Episcopal bishop warns clergy to prepare for ‘new era of martyrdom’ after ICE shooting
A New Hampshire Episcopal bishop is warning his clergy to finalize their wills and get their affairs in order to prepare for a “new era of martyrdom” following the shooting death of a woman by a federal immigration agent.
Bishop Rob Hirschfeld of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire voiced his remarks earlier this month at a vigil honoring Renee Good, who was fatally shot on Jan. 7 while behind the wheel of her vehicle by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
“I have told the clergy of the Episcopal diocese of New Hampshire that we may be entering into that same witness,” Hirschfeld said. “And I’ve asked them to get their affairs in order, to make sure they have their wills written, because it may be that now is no longer the time for statements, but for us with our bodies, to stand between the powers of this world and the most vulnerable.”
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The Trump administration said Good was trying to ram an ICE agent while disrupting immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis. Local officials and many Democrats have disputed that explanation, citing video footage of the fatal shooting.
During his speech, Hirschfeld cited several historical clergy members who had risked their lives to protect others, including Jonathan Daniels, a New Hampshire seminary student who was shot and killed in 1965 by a sheriff’s deputy in Alabama while shielding a young Black civil rights activist.
Other religious leaders have called for Christians to protect the vulnerable, including Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church.
“We keep resisting, advocating, bearing witness and repairing the breach,” Rowe said during a prayer earlier this week. “We keep sheltering and caring for those among us who are immigrants and refugees because they are beloved by God, and without them, we cannot fully be the church.”
In Minnesota, Rt. Rev. Craig Loya urged people not to meet “hatred with hatred.”
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“We are going to make like our ancient ancestors, and turn the world upside down by mobilizing for love,” he said. “We are going to disrupt with Jesus’ hope. We are going agitate with Jesus’ love.”
Opponents of the ICE raids have characterized Good as a protester who was not trying to impede authorities as they were conducting immigration enforcement operations.
Authorities said Good had harassed them throughout that morning and blocked a road before she allegedly tried to ram an agent.
Two days after Good was killed, Rev. Michael Neuroth, director of the United Church of Christ‘s Public Policy and Advocacy, criticized ICE and the Trump administration during a gathering outside the White House.
“Citizens protesting these cruel polices are being labeled by the state as ‘terrorists’, opening the door to more violence and potential for more loss of life,” he said. “The administration’s xenophobic polices and inhumane tactics go against our values as people of faith to welcome and love our neighbors. In the UCC we will keep pushing against these policies, extending love to our neighbors, and proclaiming together that “Love Knows No Borders!”
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“We’re gathered because somebody was murdered by agents of the government,” the Rev. Dana Neuhauser, a United Methodist minister who sang with the group, said in an interview with the National Catholic Reporter during a memorial for Good at the intersection where she was fatally shot. “But we’ve been showing up in a variety of ways because our neighbors are being snatched. Parents being snatched in front of the school.”
She added, “It’s all just too much, but my faith requires me to show up.”
Iran locks nation into ‘darker’ digital blackout, viewing internet as an ‘existential threat’
Iran’s internet blackout has hardened into a permanent system of digital repression, with the regime treating citizens’ access to the outside world as an “existential threat,” according to digital rights monitors.
Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported Monday that Iran’s connectivity landscape had shifted dramatically as the country entered its 22nd day of unrest, following several days of almost total nationwide internet shutdown.
“On the twenty-second day, after several days of an almost complete internet shutdown, reports emerged of limited and unstable internet connectivity in some parts of the country,” NetBlocks reported.
“Indications are that we’re seeing a move toward a kind of ‘filternet plus’ censorship scheme in Iran,” NetBlocks CEO Alp Toker told Fox News Digital before pointing to “a rapid decline into a darker kind of digital darkness.”
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“The key difference from the pre-protest filternet arrangement is that, while internet platforms were extensively censored before, the regime is selectively whitelisting only a handful of services it deems critical for business needs.
“Even this selective access is sporadic, which means the censorship is likely still in the test phase,” he added. “In practice though, ordinary users remain offline.”
Toker described how the digital darkness “is in fact getting darker because the information controls are getting tighter.”
