On August 13, Islamic terrorists of the “Allied Democratic Forces” disguised themselves as priests and choristers and attacked the village of Mayi Moya in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Three Christians were murdered and eight abducted; shops and homes were looted and burned to the ground. Pictured: South African soldiers from a UN peacekeeping force conduct a security patrol in May Moya, on May 5, 2020. (Photo by United Nations/MONUSCO via Flickr)

 

 

‘The Blasphemy Business’: The Persecution of Christians

by Raymond Ibrahim

 

The following are among the abuses and murders inflicted on Christians by Muslims throughout the month of August 2025.

The Muslim Slaughter of Christians

Mozambique and Democratic Republic of Congo: An Aug. 7 report highlights a series of brutal ISIS-affiliated massacres of Christians in both African nations.

In Mozambique, the Islamic State Mozambique Province (ISMP) released photos showing operatives raiding villages, burning a church and homes, and beheading Christians.

In Democratic Republic of Congo, at least 45 Christians were slaughtered. The images depict civilians’ corpses and desecrated churches and Christian homes. Discussing these, geopolitical analyst and former U.S. diplomat Alberto Miguel Fernandez said,

“What we see in Africa today is a kind of silent genocide or silent, brutal, savage war that is occurring in the shadows and all too often ignored by the international community… Christians are going to be targeted and destroyed…. [J]ihadist groups are in a position to take over not one, not two, but several countries in Africa – take over the whole country or most of several countries – is dangerous. It’s very dangerous for the national security of the United States let alone the security of the poor people who are there – Christians or Muslims or whoever they are… [The goal of these jihadist groups is] eliminating Christian communities… [Muslims are] given a choice: ‘either join us or you too will face killing and annihilation.’ Christians, of course, are not going to be asked to join. Christians are going to be targeted and destroyed.”

On Aug. 7, the Islamic State (ISIS) released a newsletter praising its “mujahideen” [jihadists] for targeting and slaughtering the Christians of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mozambique mentioned above, and urging followers to replicate these attacks in Europe. The editorial credits the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) for “firing up the flames of jihad” against Christians, bringing them “displacement, anguish, humiliation, and ruin.” It praises the massacres and beheadings of Christians inside churches, and attacks on Christian communities, all of which left “pools of blood.” It calls on its followers to offer Christians three choices: “If they refuse Islam and the jizyah tax, the third option is murder and displacement, which is what they have witnessed and suffered for years.” It glorifies centuries of Muslim conquest:

“Our conquering ancestors ruled with swords, advancing legions and leading the way, until they terrorized the nations of their time, who came to them willingly or unwillingly, surrendering and submissive. This is the truth, and anything beyond it is false. This is what the mujahideen of Africa adhere to, paying no heed to anything else.”

It concludes with a call to jihad on Europe:

“The hearts still ache for revenge against the Christians of Europe. The call is still open to the heroes of Islam to attack them again and invade them in their own backyards and implement the divine rulings against them as their brothers did in Africa, and Allah will surely support those who support Him.”

Democratic Republic of Congo: On Aug. 13, Islamic terrorists of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) disguised themselves as priests and choristers before attacking Mayi Moya village. Three Christians were murdered and eight abducted; shops and homes were looted and burned to the ground. According to a local church official,

“They came into our church and stole the robes of our priests and choir; they then put them on, posing as a delegation from another church. It was a devilish plan. To use the very symbols of worship to deceive and destroy is beyond evil. My heart breaks for those who trusted them, thinking they came in peace.”

Villagers welcomed the disguised attackers, singing and greeting them, unaware of the concealed guns beneath the robes until too late, said survivor Jean-Philip Mboosa:

“I thought initially that they genuinely were from a church. They greeted us with smiles and songs, and it looked so real. But when I went closer, I noticed guns hidden beneath the robes. That’s when my heart sank. I knew we had been tricked. I walked quietly back and then ran into the bush, praying God would protect me.”

Mourning her cousin’s death, Mary Kavora, added while weeping,

“They were dressed in priestly robes and everyone in the village believed they were holy men. Who would ever doubt people dressed as servants of God? My cousin followed them while singing, thinking it was worship. He never came back. It feels like faith itself was used against us.”

