Churches are burnt down, pastors are abducted, and many Christians are killed.
bottom“You have brought real comfort to this community. It gave them hope. Your help has lifted them up spiritually. You can see it in their faces."
– Pastor Antonio, Mozambique
The rise of Islamist extremism in the north of the country, especially in regions such as Cabo Delgado, has had a devastating impact on the lives of believers. Churches have been burned down, pastors abducted, and many killed. The objective of these groups is to establish a strict Islamic state, and Christians are often targeted as symbols of resistance to this extremist ideology. In addition, Christians are often caught in the crossfire of the ongoing conflict between government forces and jihadist groups, making them even more vulnerable to violence and displacement.
Mozambique has also become a major hub for drug trafficking, with the presence of cartels contributing to a climate of lawlessness and violence, which indirectly affects the Christian community. Church youth workers are particularly at risk, as they are often seen as threats to the cartels for speaking out against these gangs and for seeking to protect potential ‘recruits”.
Converts from Islam or African traditional religions are vulnerable to persecution from within their own families. This can include divorce, forced marriage, loss of custody of children and disinheritance. And in the eastern Muslim-majority regions, Christian women and girls are required to comply with the Islamic dress code in all Muslim schools and communal areas.
Christians are most vulnerable in the northern Cabo Delgado province, where Islamic extremists are active.
The rising threat of Islamic extremism in Mozambique has made Christian women and girls acutely vulnerable to abduction, sexual violence, forced marriage and domestic slavery.
Mozambique also has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, with 53% of girls being married before the age of 18. This is often fuelled by low education and employment opportunities for women and girls.
– For courage for Christians living under the threat of attacks by Islamic extremists.
– That Christians facing pressure for their faith will hold onto Jesus.
– For wisdom for Open Doors partners as they encourage and strengthen the church.
Open Doors supports persecuted Christians in northern Mozambique by providing emergency aid, persecution survival training, and economic empowerment projects.
