by Raymond Ibrahim
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.
"They want everyone to learn Islam, and... there are those who refuse, and they get killed." — A survivor, persecution.org, January 22, 2026, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"How can we understand that fighters have been operating freely for over two weeks in the same area, attacking village after village, without any effective response from the security forces?... The population feels abandoned to its fate, exposed to massacres while official speeches multiply without any visible action on the ground." — barnabasaid.org, January 27, 2026, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"The night I was abducted, they killed my mother and kidnapped my older sister and me. The slightest mistakes are severely punished. For women, they kill their children and throw them into a hole. They would send me to kill people on my own, and when I refused, I was whipped all over my body." — persecution.org, January 22, 2026, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"I was raped by four men successively. I couldn't handle the pain of four men abusing me successively. I was wounded terribly, my body was deformed." — Esther, age 11, persecution.org, January 22, 2026, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
ADF uses abduction, forced conversion to Islam, gang rape, and child soldier recruitment as a deliberate strategy to terrorize and reduce the Christian population in eastern Congo. — persecution.org, January 22, 2026, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"Those victims did not pursue legal action, which appears to have emboldened him. He showed no hesitation before attempting to burn Morris alive." — Rakha, morningstarnews.org, January 29, 2026, Pakistan.
"The girl was forced to record a statement claiming she had willingly converted to Islam and married Ahmad. She also falsely stated that she was an adult, despite official documentary evidence proving that she is a minor [13] and below the legal age of marriage under provincial child marriage laws, which prohibit the marriage of girls under 16." — Rana Abdul Hameed, lawyer for the family of Maria Shahbaz, morningstarnews.org, January 15, 2016, Pakistan.
On Jan. 1, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) "released an image of one of the Christian villages in Adamawa State burning, alongside a statement saying that all Christians in Nigeria are legitimate targets, and they have an opportunity to 'spare their blood' by converting to Islam or paying the jizyah tax to ISWAP." — dailypost.ng, January 1, 2026, Nigeria.
"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." — persecution.org, January 22, 2026.
There were many other attacks on churches throughout Italy in the month of January—including fecal smearing and statue beheadings.
The following are among the murders and abuses Muslims inflicted on Christians throughout the month of January 2026.
The Muslim Slaughter of Christians
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): On Jan. 2, the Allied Democratic Forces, which is linked to the Islamic State, attacked three villages in the Christian-majority nation, killing at least 14.
On Jan. 24, Islamic State fighters beheaded five Christians in the village of Musenge, Lubero District. The terrorists celebrated the killings on social media, declaring "Praise be to God [Allah]" for the beheadings of the five Christians. In the same attack, Islamic terrorists burned down a church building, a health center, and 63 homes — nearly the entire village. At least 25 civilians were murdered in the assault. A local community leader asked a question on everyone's mind:
"How can we understand that fighters have been operating freely for over two weeks in the same area, attacking village after village, without any effective response from the security forces?... The population feels abandoned to its fate, exposed to massacres while official speeches multiply without any visible action on the ground."
Since December 2024, Islamic State terrorists have claimed the murder of more than 800 Christians in northeastern DRC.
According to a Jan. 22 report, in 2025, the Islamic-linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) intensified their terror against Christian communities by deliberately targeting children. Militants raid Christian villages, kill parents in front of their children, and abduct boys and girls. Captured children are taken to ADF base camps where they are forced to convert to Islam or be killed. A survivor explained the ADF's demand:
"They want everyone to learn Islam, and ... there are those who refuse, and they get killed."
One boy said:
"The night I was abducted, they killed my mother and kidnapped my older sister and me. The slightest mistakes are severely punished. For women, they kill their children and throw them into a hole. They would send me to kill people on my own, and when I refused, I was whipped all over my body."
Eleven-year-old Esther described her ordeal:
"I was raped by four men successively. I couldn't handle the pain of four men abusing me successively. I was wounded terribly, my body was deformed."
According to James Elder:
"During the most intense phase of 2025's conflict in Eastern DRC, a child was raped every 30 minutes. We're not talking about isolated incidents. We are talking about a systemic crisis. We are seeing survivors as young as toddlers. It's a weapon of war and a deliberate tactic of terror."