Nigeria: Below are some of the more notable incidents of the ongoing genocide being carried out against Christians in Nigeria:

Between Aug. 1-5, Muslim Fulani herdsmen slaughtered at least nine people in a string of attacks on Christian farming villages in Benue State. According to the report,

“[the] attacks are part of a broader pattern of violence against Christians in Nigeria…. As of Aug. 6, there have been no official arrests in connection with the attacks…. Christian leaders and local civil society organizations have repeatedly called on the Nigerian federal government to strengthen security, investigate the attacks thoroughly, and bring perpetrators to justice.”

On Aug. 5, Muslim Fulani herdsmen attacked Christian communities in the Middle Belt, killing at least 17 Christians, torching entire villages, and displacing hundreds. Fourteen of those Christians were, according to locals,

“returning from the weekly market in Bokkos town when their vehicle was ambushed. Victims included women and little babies…. This is too much. We can’t continue to bury children and the elderly. The government must act decisively to end these killings of Christians.”

A total of 70 Christians have been slaughtered in this region during the last three months. Analysts warn the attacks are part of a wider Islamist campaign, and that the Fulani “adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity.”

In two attacks in Borno State in late August, Boko Haram militants killed eight Christians, some while farming, others asleep in their homes. They also torched dozens of Christian homes. According to a representative of Borno South,

“Our people, whose only pursuit is peace and livelihood, continue to fall victim to the cruelty of insurgents. These men and women deserved to live, to farm and to dream, but their lives have been cut short by those who thrive on violence and destruction.”

On Aug. 24, armed Fulani herdsmen killed two Christians in Benue State, after the slaughter of five others earlier in the month. According to one local,

“All seven Christians were killed in Guma County, the same area where as many as 200 Christians were slain in attacks on June 13-14 in Yelwata village… The herdsmen chased and shot at farmers as if they were animals.”

On Aug. 24, the Muslim herdsmen slaughtered seven Christians, including a one-year-old infant, in Angwan Rimi village in Kaduna state.

On Aug. 27, Fulani herdsmen killed a Christian farmer and wounded three others in Tafawa Balewa County. According to a local source,

“One of the Christian women, Naomi Sabo, was [also] cut on her hand with a machete, and her teenage son was cut with a machete. A third victim, another Christian woman, had her ear cut off by the herdsman.”

The report adds that,

“Jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and the splinter group Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), among others, are also active in the country’s northern states, where federal government control is scant and Christians and their communities continue to be the targets of raids, sexual violence, and roadblock killings…. Abductions for ransom have increased considerably in recent years.”

On Aug. 28, a pastor of the Evangelical Church Winning All in Kwara state was abducted from his pastorium.

Uganda: On Aug. 19, a former Muslim convert to Christianity was lured to his death. Mohammed Nagi, 38, father of five children aged 4 to 15, was murdered after a Muslim friend, Rajabu, promised him work. Nagi and his family had embraced the Christian faith on March 2. Two weeks later, they began attending church, but a relative and his Muslim friend, Rajabu, discovered them near the worship site and began questioning them. “We did not respond,” said Nusula, Nagi’s wife; “we decided to start attending another church.” By July, rumors spread of their new church attendance. Rajabu confronted Nagi about missing mosque prayers, and family members warned him that he was

“deserving to be killed, because ever since the creation of this world, they have never seen anybody becoming a Christian in the family and could not understand why anyone should forsake the true religion of Islam that came directly from heaven through prophet Muhammad.”

On the evening of Aug. 19, Nagi received a call from Rajabu, promising him a job. According to his widow,

“He persuaded him that phone conversation was not enough…he left immediately in order to secure the work…. We waited and waited as time started moving towards midnight. I tried to reach him on phone, but all was in vain. In the morning, a neighbor, Naisu Isima, saw my husband dead at around 6 a.m. and called me by phone.”

According to police,

“The body of the deceased was found with physical injuries on the head and was also dragged on a muddy road a distance of 20 meters. There were no signs of strangling.”

