How are Christians persecuted in Mauritania?
- Whether native to Mauritania or migrant to the country, Christians can face intense persecution for their faith.
- Converts from Islam are especially targeted and face opposition from families and surrounding communities.
- Public expressions of faith and worship are vilified. These can be quickly interpreted as proselytisation of Muslims and could lead to the arrest and deportation of non-Mauritanian believers.
- Harsh apostasy laws introduced in 2018 include sentencing any Muslim convicted of leaving Islam or committing blasphemy to the death penalty.
Why are Christians persecuted in Mauritania?
- The government is increasing the severity of consequences for civilians who convert to Christianity, as evidenced by apostasy laws.
- Mauritania has a nomadic culture structured around clans, meaning that ostracism from one’s community makes basic survival extremely difficult.
Who is particularly vulnerable in Mauritania?
- Indigenous converts from Islam are the most vulnerable to persecution. Foreign-born Christians are not permitted to share their faith with Muslims, making even the existence of converted believers highly pressurised.
- Women must submit to the authority of father and husband, making female converts the most at risk – tactics used against them include taking away food and house arrest.
- Married female converts could be divorced and their livelihoods stripped from them. Marriage to a Christian man is also illegal for believers from a Muslim background, making life even harder for those who leave Islam to follow Christ.
What has changed in Mauritania in the past year?
Sign the petition
You can sign the Arise Africa petition, calling for protection, justice and restoration for vulnerable Christians in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa.
Sign now- Mauritania rose by two spots on this year’s World Watch List, and persecution has worsened slightly.
- Recent incidents reveal the difficulties which Christians face every day: for instance, a video of a baptism posted online continues to receive fierce backlash. In a separate incident, a group of people dug up the body of a believer who had left Islam to follow Jesus.
How can I help Christians in Mauritania?
- Please continue to pray for believers in Mauritania. Your prayers are essential in helping our brothers and sisters stand firm in the face of persecution.
In cooperation with local partners and churches, Open Doors supports believers in North Africa through leadership and discipleship training, trauma counselling, prayer and livelihood assistance.
please pray
Lord, we pray for our brothers and sisters in Mauritania. We know it can be so difficult for them to follow You, so we ask that You would keep them safe, give them comfort and help them to overcome the daily stress of simply living as a Christian. Give underground believers the chance to meet and worship with other Christians and sustain this small body of believers as they walk alongside You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