“Where international links were tolerated as a window to trade, the regime is approaching each of these as potential threats,” he said before adding that the regime “sees its own citizens’ ability to communicate with the rest of the world as an existential threat because the people are disaffected.”
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) at least 2,571 people were killed as of Monday, with additional deaths reported but not yet fully verified amid the communications blackout.
The internet blackout began Jan. 8 amid escalating demonstrations since Dec. 28, as authorities sought to prevent protesters from organizing, sharing videos of crackdowns and communicating with the outside world.
Since then, connectivity has remained inconsistent, with frequent outages and throttling even when partial access is restored.
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Iran International reported the blackout was expected to last until at least late March, with IranWire saying government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani told media activists that access to international online services would not be restored before Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, on March 20.
“Having internet access was always a window to the outside and a lifeline for many Iranians,” Toker added. “It allowed for personal expression and culture that is banned by the regime.”
“These online freedoms can be as simple as online gaming, watching foreign movies or women’s ability to participate equally in spaces that would otherwise be barred by the Islamic Republic,” he added.
“With the internet blackout continuing, the curtain has been drawn on that window,” Toker said. “This is angering many Iranians, particularly Gen Z, who stand to lose a part of their identity.”
The blackout has also coincided with cyber incidents targeting Iran’s state infrastructure.
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As previously reported by Fox News Digital, anti-regime activists hacked Iran’s national broadcaster, briefly interrupting state television to air protest messages and calls from Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah and a prominent opposition figure.
“We aren’t able to see the specific hack here,” Toker explained. “The lack of up-to-date security is an issue for Iran.”
“It is caused directly by the country’s digital isolation,” he said. “Iran’s internet systems are outdated, and security tools aren’t available due to internet restrictions.”
Toker added that embargoes force widespread use of pirated software, which often contains hidden vulnerabilities that can be exploited to breach critical networks.
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He said cyber warfare played a major role during the June 2025 clashes between Israel and Iran, prompting the blackout as a defensive measure against digital attacks. Israel, he noted, also restricted parts of its own network at the time.
“In 2026, we haven’t seen the same focus on cyber incidents, but it’s clear there’s an ongoing battle between state actors as well as individual hackers,” Toker said.
Jewish safety in New York depends on clear lines and moral courage from Mamdani
Shortly after Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral election, I received a text from a new number. It was the mayor-elect.
I felt compelled to speak with him out of my respect for him becoming the new mayor. Our intense and productive conversation came after a violent protest outside my father’s Park East Synagogue. What happened that night in the streets of New York was not a political debate, but a deliberate act of intimidation against Jews, including a targeted campaign at the doors of a synagogue.
That call marked the beginning of an ongoing dialogue between us, where New York City must draw lines, how it protects houses of worship and what leadership looks like when fear enters sacred spaces. Since then, the mayor and I have been in contact regularly.
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It was clear where the mayor and I disagreed, namely that he must recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. His demonization of the Jewish state of Israel and his prior use of antisemitic tropes, such as “apartheid,” “occupation” and “genocide” has put the safety of New York Jews at risk. I told him, just as I tell every Muslim leader I know, that anti-Zionism is antisemitism.
I urged Mayor Mamdani to pursue legislation banning protests directly in front of all houses of worship. This was not about silencing free speech. It was to draw a clear and reasonable line between the right to protest and the right to pray without fear. To his credit, he listened. Our conversations also led to concrete policy steps. In Mamdani’s second executive order, he directed the police commissioner and the law department to review NYPD patrol guidance to ensure clearer protections for houses of worship. The order called for evaluating buffer zones near synagogues, churches and mosques, ranging from 15 to 60 feet from entrances, additional restrictions during publicly scheduled religious services and appropriate limitations even during non-religious activities.
This was a serious and substantial advancement. The mayor acknowledged what Jewish communities across New York have been saying for months: that protests targeting houses of worship cross a line.
When a pro-Hamas protest was planned in Queens, the new mayor did not wait for chaos to erupt. Hours before the protest began, he ordered dozens of NYPD officers to the area to ensure the safety of nearby synagogues, Jewish schools and families. That proactive measure demonstrated that disagreements do not preclude responsibility. In a statement, Mayor Mamdani wrote that “chants in support of a terrorist organization have no place in our city.”