Muslim Attacks on Christian Churches

Spain: On Aug. 17, a Muslim man entered the church of Albunol in Andalusia, broke a stained-glass window and damaged sacred objects before setting the church on fire. Some parishioners and responders were injured while intervening. Authorities arrested the suspect, a Moroccan reportedly suffering from “mental illness.” The Archdiocese of Granada condemned the act, stating it “seriously harmed the most sacred aspect of Christian worship and the religious feelings of the majority of its inhabitants.” The Union of Islamic Communities of Andalusia also responded:

“We wish to emphasize that this act is completely contrary to human and Islamic values, as well as to the principles of respect and coexistence between religions. We reiterate that this is an isolated incident that in no way represents the Muslim community of Andalusia, whose daily life takes place in a climate of peace, respect, and collaboration.”

Italy: According to a late August report, a group of “young people,” many of whom appeared to be “foreign delinquents,” are vandalizing and even “besieging” the church of Santa Franca, a district of Piacenza in Emilia-Romagna. “I’m going to burn this church,” one of them threatened its priest, Don Maurizio Noberini. “I’ll come here with a can of gasoline and burn everything.”

Separately, on Sunday, Aug. 24, human excrement was smeared on the outer walls of the historic church of Sant’ Antonio al Seggio in Aversa. The incident, described as “intolerable” by the local community group Aversa Francescana, sparked outrage on social media.” Smearing fecal matter on churches has a long Islamic pedigree.

Ghana: In mid-August, “feces were strewn throughout” a church, “an act of vandalism that is unusual in the region and has shocked people.” A Christian majority nation, about 20 percent of Ghana is Islamic.

Syria: On Aug. 21, Syrian Culture Minister Mohammed Saleh appeared in a video attending the historic Greek Orthodox Church of St. Ananias in Damascus accompanied by Islamic chanter Al-Mu’tasim Billah Al-Assali who performed an Islamic chant that referred to Christ as “a creation” that came “bearing good news of Mohammad,” directly contradicting core Christian beliefs. The footage drew widespread backlash from Christians, who saw it as an unnecessary provocation in a sacred space.

Egypt: According to a late August Arabic report, an ongoing crisis surrounding the historic Church of the Virgin Mary in Rashid, Beheira Governorate, erupted again—this time with straightforward attempts to obliterate what remains of the monument. Sons of a criminal court counselor—behaving more like the sons of a mobster—attempted to demolish the remaining structures of the nineteenth-century Christian monument. Their objective was apparently to erase the church’s identity before an anticipated government inspection. The attempt was halted only after police intervened. The assault was revealed by Father Luka Asaad, who described it as “an attempt to erase the church’s historical identity before the litigation stages were completed.” For documenting the destruction, he was beaten, dragged from the premises, and robbed of his phone. The Rashid church—once a Greek church but later entrusted to the Coptic Orthodox—has faced systematic dismantling since 2009, including the loss of its bell tower and large portions of its structure. In August 2025, local authorities also demolished the protective wall of the adjacent Coptic cemetery, despite a valid construction license.

Indonesia: On Aug. 2, officials and Muslim clerics closed the Immanuel prayer house of Bethel Tabernacle Church, expelled evangelist Dani Natanael and his son, and indefinitely halted all Christian activities. Authorities justified their actions by citing the lack of a worship building permit. Pastor Yahya Sukma condemned the eviction. He called it a violation of human rights, and indicated the true source of the closure: Dani and his son were taken late at night to a hotel “to avoid an attack” by protesting Muslims. Twenty local Christian communities were left without a house of worship. Some in those communities are now forced to travel three hours to attend services. Advocates for religious freedom highlighted that praying at home does not require a permit under national law, thereby making the closure legally questionable.

In a separate incident, according to an Aug. 8 report, the GKJW church in Mojoroto, East Java, was forced to halt construction despite meeting all of the permit requirements. The congregation had secured approval from more than 200 members and 65 residents—exceeding the necessary threshold—but local authorities and opponents blocked its progress nevertheless. According to Rev. Puput Yuniatmoko,

“The culmination of the efforts to stop the construction took place on Sunday, July 27, 2025. The construction committee was subjected to a mass lynching by government officials and residents, incited by irresponsible individuals.”