Gynecologist Denis Mukwege said:
"Congo is experiencing the most difficult and gruesome moment in its history. Today, our children are being massacred, our women are being killed, raped, or raped and then killed. It is one of the most dramatic crises our country has ever experienced."
According to the report, ADF uses abduction, forced conversion to Islam, gang rape, and child soldier recruitment as a deliberate strategy to terrorize and reduce the Christian population in eastern Congo. Many surviving children carry deep trauma, guilt over crimes they were forced to commit, and lifelong physical and psychological scars.
Nigeria: Some of the murders and atrocities Muslims committed against Christians follow:
On Jan. 3, Islamic terrorists attacked a market in Kasuwan Daji, massacring more than 50 people, including a pastor. According to an eyewitness, the terrorists "pursued him [Reverend Ishaya Bamayi] after identifying him as a Christian leader and killed him. Bamayi is survived by his wife, who, residents said, collapsed after receiving news of his death and remains ill, and their five children." The report adds:
"The attack occurred in broad daylight at the busy rural market, which draws traders and farmers from surrounding villages. Survivors said the gunmen arrived in groups on motorcycles, opening fire indiscriminately and chasing people through market stalls and nearby farmlands. Several witnesses reported seeing people shot at close range, while others were abducted and forced onto motorcycles....As night fell, families searched for missing relatives while others gathered the bodies of those killed. On Sunday morning, burials took place as survivors counted the dead and awaited news of those abducted."
On Jan. 5, James Jatau, a Christian ruler and village head of Hurra in Bassa Local Government Area, Plateau State was ambushed and killed by Muslim Fulani herdsmen, as he returned home from a community gathering.
On Jan. 10, Muslim Fulani "attacked and burned down" four Christian majority villages, according to local resident, Orlaer William:
"Ten Christians have been killed, this I can confirm. The Fulani militias are still launching more attacks in other nearby Christian villages as I send this message to you this morning, Sunday.... No intervention from security services yet, and the Christian victims are left at the mercy of God."
"When are we going to have peace in Taraba state?" lamented another local, Emmanuel. "Oh God, have mercy on us!"
Between Jan. 1-9, 2026, Muslim Fulani herdsmen killed at least 12 Christians in multiple ambushes across Plateau State. The worst atrocity occurred on Jan. 1 in Chugwi village, where armed militants slaughtered seven Christians at midnight while they were celebrating the New Year. The Muslims randomly stabbed to death other Christians in what were described as "brutal and senseless attacks." A local youth council statement condemned the "wicked" murder of "harmless citizens" and the "continuous targeting of innocent lives."
Between Jan. 5-12, Fulani herdsmen killed a total of 13 Christians in Benue State. First, on Jan. 5 and into 6, the Muslim herdsmen killed nine Christians in Kwande and Guma counties. Then, On Jan. 12, armed Fulani herdsmen attacked Otobi Akpa village at midnight and shot dead four Christians while they slept in their homes. Dozens more remain missing. "The herdsmen's pattern of violence includes, attacking mourners, ambushing farmers, and inflicting machete cut wounds on Christian victims," said one resident. Others described the killings as part of "deliberate and systematic attacks against Christians," with one stating: "Fulani herdsmen are killing innocent Christians almost daily."
On Jan. 22, suspected Muslims of the Boko Haram terrorist group raided Tarfa village in Borno State. They rode in on motorcycles, shooting and burning houses for more than an hour with no visible security resistance. According to the village chairman, "Five people were killed, including the EYN pastor. The entire village was burnt down."
Mozambique: According to a Jan. 20 report, in late November 2025, Islamic State-linked militants unleashed terror across northern Mozambique, killing at least 22 Christians in coordinated attacks. On Nov. 20 in Primeiro de Maio village, Muidumbe district, the jihadists moved house to house, killing four civilians and burning homes. Bodies lay outside abandoned houses as survivors fled into forests. Attacks continued on Nov. 25 in Memba district, where militants killed at least four more civilians in Mazua village. Violence also struck Eráti district villages, with militants torching homes, crops, and churches.
