Libya

Where Persecution Comes From

For Christians in Libya, the two main causes of persecution are Islamic militant groups and organized crime. Christians in this country are a very small minority, and most are foreigners in search of work or a means of reaching Europe by crossing the Mediterranean. These Christian migrants (most come from sub-Saharan African countries) face substantial religious intolerance and racial prejudice. A state of anarchy and civil war in the country results in impunity for Islamic militants and organized criminal groups engaged in the persecution of Christian believers. The country also exerts a great deal of societal pressure, calling for family members to persecute converts from Muslim backgrounds.

How Christians are Suffering

Libyan Christians from Muslim backgrounds face extremely violent and intense persecution, constantly pressured by their families and the wider community to renounce their faith. Christian migrants from other parts of the continent are also targets of Islamic militant groups and organized criminal groups that kidnap and sometimes kill with shocking brutality. Believers who avoid violent persecution are still harassed and subjected to threats from radical Islamists. Christ-followers who publically express their faith or try to share the gospel face the risk of arrest and violence as well. Because no single central government exists to impose law and order in the country, most crimes against Christians go unpunished.

Examples

In June 2016, a Christian convert who had fled the country was lured back by her siblings, who told her that her mother was seriously ill. When she returned, they beat her and tried to force her to marry a Muslim religious leader, pressuring her to renounce Christianity. She barely managed to escape.

In November 2016, a Christian Libyan who shared his faith on social media was arrested in the city of Benghazi on charges of “proselytizing on social media and denigrating Islam.”