In my mind, his words acknowledge that past rhetoric, hesitation and intimidation during protests, including ones in which Mamdani attended, were wrong. I believe saying such chants have “no place in the city” is an admission that hate speech during protests against Jewish New Yorkers can turn violent.
The mayor’s rebuke of the protesters and the terrorist organization may have come at a political cost from his base, as some progressive activists and members of the Democratic Socialists of America criticized Mayor Mamdani and other leaders for condemning the chants. That reality should trouble every New Yorker. Rejecting terrorism and antisemitism should never be controversial in America.
But gratitude does not eliminate disagreement. Mamdani took a step in the right direction. Now, he is pushing for this bill with Gov. Kathy Hochul, who proposed a statewide bill to prevent protesters from being within “25 feet of the property line at houses of worship.”
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Leadership is not measured by whether the right words are spoken, but by whether they are spoken immediately, consistently, and backed by action.
To be overly optimistic, perhaps we are seeing a change in the mayor’s understanding of Israel and of how anti-Israel rhetoric impacts New York City’s Jewish community, the largest outside of Israel. As I wrote during the High Holy Days, “But Jewish tradition is clear: a genuine transformation does not happen overnight or for convenience. It requires contrition, confession, and change.”
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The next step will be for Mayor Mamdani to join me in meeting with global Muslim leaders and their representatives in New York who I have worked with for decades. These are leaders of Arab and Muslim majority countries who may not agree with every Israeli government policy, but they all unequivocally recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish nation. These voices represent coexistence, not incitement.
Now, as mayor for all New Yorkers, he must demonstrate an understanding that Israel is at the very core of the Jewish faith. One cannot bifurcate Israel from the Jewish community.
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Iran accused of killing 16,500 in sweeping ‘genocide’ crackdown: report
Iranian protesters are facing their deadliest days yet as security forces unleash mass killings and executions in a sweeping crackdown some have labeled “genocide,” new reports say.
According to The Sunday Times, a report compiled by doctors entrenched in the region and reviewed by the outlet estimates that security forces have killed at least 16,500 protesters and injured more than 330,000 others.
The report also described the violence as an “utter slaughter,” warning that the true toll may be even higher due to restricted access to hospitals and the near-total shutdown of communications.
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Most of the victims, the report says, are believed to be under the age of 30, underscoring the heavy toll on Iran’s younger generation as the regime intensifies its efforts to crush dissent.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, acknowledged Sunday that “several thousands” have been killed since protests erupted Dec. 28.
In a televised address, he blamed demonstrators, calling them “foot-soldiers of the U.S.” and falsely claiming protesters were armed with imported live ammunition.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that as of day 22 of the protests, verified figures show 3,919 people killed, with 8,949 additional deaths under investigation, 2,109 severely injured, and 24,669 detainees.
HRANA noted that the true toll is likely far higher due to the internet shutdown.
Professor Amir Parasta, an Iranian-German eye surgeon and medical director of Munich MED, said in The Sunday Times report that doctors across Iran are “shocked and crying,” despite having experience treating war injuries.
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“This is a whole new level of brutality,” Parasta said. He added that Starlink terminals smuggled into Iran have been the only means of communication since authorities cut internet access on Jan. 8.
Eyewitnesses who fled Iran also described snipers targeting protesters’ heads, mass shootings and systematic blinding using pellet guns.
One former Iranian resident said in the report that doctors reported more than 800 eye removals in a single night in the capital alone, with possibly more than 8,000 people blinded nationwide.
“This is genocide under the cover of digital darkness,” Parasta said.
Alongside the street killings, executions have surged dramatically, according to Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
Safavi told Fox News Digital that 2,200 people were executed in 2025, while 153 have already been hanged in the first 18 days of January 2026, averaging more than eight executions per day.
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“Ali Khamenei is continuing mass executions in parallel with the killing of young protesters,” Safavi said. “Three executions in the form of hanging are now happening every hour according to our data.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi previously disputed high death tolls reported in an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, claiming fatalities were only in the hundreds and dismissing higher figures as “misinformation.”
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President Donald Trump sharply condemned Khamenei over the weekend, calling him a “sick man” and urging new leadership in Iran.