Survivors described attackers chasing residents and setting fires. In the words of Bishop Alberto Vera:
"This was a week of terror and much suffering. Parents and their children had to flee... Terror is in the whole district. People have been killed."
Syria: On Jan. 31, in Muhradah, Muslim terrorists murdered 21-year-old Christian Eliah Simon Tekla in a cold-blooded attack.
A video shared by activist groups shows the young man opening his car door to go home when another car suddenly pulls up. An armed jihadist approaches the driver's side and fires multiple shots at him at close range, while a second assailant checks the back seat. The attackers then speed away, leaving Eliah dead inside his car. Sources say the jihadists spotted a rosary hanging on the windscreen and opened fire for that reason alone. This execution is the latest in a wave of targeted killings against Christians since the fall of Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). At least 71 Christians have been confirmed killed by jihadists in the past year, with the real number believed to be much higher. Syria has now risen to 6th place on Open Doors' 2026 World Watch List, its highest level of danger for Christians since the Islamic State occupied large parts of the country.
Muslim Abuse, Hostility, and Violence against Christians
Pakistan: On Jan. 21, a Muslim man set his Catholic neighbor, Zahid Morris, on fire. Attorney Lazar Allah Rakha said:
"The assailant, Ali Azhar, stopped Morris on the street, verbally abused him, poured petrol over his body, and ignited it. Morris sustained extensive burn injuries to his face and neck, leaving him in unimaginable physical pain and deep emotional trauma."
The lawyer described the attack as "shockingly disproportionate" to a trivial dispute from a week earlier when Morris had questioned Azhar about staring at him. Rakha added that Azhar had previously attacked and injured two other Christians in the area but faced no legal consequences:
Those victims did not pursue legal action, which appears to have emboldened him. He showed no hesitation before attempting to burn Morris alive."
Separately, on Jan. 9, Pakistan's Federal Constitutional Court ordered police to find and present 13-year-old Christian girl Maria Shahbaz and her 30-year-old Muslim abductor, Shehryar Ahmad, in court by January 16. This comes six months after Ahmad had abducted the girl on July 29, 2025, forcibly converted her to Islam, and "married" her. Lahore police at the time had colluded with the suspect, leading a magistrate's court to dismiss the family's abduction complaint. According to the family's lawyer, Rana Abdul Hameed:
"The girl was forced to record a statement claiming she had willingly converted to Islam and married Ahmad. She also falsely stated that she was an adult, despite official documentary evidence proving that she is a minor and below the legal age of marriage under provincial child marriage laws, which prohibit the marriage of girls under 16."
Lower courts in Lahore repeatedly rejected the Christian family's petitions for her recovery, instead accepting the coerced statement while ignoring official documents proving she is only 13 and below the legal marriage age. Such cases follow a common pattern in Pakistan: young Christian girls are abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, raped under the guise of Islamic "marriage," and pressured to lie in court favoring their kidnappers. Judges often return the minors to the abductors as "legal wives."
Nigeria: According to a Jan. 14 report, a 15-year-old Christian girl went missing in Kano State on Dec. 1. It was later revealed that she had been abducted and had since been held by the Kano State Hisbah Board, a Muslim police force enforcing sharia law. The Hisbah commander, claiming she wants to convert to Islam, refused to release her. Local police and village leaders failed to free her. Earlier, three Muslim men had abducted and held her for a month. A young Muslim man who repeatedly asked her to marry him allegedly arranged the abduction after she refused. The family reported the case to police, but officers demanded money and took no action. A Christian evangelist and former Muslim stated:
"Why did the Muslims and the Hisbah break the law by snatching a 15-year-old girl and forcefully convert her to Islam? They must release that girl back to her parents and the church."
In a separate incident, on Jan. 1, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) "released an image of one of the Christian villages in Adamawa State burning, alongside a statement saying that all Christians in Nigeria are legitimate targets, and they have an opportunity to 'spare their blood' by converting to Islam or paying the jizyah tax to ISWAP."
