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...

After two decades of fighting, the US withdrew from Afghanistan in 2020 and the Taliban seized control on Aug. 15, 2021. More than two years of extremist rule has resulted in national food insecurity and more than 2 million internally displaced people. The national...

Omar must have looked over his shoulder 30 times. He was terrified that someone would see what he was watching: a video he’d come across on the internet. It was called, “The Qu’ran is NOT the Word of God.” After Omar returned to work, he couldn’t get the words of the...

Moroccan Christians anticipate a season of greater openness. Although Christians are closely monitored, they have little to fear from the authorities. Persecution comes from strict Muslim family members, Muslim society, or the local mosque. There are only three topics...

The three women entered the Tunisian church shortly before worship. Speaking Arabic, they asked if they could join the service. The church members assumed they were Tunisians who were interested in Christianity, and they welcomed them. But as they chatted, the...

Social media is helping bring the gospel to northern Africa.  It has led the younger generation to be open to faith in Christ. Christians can actively engage others on social media and lead them toward Jesus. “This is a big opportunity, and this is happening,” an ICR...

Ten years ago, ICR director Joe and an Egyptian ministry partner had reason to celebrate: seven Muslims had decided to leave Islam and follow Jesus in the previous 12 months. “It used to be that when one Muslim came to faith, it was a miracle,” Joe said. Though it is...

One of ICR’s main functions in the U.S. is to share stories of our persecuted brothers and sisters. Through five meetings for ICR Ambassadors hosted in churches and homes, three conferences and a dinner, Christians have gathered to learn about what their brothers and...