In an interview with Politico, Trump accused Khamenei of overseeing “the complete destruction of the country” and using “violence at levels never seen before,” adding that Iran’s leadership should “stop killing people.”
Viral protest video against Iran’s supreme leader sparks copycat demonstrations worldwide
A viral video showing an Iranian refugee lighting a cigarette using a burning image of Iran’s supreme leader has become a global flashpoint as protests rock the Islamic Republic and President Donald Trump weighs military action against the regime.
The Associated Press reported the 34-second video shows a woman believed to be living in Canada igniting a photo of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – a capital crime in Iran – before calmly lighting a cigarette and letting the image fall to the ground.
The images accompanying this story show protesters recreating the act at demonstrations outside Iran, not the woman featured in the original viral video.
The footage has spread rapidly across social media as Iran’s government carries out a violent crackdown on dissent that activists say has killed thousands.
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The video has been shared millions of times across platforms such as X, Instagram and Reddit, with many viewers seeing it as a stark act of defiance against Iran’s clerical rulers.
Others have questioned whether the moment was spontaneous or staged, highlighting the growing skepticism that surrounds viral images in an age of artificial intelligence and information warfare.
What is undisputed is the symbolism of the act. In Iran, burning an image of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei can be punishable by death.
Smoking in public is considered immodest, and women are legally required to wear hijabs. In the brief clip, the woman defies all three norms at once, appearing without a headscarf as her hair hangs close to the flame.
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The gesture has leapt from the digital world into the real one. Photos and videos have surfaced from protests in Europe, Israel and the U.S. showing demonstrators lighting cigarettes using images of Khamenei, mimicking what has become known online as the “cigarette girl” moment.
Iranian state media has announced wave after wave of arrests, targeting those it labels “terrorists” and seizing Starlink satellite internet equipment – often the only way videos can escape the country during government-imposed internet blackouts.
Activists say the regime has intensified repression in recent weeks as unrest spreads amid economic collapse and political instability.
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The AP reported the woman has described herself in interviews with other outlets as an Iranian refugee living in Toronto, and said she fled Iran after repeated arrests and abuse by security forces.
She filmed the video on Jan. 7, according to The AP – one day before Iran imposed a near-total internet blackout. She did so to show solidarity with “friends” inside the country, she said. She has asked that her real name not be published, citing fears for her safety and for family members who remain in Iran.
The video’s explosive reach underscores how social media has become a central battleground in modern conflicts, with images shaping global perception faster than governments can control them.
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As Trump weighs next steps toward Tehran, the clip has become more than a viral moment – it has become a symbol of resistance, scrutiny and the high stakes of dissent under authoritarian rule.
Is heaven real? Science may reveal where God’s eternal kingdom exists
When our son was 4 years old, he asked my wife and me: “Can you drive to heaven?” Out of the mouth of babes, right?
It’s a question only a child would ask, but it raises a very adult question: Where exactly is the heaven described in the Bible?
As a scientist, I understand the importance of definitions. According to the Bible, the lowest level of heaven is Earth’s atmosphere. The mid-level heaven is outer space. The highest-level heaven is what we’re talking about: It’s where God dwells.
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As for heaven’s location, the Bible contains many verses that describe us as looking “up” at God in heaven, and God as looking “down” at us on Earth.
Imagine boarding a nuclear-powered rocket and traveling straight “up” into deep space. Will you ever reach a point far enough “up” into space that you finally reach heaven?
Before you laugh off the idea, consider this.
In 1929, American attorney-turned-amateur astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered that galaxies are rushing away from one another like so much shrapnel from a bomb. Hubble also discovered there’s a definite pattern to how galaxies are rushing away from each other, namely: The farther “up” in space a galaxy is located — the farther away it is from Earth — the faster it’s moving away from Earth and everything else. It’s called Hubble’s Law.
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But, here’s where it gets really interesting.
Theoretically, a galaxy that’s 273 billion trillion (273,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) miles away from Earth would move at 186,000 miles per second, which is the speed of light. That distance, way “up” there in space, is called the Cosmic Horizon.