Sudan: On Jan. 8, a Muslim family drove out a teenage daughter for embracing Christ. The family received the shocking news on Christmas Day that Amona Ibrahim Kaki, 18, had become Christian and was reading a Bible. According to the report:
"Her parents reacted with immediate hostility and, in an attempt to isolate her from the Christian community, confiscated her mobile phone... The family warned her to renounce Christ and return to Islam or else they would disown her, expel her from their home and demand she change her name from that of the family.... After the church prayed for her, she got well, but her Muslim family thought she was possessed by a demon."
"She does not know what the coming days hold for her," said an anonymous relative. Her elder brother was tasked with deciding her fate: "This has never happened before in our family," the brother is said to have declared—"she must leave the house before my arrival or else she will see the consequences."
Uganda: According to a Jan. 5 report, "Five Muslims wielding sharp objects attacked a pastor in eastern Uganda on Dec. 21, seriously injuring him." Pastor Joseph Kanooni was attacked around 6 p.m. while alone inside his church compound preparing for an all-night prayer service. The Muslim men intruded with sticks and sharp objects, accusing the pastor of "misleading their children" by encouraging them to attend church. "They attacked me suddenly while I was working inside the church," Pastor Joseph said from his hospital bed. "I tried to protect myself, but I was overwhelmed and later lost consciousness. When I regained awareness, I found myself receiving treatment in hospital." Church members who later arrived found him severely wounded behind the church building. He had deep cuts on his hand and back.
Iran: According to a Jan. 8 report, Nayereh Arjaneh, a Christian convert, began serving a five-year prison sentence "for her faith." She and her husband were arrested after attending a Christian training event in Turkey. She was convicted of "promoting deviant propaganda contrary to Islamic law" and "providing support to Zionist Christianity." Arjaneh will serve the full five years, while her husband, who is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, received a 3.5-year sentence that has been temporarily delayed. Hadi Ghaemi of the Center for Human Rights in Iran said:
"The Iranian authorities are abducting growing numbers of Christians and throwing absurd national security charges at them in order to imprison them for years for doing nothing other than peacefully practicing their faith."
Separately, according to a Jan. 22 report:
"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."
Courts impose massive fines and bail amounts — often hundreds of thousands of dollars — on arrested Christians, financially destroying poor families. Examples include a house church leader ordered to pay $109,000 bail and a Christian woman forced to pay $54,000. Many Christians pay enormous sums only for temporary freedom before re-arrest. The regime uses bail as another tool to crush Christian worship.
Muslim Attacks on Christian Churches
Nigeria: On Jan. 18, Muslim herdsmen attacked three churches in Kaduna state, Nigeria, during Sunday worship and kidnapped 177 Christians. One church secretary said:
"We were in church worshipping when Fulani terrorists emerged from three directions. They were armed with AK-47 rifles and surrounded the church. They warned that anyone who tried to run would be shot."
At the third church, the attackers burst in shouting "Allahu Akbar" and warned worshippers: "Do not run or we would be killed." The terrorists marched the Christians into the bush toward a forest known for hostage torture. Eleven later escaped, leaving 166 Christians still in captivity. The Kaduna state government and police initially denied the mass kidnapping had even happened.
Syria: In the days leading up to New Year's Day, the Interior Ministry announced that IS militants were preparing "suicide operations and attacks targeting New Year's celebrations in a number of governorates, particularly the city of Aleppo, by targeting churches and civilian gathering spots." This prompted heightened security measures to be placed around churches of the ancient Christian city. The intelligence proved timely and correct, as Islamic State militants tried to bomb a packed church. According to the report:
"An attack on a church in Aleppo, Syria, was foiled on New Year's Eve by security services. However, a soldier was killed in the incident, which will likely exacerbate the fears of many Syrian Christians going into the new year.... [S]ecurity forces noticed a man acting suspiciously around a church close to Farhat Square. As they sought to stop him, the man started shooting and detonated a bomb belt, killing himself and a soldier, and wounding two others... The incident comes six months after 22 Christians were killed when a suicide bomber attacked Saint Elias church in Dweila, Damascus. Four weeks later, the authorities said they had prevented another church attack in the Tartous area by arresting three suspected terrorists. In November, threatening messages were left at two churches, one in Maared Saidnaya and the other in Damascus."
