JD Vance Visits Armenia in Historic First
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...
Middle East
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
Seeing God Move in MENA and Beyond
The Gospel at Work in Egypt (Gospel)
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 (Education)
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.
Christians Face Threats in Syria (Emergency Relief)
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.
Healing after ISIS in Iraq (Community Development)
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 (Education)
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.
Small Businesses (Community Development)
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
News in Middle East
Age of Concealment: How the Bible is Banned and Slandered
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...
What It’s Like to Become a Christian in Iran
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...
Turkey’s Christians Face the Future with Reasons for Hope, Caution
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...
Christians Respond to Protests in Iran
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...
Amid Nationwide Uprising, Iran’s Christians Are on Heightened Alert
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,...
Iran Makes Large Sums of Money Off the Backs of Persecuted Christians
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...
Pray and Stand with Iran’s Underground Church
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...
Finding the Biblical Context for the Story Unfolding in Iran
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...
Christian Convert in Iran Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison
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,...
Two Prisoners Released Following Prison-Letter Effort, More Behind Bars
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...
Millions of Christians Must Secretly Celebrate Christmas
December 19, 2025 ICC News — Each year, Christ followers worldwide eagerly anticipate Christmas, remembering and celebrating how their Savior entered the world. The story of Jesus’ arrival is read from the Scriptures and meditated upon;...
Five Iranian Christians Sentenced to Prison
December 19, 2025 ICC News — Five Iranian Christians were sentenced to an average of 10 years each in prison for “propaganda” and “collusion” for practices such as prayer and baptism, and for distributing Bibles and...
A Stable Christian Community in Lebanon is Vital for the Middle East
December 17, 2025 ICC News — Lebanon rarely garners headlines like other Middle East actors. It’s a relatively stable homeland. Yet the country hangs in the balance as a beacon of Christianity and stability amid growing...
Iranian Christian Prisoner Denied Medical Treatment After Spinal Fracture
November 13, 2025 ICC News — Iranian authorities on Oct. 31 denied proper medical treatment to prisoner Aida Najaflou, an Iranian Christian convert, after she fell and fractured her spine. Najaflou, who suffered from spinal disc...
Pastor Remains in Medical Unit of Kyrgyzstan Prison
November 3, 2025 ICC News — On Sept. 25, an imprisoned Kyrgyzstan pastor was transferred to the medical unit of the prison to receive treatment for injuries from his arrest 10 months earlier. The transfer delayed his court date to appeal his sentence. Pavel Shreider,...
ICC Report Highlights the Faith, Struggle of Armenians Displaced from Artsakh
November 3, 2025 ICC News — A new report by International Christian Concern (ICC) documents the continuing hardship and resilience of Armenia’s displaced Christian population nearly two years after the fall of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). “Hope and the Wandering Souls from...
Iranian Christian Convert Released from Prison
October 28, 2025 ICC News — Mina Khajavi, a 61-year-old Christian convert, was released from Iran’s Evin Prison on Oct. 20 after serving nearly two years in jail for activities related to her Christian faith. Khajavi,...
Türkiye Faces Legal Challenges for Deporting Christians
October 24, 2025 ICC News — Türkiye, formerly known as Turkey, is facing legal challenges after deporting foreign Christians and labeling them “national security threats.” Kenneth Wiest, an American Protestant, had lived in Türkiye with his...
Religious Registration Laws in the Middle East
October 16, 2025 — By Joseph Daniel, ICC Fellow I remember years ago when I filled out my first visa form in the Middle East, I paused at a line that startled me: “What...
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47+
Countries we serve in
2MILLION
Christians served in 2024
890K+
Victims assisted with long-term care
260K+
Christians provided Assistance, Advocacy, and Awareness