That means you and I can never reach the Cosmic Horizon — not even aboard the most souped-up, nuclear-powered rocket imaginable — because, as Einstein explained in his theory of special relativity, only light and certain other non-material phenomena can travel at the speed of light.
So, then, where is heaven located, exactly? It’s entirely possible heaven is located on the other side of the Cosmic Horizon. Here’s why.
One: According to modern cosmology, an entire universe exists beyond the Cosmic Horizon. But it’s permanently hidden from us because we can never reach, let alone cross over, the Cosmic Horizon.
Two: Our best astronomical observations — and Einstein’s theories of special and general relativity — indicate that time stops at the Cosmic Horizon. At that special distance, way “up” there in deep, deep, deep space, there is no past, present or future. There’s only timelessness.
Three: Unlike time, however, space does exist at and beyond the Cosmic Horizon. Which means the hidden universe beyond the Cosmic Horizon is habitable, albeit only by light and light-like entities.
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Four: According to modern cosmology, the Cosmic Horizon is lined with the very oldest celestial objects in the observable universe. That means whatever exists beyond the Cosmic Horizon predates these oldest objects… predates the so-called big bang… predates the beginning of the observable universe.
All these modern scientific realities, and others, are why it’s entirely reasonable to speculate that:
1. Heaven is, indeed, located “up” there — way above our heads and way beyond the visible, starlit universe — just as the Bible indicates.
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2. Heaven is inaccessible to us mortals while we’re alive, just as the Bible indicates.
3. Heaven is inhabited by nonmaterial, timeless beings, just as the Bible indicates.
4. Heaven is the dwelling place of the One who predates the universe — the One who created the universe — just as the Bible indicates.
Iran allegedly airs 97 ‘coercive confessions’ amid record-breaking North Korea-style internet blackout
The Iranian regime has allegedly broadcast at least 97 “coercive confessions” from detained protesters on state television in just over two weeks, human rights groups say, as residents endure the longest internet blackout on record.
The videos reportedly feature handcuffed detainees with blurred faces showing remorse for their actions since the protests began Dec. 28, according to a rights group tracking the videos.
It said ominous music can be heard, and edited footage shows attacks on security forces, according to reporting by The Associated Press and data from the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
Other rights groups also claim the confession videos are coerced and obtained under duress, with protesters “dragged before cameras under the threat of torture and execution.”
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“The regime’s broadcast of so-called confessions by detained protesters is a threadbare and worn tactic,” Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital.
“Time and time again, the henchmen drag arrested demonstrators before cameras under the threat of torture and execution, coercing them to recant their beliefs or invent absurd stories.”
The broadcasts come amid nationwide protests sparked by public anger over political repression, economic collapse and alleged abuses by security forces.
Demonstrations have spread across major cities despite mass arrests, lethal force and sweeping restrictions on communication.
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Safavi said the confessions serve a dual purpose.
“First, they are meant to justify the mass slaughter of protesters, no fewer than 3,000, which NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi has stated constitute manifest crimes against humanity,” he said.
“These forced confessions are designed to demoralize the Iranian people and sow fear and doubt.”
But he said any mass executions or staged confessions “won’t achieve that because no amount of televised coercion or repression will break the protesters’ resolve.”
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U.S.-based HRANA has warned that forced confessions in Iran frequently follow psychological or physical torture and can carry severe consequences, including death sentences.
“These rights violations compound on top of each other and lead to horrific outcomes,” Skylar Thompson, HRANA group’s deputy director, told The Associated Press, adding that the scale of broadcasts is unprecedented.
The confession campaign coincides with a sweeping internet shutdown that has effectively cut the public off from independent information.
According to NetBlocks, Iran’s internet blackout has surpassed 144 consecutive hours, making it one of the longest disruptions ever recorded.
“The shutdown is still ongoing, making it one of the longest blackouts on record,” Isik Mater, NetBlocks’ director of research, told Fox News Digital.
“State TV continues to operate normally via satellite transmission, which does not depend on the public internet, which means households can still watch Iranian state channels even during a near-total shutdown.”
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Mater said the blackout magnifies the impact of state propaganda because “while the public is cut off, the state relies on broadcast media and its domestic National Information Network to control what people see,” she said, likening Iran’s information strategy to that of North Korea.