Pakistan: In the early morning hours of Jan 5, a Muslim man broke into and desecrated a church in the Punjab. According to Pastor Masih:
"The accused, later identified as Allah Rakha, a rickshaw driver and resident of the same village, entered the church after breaking a window. He vandalized church property, desecrated copies of the Bible, damaged the sound system and altar objects, and bent the cross inside the building. "
The best way local Christians could describe the aftermath was by saying that the church looked "as if it had been hit by a sudden storm of hatred." One report notes that this is the same region that earlier "witnessed the horrific killing of a Christian couple, Shahzad and his pregnant wife Shamma, who were brutally murdered by a mob at a brick kiln."
Italy: On Jan. 17, a dark-skinned man — likely a migrant — desecrated the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament inside St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. He knocked over the cross, candlesticks, altar cloths, and the monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament. Witnesses described the man throwing everything violently to the ground in an act of unbridled rage.
Instead of focusing on the sacrilege, the rector, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, appeared more concerned with preventing tourists from sharing videos. Orders were given to delete footage, and the chapel was quickly closed to the public.
There were many other attacks on churches throughout Italy in the month of January—including fecal smearing and statue beheadings—see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
France: In early January 2026, the Nativity scene inside the Church of Sainte-Jehanne in Le Passage, France, was vandalized. The statue of the infant Jesus was decapitated and dismembered, while other figures were smashed. Parishioners called the act "scandalous", "shameful" and "horrible". The parish priest described it as "unbearable" and said destroying the figures was "almost like rejecting something from God that is meant to save us."
Indonesia: According to a Jan. 20 report, a 70-member church congregation was prohibited from holding Christmas services. The Sukasirna Village government banned both the scheduled Christmas Eve service and the Christmas Day service on December 25. The ban was enforced with the involvement of the Public Order Unit and the local Indonesian Ulema Council. The same congregation was also barred from holding New Year's Eve services on December 31, 2025, and New Year's Day services on January 1, 2026. No alternative place of worship was provided. Under significant pressure from authorities, Pastor Rudy complied with the directive. He stated that officials told him "to suspend services because there would be attacks from extremist groups."
In a separate situation, on Jan. 7, the Surakarta Blessed Family Foundation, an affiliate of the Bethel Indonesia Church, filed an administrative appeal against the Karanganyar Regency in Central Java after five of seven Building Construction Approvals for the Holyland Bukit Doa religious tourism compound were revoked. The permits for a church building, prayer hill, boarding house, theological school, and sports hall in the 99-percent Muslim village of Karangturi were issued on Christmas Eve. Construction reached nearly 80 percent before being halted due to protests. Muslim groups strongly opposed the Christian project. A representative of the Karanganyar Islamic Community Army (LAKIK) stated in a video: "We call on Muslims everywhere to reject this project because it will be a religious disaster for the future of the Muslim community, our children and grandchildren." He argued the site should only have Islamic development. Dendy Zuhairil Finsa of the Ansor Youth Movement Legal Aids Institute said the swift revocation appeared influenced by "pressure from mass organizations" and lack of government neutrality, after discovering a LAKIK letter with potential for "acts of intolerance against the right to worship."
Finally, on Jan. 6, Muslims from the Ahlus Sunnah Defenders group in Bandung, West Java, demonstrated against a Christian revival worship service held by the Indonesian Evangelical Reformed Church (GRII) at the FX Sudirman Grand Ballroom. Carrying banners and using a truck with loudspeakers, the Muslims targeted the event led by Rev. Stephen Tong. A representative stated in a video: "Today we took to the streets because Christians under the leadership of Stephen Tong were holding a 2026 religious service." The group accused the service of "frequently involving Muslims" and "openly inviting citizens or the public, not specifically targeting Christians," claiming it amounted to provocation and propaganda aimed at converting Muslims. Another protester shouted that the worship service was an attempt at converting Muslims to Christianity.
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.
Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22475/persecution-of-christians-january
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