are appropriate in each context. Helping children often involves education. Part of this is simply so they don’t fall behind in school due to displacement or war, but another reason why this support is...

Persecuted Christians will suffer under an Islamist rule in Syria. Christians look to the future with trepidation.

PERSECUTION AFFECTS CHILDREN. And it’s usually because of their parents’ choice to follow Christ rather than something they chose themselves. This suffering can cause deep trauma. The children of persecuted Christians may lose homes, family relationships, and even future opportunities when they miss years of school or when their families lose jobs.

As another conflict brews in Syria, ICR workers already saw how difficult life there was. Another war will only make things worse. A recent study by the Central Bureau of Statistics in Syria showed that most Syrians live on one meal per day. According to the study,...

“Hello, I am Halil*. I was born in a Muslim family. The first time I had a seizure was on the morning of June 1, 2020, during the pandemic. I was on my way to the bathroom when I fell and lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes, there were paramedics around me. They...

Yerik was ready to face his family. He wanted to marry Rebecca, a woman he met at his church in Istanbul, Turkey. They had both prayed about marriage and were convinced it was God’s will for them. Yerik knew his devout Muslim family would want an elaborate Islamic...

Although Turkey was the home of the early Christian church, it is now more than 96% Muslim. In recent years, it has been a difficult place to make disciples of Christ because of an Islamist government and strong anti-Christian propaganda throughout society. However,...

I'm Oğuzhan*. I am 29, and I am from Turkey. At first, I was a person who prayed to the wrong god. Then I began to question the false prophet in whom I had put my faith. When I realized that Allah was not answering my prayers, I decided to break with him and go my own...

There are two Chinas: the one where people smile on the outside and are “free,” and the other where the government closely watches everything its citizens say and so. Christians risk persecution to live out their faith without restrictions.

Surveillance in China is intense. Video cameras with facial recognition technology monitor everyone, inside and outside. As an ICR field worker walked down the street in a major city, he watched the cameras turn to follow him. Inside high-rise apartment buildings,...

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, persecution against Christians in Uzbekistan was intense for several decades. But today, that’s less of a focus for the government. Instead, those who decide to follow Jesus encounter trouble from their families, friends, and...

Most people in Uzbekistan are Muslim, though they are not necessarily devout. Being Muslim is sometimes more of an identity than a religion.   One young man, Davron, was a heavy drinker. His mother, however, was a believer. She prayed for him all the time and often...

Christians in Uzbekistan face persecution not from the government, but from friends, family, and society. And it can be more painful.

It’s not illegal to be a Christian in Uzbekistan. The president declared that as a secular state, Uzbekistan would not make laws about religion. However, the government has not approved registrations for any church buildings since 2022 and only about 30 churches have...

Christians in Gaza continue to suffer the effects of the ongoing war. The brutal conflict has ravaged the region, leaving many without homes, food, or clean water. As the infrastructure collapses, the need for immediate humanitarian aid has become critical. “Many...

“Carrying the Bible is like a death sentence,” believers in Chhattisgarh, India, told their pastor. AFTER HINDU RADICALS FORCED CHRISTIANS to close their church, Christians gathered in each other’s homes for prayer and worship.  But the radicals figured out what they...

More than a year after massive riots in the Manipur area of India, more than 60,000 Christians remain homeless. The violence that began in May 2023 continued sporadically throughout the rest of the year. Meanwhile, authorities did little to resolve the situation.  And...

“Hello, I’m Heidar,” the voice on the phone said. “I’m a 19-year-old shepherd in Iran. I’ve been listening to your channel. Can you tell me more about this Jesus of yours?” You might picture a call center full of people offering tech support. But the call center...

“Iran happens to be one of the most complicated, problematic regions across the Middle East,” an ICR partner from Iran said. But God is not hampered by political problems. For at least the last 10 years, Iran has also had one of the fastest growing churches among...

Sister N. was anxious. There was nothing left for her or her three children to eat in their house in southeastern Afghanistan. Meanwhile, her husband was in hiding in another province. One of her husband’s coworkers suspected he was a Christian and told him he was...