As some Muslims insisted that the committee restart the permit process, mediation sessions involving the city, local religious leaders, and the Interfaith Harmony Forum all failed.

Azerbaijan: On Aug. 14, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met at the White House to sign a joint declaration intended to promote stability and economic cooperation. Hailed internationally, human rights groups warn that

“While the language of the draft agreement is general in nature, it mentions combating intolerance, racism, and violent extremism. Absent from the list of vices to be countered was religious persecution and ethnic cleansing — longstanding practices of the totalitarian Azerbaijan regime. Also absent from the draft agreement is any commitment to protecting the centuries-old Christian heritage sites captured by Azerbaijan in 2023. Many have experienced significant damage and even been destroyed…. **** While the agreement would commit the countries to ‘addressing’ cases of missing persons and enforced disappearances — possibly a reference to the many Armenian hostages still held by Azerbaijan — the agreement falls short of a commitment to their full return, which rights activists have long demanded.”

According to one analyst,

“Azerbaijan received a major concession in the corridor to Nakhchivan, and in return only had to extend the vaguest of assurances regarding Armenia’s territorial sovereignty. What does Armenia have left on the bargaining table to ensure that its citizens are returned and its heritage sites are preserved?”

Sudan: On Aug. 14, police disrupted a funeral prayer meeting inside a church, arresting five South Sudanese Christians, including a pastor. Authorities reportedly targeted the Christians as foreigners, although they have not been charged or informed of deportation plans. Church leaders said that South Sudanese Christians now live in constant fear, staying indoors to avoid raids, as police reportedly go door to door detaining South Sudanese and Ethiopian nationals. One female detainee was told she must pay 600,000 Sudanese Pounds ($995) — a fine perceived as a bribe — or risk six months in jail. The area is a stronghold of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which, along with its opponent, the Sudanese Armed Forces, attack churches, Christian homes, and businesses with impunity amid civil war that erupted in April 2023. A separate report highlights Sudan’s continuing persecution: “Christians of all backgrounds are trapped in the chaos…Churches are shelled, looted and occupied by the warring parties.”

Greece: According to an Aug. 22 report,

“Police authorities in Thessaloniki have arrested a 43-year-old Palestinian man who raped a 14-year-old girl with mental retardation! According to what the minor reported to the police, along with her mother, the acts took place outside a church… A case was filed against him for rape, abuse of an incapacitated person to resist a sexual act, and sexual act with or in front of minors.”

General Muslim Abuse of Christians

Somalia: According to an Aug. 19 report, since Aug. 6, Muslim relatives have kept a Christian mother and her infant daughter locked up in a room, where she is periodically beaten in an effort to get her to renounce Christ and return to Islam. In a phone conversation, Fatuma Hassan, 28, said,

“My child has grown very thin for lack of enough food. My child is unwanted in the family, who say, ‘Throw away this bastard kid born of an infidel – we want you back, but not the child who deserves no right to live.’ I am always crying for my baby and hope one day I will escape this terrible ordeal to attain my peace and freedom…. My family and relatives have sworn that they will not allow me to see the good sunshine until I surrender my Christian faith and return back to Islam. But I am praying for God’s intervention to escape and to join my husband once again. More so I need prayers from Christians.”

Soon after converting, she left her family home in March 2024 and married a Christian. She managed to remain hidden until Aug. 6, 2025, when six relatives charged into her home. “One relative slapped her while another dashed outside, returning with a stick and beating her,” her husband said. “My wife started screaming. I escaped through the rear window. After three days, she called me saying she is back with her people but locked in a dark room.”

A separate Aug. 16 report elaborates on how Christians in Somalia live under constant threat of violence, persecution, and death at the hands of Islamic militants. Being known as a Christian—especially a convert from Islam—”is viewed as an act of betrayal by both militant groups and local communities, forcing believers to abandon their homes, families, and identities.” Underground believers face severe restrictions: churches cannot exist openly, worship must be hidden, and even basic fellowship carries mortal danger. Militants, including al-Shabab, have attacked Christian farms, burned homes, and targeted families for execution or abduction.”

Pakistan: Minority prisoners, especially Christians, endure systematic abuse in Pakistani jails, a study released Aug. 15 by the National Commission for Justice and Peace found. According to one quoted prisoner, Zakria John:

“During detention, we were forced to drink water from Lotas [vessels typically used in toilets]. One person would open their mouth while another poured water through the same vessel.”

His prison provided only six plates for 100 inmates:

“We took turns eating from these limited utensils. Initially, we were confined to a room previously used for tuberculosis patients, with used syringes scattered throughout. We remained in these conditions for three months. A worker occasionally provided us with soap fragments, though he faced questioning when discovered. After using the toilet, we often had to clean our hands by rubbing them against the wall.”

After three months they were finally allowed visits from family, who brought plates, soap and other essential items:

“Later, fellow inmates informed us that soap, blankets and other necessities were supposed to be provided by the jail administration. However, we were systematically denied these basic provisions.”

According to the report,

“Once the religious identity of prisoners becomes public, officials treat Christian and Hindu inmates poorly, assigning them menial tasks and refraining from offering them the remission in sentences that are offered to Muslims.”

Separately, according to an Aug. 4 report,

“Nabeel Masih, a 25-year-old Christian from Lahore, died on July 31 after years of neglect, abuse, and lack of crucial medical care. At 16, while living in Dina Nath, Kasur, Masih was accused by a man named Akhtar Ali of posting a blasphemous image on Facebook — allegedly insulting the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site. Police quickly arrested Masih under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, often misused and criticized as unfair. Police had the image removed to prevent unrest, erasing the only evidence that could prove whether Masih had posted it. In 2018, Masih was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to 10 years, becoming the youngest person ever convicted under these laws in Pakistan. He spent four years in prison, mostly in solitary confinement, facing fear, threats, and mental distress [until he died].”

On Aug. 10, ahead of Pakistan’s National Minorities Day, human rights advocates warned of rising persecution of Christians and other religious minorities. Activist Samson Salamat told a Lahore forum:

“We demand the government constitute a judicial inquiry commission to investigate the ‘blasphemy business group’ and similar gangs entrapping innocent people in blasphemy cases, and to reveal the truth behind all the incidents of violence on Christians from the burning of Shantinagar in 1997 to Jaranwala tragedy in August 2023 and mob lynching of Nazeer Masih Gill in Sargodha in May 2024.”

Participants called for punitive action against Muslim extremist groups and removal of hate content from school curricula. Christian rights advocate Luke Victor said,

“Even after 78 years of independence, we don’t feel free because our young daughters are forcefully converted and married off, because our children don’t get equal chances and because we are looked down upon. We want freedom from discrimination and freedom from being called ‘Chuhra‘ or ‘Bhangi‘ [pejorative terms used against Christians]. We are all equal citizens of this country.”

Separately, according to an Aug. 25 report,

“A Christian girl rescued from a Muslim … who abducted her said he forcibly converted her, sexually assaulted her as part of a sham Islamic marriage and forced her into prostitution. The forced prostitution resulted in serious health issues for the 16-year-old girl, whose name is withheld as a rape victim.”

Malaysia: An Aug. 27 report highlights the nation’s ongoing Islamization (referred to as “dakwah”) since the late 1960s, and how it specifically targets Christian youth. For example,

“In Sabah, once a secular stronghold, federal mandates have imposed Islamic curricula and dakwah campaigns targeting indigenous communities, eroding Christian-majority traditions. Notably, Christian youth are being converted in large numbers through these educational initiatives, which prioritize Islamic teachings over religious diversity.”

Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West, Sword and Scimitar, Crucified Again, and The Al Qaeda Reader, is the Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

About this Series

While not all, or even most, Muslims are involved, persecution of Christians by extremists is growing. The report posits that such persecution is not random but rather systematic, and takes place irrespective of language, ethnicity, or location. It includes incidents that take place during, or are reported on, any given month.

Previous reports

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