“A useful comparison is North Korea where the vast majority of citizens there have little to no access to the global internet, yet the state TV and radio broadcast regime propaganda 24/7,” she said.
“Information flows through closed systems, like North Korea’s domestic intranet Kwangmyong and not the open internet.”
Mater added that shutdowns are highly selective, with senior officials and state institutions retaining connectivity through “whitelisted networks.”
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“Senior officials and state institutions retain connectivity via whitelisted government networks and private links,” Mater said.
“This is why Ali Khamenei and other government officials continue posting on global social media platforms during the blackout, enabling the regime to shape the narrative internationally while citizens are unable to document events or even respond.”
Nigeria named epicenter of global killings of Christians over faith in 2025, report says
JOHANNESBURG: A staggering and growing wave of persecution against Christians across sub-Saharan Africa has been laid bare in the latest Open Doors’ World Watch List for 2025. The report says three out of four Christians murdered worldwide are killed in Nigeria.
Fourteen of the top 50 countries worldwide where verified deaths could be reasonably linked to victims’ Christian faith are in sub-Saharan Africa. Open Doors is a global Christian charity supporting Christians persecuted for their faith.
The organization states that one in seven Christians in the world face high levels of persecution. But that figure rises to one in five in Africa.
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Nigeria
Africa’s most populous nation is also ranked as the seventh worst in the world for persecution in all its forms. According to Open Doors, out of the 4,849 Christians killed for their faith globally in the year up to the end of Sept. 2025, 3,490 of these were murdered in Nigeria — 72% of the total.
Muslims have also been killed in Nigeria. But the latest data from the report shows Christians have been “disproportionately targeted.” These are four of the affected states — there are others:
In Benue State in north-central Nigeria, 1,310 Christians were killed compared with 29 Muslims.
In Plateau State in north-central Nigeria, 546 Christians were killed compared with 48 Muslims.
In Taraba State in northeast Nigeria, 73 Christians were killed compared with 12 Muslims.
In north-western Kaduna State, 1,116 Christians were abducted in 2025, compared with 101 Muslims.
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“The latest figures should leave us in no doubt: there is a clear religious element to this horrific violence,” Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors U.K. told Fox News Digital.
Blyth added, “For many thousands of Christians, this will come as no surprise. Those who witnessed their families being killed, and their homes razed to the ground by Islamist Fulani militants report being told by their attackers that ‘we will destroy all Christians.’”
“It’s surely time to dismiss the idea that this violence is somehow ‘random,’” Blyth stated. “If we don’t recognize the clear religious element to the violence, it won’t be possible to properly address this tragic situation.”
Mohammed Idris, Nigeria’s minister of Information and national orientation, responded to Fox News Digital to the Open Doors report Wednesday, saying, “I want to speak directly to the international community because there is a narrative being built about Nigeria that simply does not match the reality we are living on the ground.”
The Minister continued, “When a church is attacked, it is a Nigerian tragedy. When a mosque is raided, it is a Nigerian tragedy. We do not categorize our grief by religion.”
“The Open Doors report is heart-breaking – no one is more aware than we are of the suffering caused by the security challenges impacting our people. But labeling this a ‘religious war’ is fundamentally wrong. It is exactly the narrative the terrorists want you to believe. What we are actually fighting,” the minister said, “is a brutal mix of bandits and ISIS-linked militants. These people don’t have a faith; they have a price tag,” he said.
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“We are working hand-in-hand with our international partners – including the recent joint efforts with U.S. intelligence to strike ISIS enclaves – to ensure these ‘hounds of death’ are removed from our soil.”
The minister concluded, “Nigeria is a nation of believers. We are proud to be home to one of Africa’s largest Christian populations. But we are also a nation under attack by thugs. We ask our partners to see the real fight: it’s not neighbor against neighbor; it’s all of us against the terrorists.”
Sudan
Some 150,000 are estimated to have died in the civil war that has engulfed this nation since 2023. Open Doors reports, “the situation for the nation’s 2 million Christians is especially grim.”
