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| Score: | 64/ 100 |
| Region: | Africa |
| Persecution Type: | Islamic oppression |
| Persecution Level: | Very High |
| Population: | 11,783,000 |
| Christians: | 23,300 |
| Main Religion: | Islam |
| Government: | Parliamentary republic |
| Leader: | President Kais Saied |
| Violence | 32% | |
| Church Life | 74% | |
| National Life | 65% | |
| Community Life | 62% | |
| Family Life | 77% | |
| Private Life | 72% |
Tunisian believers all come from Muslim backgrounds. For Christians in North African country, persecution comes in various forms, including targeted discrimination that is often hidden from public view yet affects believers’ daily lives. Many Christians experience job insecurity, family abandonment, and verbal, mental and physical abuse—making it dangerous to share their faith with family members, neighbors, friends or colleagues. As a result, most converts to Christianity choose to hide their faith and cannot openly worship and live their lives as Christians.
Converts from Islam to Christianity have most to fear from their own family members and society. This is especially true in Tunisia’s southern region, where violent radical Islamic groups are particularly active. These groups will target any Christian, whether foreign of national, if the opportunity arises.
Christian converts, especially women, are not likely to be treated equally in court, especially in an issue involving family law. They are also vulnerable to abuse, because their families can, in some cases, act against them with impunity, especially in rural areas. Women who convert from Islam suffer unprotected in North Africa. In the Muslim culture, a woman born into a Muslim family who becomes a follower of Jesus is thought to bring shame on her whole family because she isn’t following the path of her ancestors. There are cases of converts being locked up in their houses by their own families.
Church facilities and buildings are monitored, under the guise of security reasons but also for the purpose of the government’s surveillance.
During the reporting period, some foreign Christians were detained and interrogated for possessing Christian literature. They were accused of proselytization.
Several Christians, especially female converts, had to relocate inside the country due to pressure and threats from their families. Reportedly, several Christian converts were physically and/or sexually abused.
In-depth research for Open Doors' 2020 World Watch List shows that at least eight Christians, largely in Sub-Saharan Africa, die at the hands of persecutors (extremists, family members and state authorities) each day. Read More
Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, Christians are being held, feet to the flames, and told to deny Christ. Read More
Around the world, Increasing numbers of Christian women are doubly vulnerability to persecution—for both their faith and their gender. Read More
Tunisia
