How are Christians persecuted in Tunisia?
- Being known as a Christian affects a Tunisian’s reputation, their job security and, in the worst cases, can result in complete rejection or abuse from their Muslim family and community.
- Men from Muslim families who become Christians face ostracism, intimidation, beatings and death threats. They can also be denied promotion and suffer loss of employment and physical violence. However, the severity of backlash following conversion depends on his social position and his political standing within his community.
- A Christian woman can be physically beaten, expelled from her home, put under house arrest or threatened with rape, forced marriage or death. If already married, she is likely to be divorced, have her children taken away, and her financial support withdrawn. There has been a rollback of women’s rights in Tunisia since President Kais Saied ushered in a new constitution in 2022.
- Church gatherings are also monitored by the authorities; despite this, the church in North Africa is growing.
Why are Christians persecuted in Tunisia?
- Tunisian Christians face hostility from society, and most choose to worship in private. Converts from Islam whose new faith is discovered are considered to have brought ‘shame’ on their families. They can face rejection and threats from their families and communities.
- Christians who have migrated from other countries, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa, also live in Tunisia. These believers are largely left alone as long as they don’t share their faith with Tunisian Muslims. However, political rhetoric about migrants has caused such harsh racial abuse that many have fled the country.
Who is particularly vulnerable in Tunisia?
- Believers from Muslim families have most to fear from their own communities. This is especially true in the south of the country, where the Islamic population is more conservative.
- All Christians are at risk of attack by violent Islamist extremists around the southern border.
What has changed in Tunisia in the past year?
- The new constitution is ambiguous regarding freedom of religion and belief. It is feared that the government’s already high levels of monitoring of Tunisian Christians will increase in the future.
- Although Tunisia has fallen one place on the World Watch List, there has been a rise in violence. Among other things, there were more house churches attacked and Christians arrested than in the previous year.
- President Kais Saied consolidated his de facto one-man rule through a contested re-election in which the opposition was paralysed.
How can I help Christians in North Africa?
- Please keep praying for your brothers and sisters in Tunisia. Your gifts and prayers make an enormous difference to those following Jesus no matter the cost.
Open Doors works with local partners and churches in North Africa to provide leadership and discipleship training, livelihood support, legal aid, trauma counselling, Bibles and pastoral care.
please pray
Father God, we pray that it will become increasingly easy for Tunisian Christians to meet together and encourage one another. Please speak to the families of people who become believers, so that they will come to know and trust Jesus as well, instead of rejecting their loved ones. We pray for peace in this country where tensions run high. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
