A Moral Imperative: Standing with Persecuted Christians

By Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney and Alexei Laushkin

As we partner with CPAC through the CPAC Christian Persecution Coalition we are united by our shared commitment to faith, family, and freedom.  It is long past time for our political leaders to grow a backbone when it comes to the heinous persecution of Christians around the world. Over 1 and 7 Christians live in a situation where their rights are diminished and they are at risk for being martyred for simply practicing their faith. From Christians who are legally marginalized for living according to their conscience at home to the silent and often forgotten suffering of millions worldwide. We are witnessing the brutal persecution of Christians across the globe. It is a direct assault on the very principles of religious freedom that define Western civilization and a profound challenge to global stability.

The silence from too many corners of the world is deafening, but for those of us who believe in the sanctity of every human life and the inherent right to worship freely, inaction is not an option. We must be the voice for the voiceless, the advocates for the oppressed, and the conscience of a world too often willing to look away. That is why we are working together with groups like the Remembrance Society, ACLJ, Open Doors USA, