Throughout the Middle East and North Africa, Christians are heavily persecuted in a region where the church once thrived.
Many Middle Eastern countries, particularly theocracies like Iran, have laws and policies that restrict Christian practices and discriminate against believers. These can limit church construction and criminalize conversions to the faith. Social prejudices against Christians exist in many Muslim-majority nations. This often leads to discrimination, isolation, and violence against Christians. Radical Islamic groups further threaten Christians, with attacks on churches and violence against believers. ICC’s 2025 Global Persecution Index covered persecution trends in Azerbaijan, Egypt, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.
Amid the persecution, Christians in the MENA region faithfully follow Jesus and love their enemies. Read the latest news and project updates below.
Our Efforts
Despite economic and physical challenges, ICC church partners in Egypt continue to grow the flock in Jesus’ name. ICC grants help relocate new Christian converts who face danger and fund business opportunities for those who experience persecution.
Hope House programs are a lifeline for underprivileged Christians under age 18 facing persecution. Tailored to each country’s needs, they provide access to education, as a primary means of learning or through after-school support. More than academics, Hope House creates a safe, nurturing space where children can heal, grow, and build a future filled with hope.
Since the Syrian government collapsed to opposition groups in November 2024, Christians have been in danger. The fall of Aleppo and Homs displaced many, and the new government has shown a lack of willingness to protect religious minorities. ICC supplies medical aid, necessities, trauma training, and more.
In areas decimated by ISIS, families still struggle to recover nearly a decade later. ICC has worked tirelessly to help survivors rebuild their lives, from providing food and medical care to restoring homes and offering trauma counseling. We’ve helped families rebuild their businesses, sent children back to school, and supported local churches.
Generation Transformation (GT) equips the next generation of Christian leaders to rise above persecution. Through fully funded college and vocational training, GT empowers underprivileged students and young professionals.
ICC equips persecuted Christians in MENA with small business grants, restoring dignity, independence, and long-term sustainability. Many recipients have lost everything for choosing to follow Christ. These grants help them launch or expand businesses in fields like tailoring, farming, and carpentry, creating generational impact through economic sustainability.
Read more inspiring testimonies of faith
March 10, 2026 ICC News — By Lisa Navarrette, ICC Fellow Economic persecution rarely operates in isolation. It is sustained, protected, and often legitimized by legal systems. These systems quietly encourage discrimination to continue unchecked. When...
February 25, 2026 ICC News — The Islamic State terror group has launched an unusual series of attacks in Syria during the last week, part of what it calls a “new phase of operations” against the...
February 25, 2026 ICC News — Like you, we have been closely following the delicate situation in Iran during the past month. Reports on the number of protesters killed vary from 7,000 to more than 30,000,...
February 24, 2026 ICC News — According to U.S. intelligence sources cited by The Wall Street Journal, about 15,000 to 20,000 family members of Islamic State fighters have escaped Syria’s Al-Hol refugee camp, where many have...
February 20, 2026 ICC News — On Jan. 8, millions of citizens took to the streets at about 4,000 different locations across Iran to protest the Islamic regime, resulting in the largest protest and the most violent government crackdown since protests began on Dec. 28. ...
February 20, 2026 ICC News — According to a report released on Feb. 19 titled “Scapegoats: Rights Violations Against Christians in Iran,” Christians in Iran cumulatively received a total of more than 280 years in prison...
February 18, 2026 ICC News — Armenian prosecutors have opened a criminal case against the country’s highest religious figure, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. In addition to the criminal charges, the Catholicos was also banned...
February 17, 2026 ICC News — In recent months, at least 20 Yemeni Christians have been arrested for the crime of following Christ. Taken from their homes or detained on the streets, these believers are accused...
February 16, 2026 ICC News — Egyptian ID cards clearly list a person's religion. And to prevent jihadist bombings, many churches in Egypt tend to require that unfamiliar visitors show an ID card before gaining entry....
February 10, 2026 ICC News — U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Armenia on Monday, a country no sitting U.S. president or vice president has visited. Vance’s trip to Yerevan follows a trip to Italy...
February 5, 2026 ICC News — A concerted effort to rewrite, slander, or outright ban the Bible is happening around the globe. Some attacks are fully exposed and out in the open, while others are more...
February 2, 2026 ICC News — Recent uprisings, violent crackdowns, and escalating tensions with the U.S. have brought added international attention to Iran, a nation of 93 million people, most of whom are Shia Muslim. Though...
January 28, 2026 ICC News — At the crossroads of East and West, Turkey, also known as Türkiye, is a secular state and a country many would consider at least semi-Western. And yet few places on...
January 23, 2026 ICC News — The protest against Iran’s collapsing economy quickly escalated, turning into a nationwide revolt against the country’s authoritarian rule. Since Dec. 28, tens of thousands of citizens have taken to the...
January 22, 2026 ICC News — Iran has just seen several weeks of lethal turmoil, the most severe since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that forever changed the country and, for that matter, the world. That revolution,...
January 22, 2026 ICC News — Iran has an open secret. Persecuting Christians is a booming business in the Muslim-majority nation, and the country is earning large sums of money from arresting Christ followers. Fines and...
January 13, 2026 ICC News — I write to you today with deep urgency as history unfolds in Iran. As nationwide protests for freedom intensify — with death toll reports climbing from the hundreds into the...
January 13, 2026 ICC News — As events unfold in Iran and the nation once again faces unrest, violence, and uncertainty, many believers are asking where God is at work — and how the Church should pray in...
January 8, 2026 ICC News — Nayereh Arjaneh, a Christian convert living in Iran, began serving a five-year prison term on Dec. 23 because of her faith. Christian converts are often targets of imprisonment, false accusations,...
December 22, 2025 ICC News — More than 300 faithful writers took time out of their busy schedules to share the love of Christ and pen letters of encouragement to global prisoners this year. By God’s grace, it made a difference. Most of the prisoners who were...