“We are considered as the enemy by both (opposing) factions, who accuse us of being allied with the other side,” Rafat Samir, general secretary for the Sudan Evangelical Alliance, told Fox News Digital. We are told ‘you don’t belong here’ and driven from our homes. To make matters worse, Christians are often excluded when aid is distributed.” A particular pattern can be seen across sub-Saharan Africa, Open Doors states. The report claims, “Islamist militants enter the vacuums in law and order left by a weak junta and civil conflicts. It means they can operate with impunity across parts of Burkina Faso, Mali, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Somalia, Niger and Mozambique. Their stated aim is to create ‘Sharia states’ operating under their deadly interpretation of Islamic law.”
Elsewhere in the world, North Korea remains top of the list for having the world’s worst persecution of Christians, with Open Doors stating, “If Christians are discovered, they and their families are deported to labor camps or executed.”
A huge spike in reported violence against Christians in Syria has followed the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s presidency in Dec. 2024, and has led the country to jump to number six on the list. China is number 17, with churches driven underground by surveillance and heavy regulation.
The reporting period for the World Watch List ended some two months before President Trump ordered U.S. forces to bomb Muslim militants in northwestern Nigeria on Christmas Day to try to stop the killing of Christians.
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Jo Newhouse from Open Doors sub-Saharan Africa, told Fox News Digital, “The U.S. airstrikes (against Jihadi groups in Nigeria) have thrown many of the militant groups in the area into a state of panic. They have been scattering and attacking civilians as they come across soft targets, hoping that they can rebuild their resources through looting and kidnapping.”
“Many Christians across the northern states are in a state of flux, unable to find any safety or stability. They bear the scars of living under the perpetual risk of death, destruction and displacement,” Newhouse said.
Watchdog highlights nations where Christians face persecution around the globe
While Christians in America enjoy religious freedom, many Christians around the world suffer persecution, and some are even martyred for their faith.
Open Doors’ World Watch List 2026 discusses the anti-Christian persecution in dozens of nations around the globe.
The list includes 50 countries — here’s a closer look at several of them:
North Korea
North Korea, a notoriously autocratic country ruled by Kim Jong Un, is one of the nation’s included in the list.
“If you are found to be a Christian in North Korea, you and your family could be immediately executed or sent to a terrible labor camp – forever,” Open Doors notes.
“North Koreans may only pay homage to the Kim regime, not God. Christian gatherings must be completely secret; a neighbor could inform on you with devastating results.”
Somalia
Somalia, a nation located in the Horn of Africa, is also included on the list.
“Anybody becoming a Christian in Somalia faces danger on all sides: from the authorities, from your clan and from anti-Christian extremists,” the report notes. “It’s illegal for a Muslim to become a Christian. Christians have no legal protection and can be harassed and intimidated by the authorities. Leaving Islam is also seen as seriously dishonoring your family and clan: they may disown, attack or even kill you.”
Al-Shabaab — which is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. — has grown “more dominant in certain areas,” Open Doors notes, explaining that the group seeks “to eradicate Christianity, openly executing suspected believers.”
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Yemen
Yemen, a nation in the Middle East, comes next on the list.
Most Christians there have “converted from Islam,” according to the list, which says they “must practice their faith in absolute secrecy or risk a death sentence.”
“Last year, Western airstrikes were framed by the Houthis as ‘Christian aggression,’ pushing believers further underground,” Open Doors says.
The report highlighted the personal story of Aweis, whose own father told him that if he became a Christian, he would kill him.
“Aweis knew the dangers of following Jesus in Somalia the moment he showed his father a New Testament, which he obtained after becoming curious about Christianity,” Open Doors explains.
“I cannot stop you from reading your Bible,” his father noted, according to the report. “But if you become a Christian, I’ll be the one to kill you.”
The report adds, “Aweis later gave his life to Jesus.”
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Sudan
A civil war in Sudan has caused the globe’s “largest humanitarian crisis,” the list says. “The Christian community is hungry, on the run and facing strong persecution at the same time.”
Sudan is located in Africa.
“Sudan’s brief period of religious freedom has been rowed back, and oppressive ‘morality policies’ are back in force. Christians can face physical punishment to convert to Islam, with church leaders arrested. Many church buildings have been closed, bombed or taken over by militia groups,” according to Open Doors. “New Christians face rejection from their families and violence from Islamic extremist groups. In a lawless vacuum, they have no protection.”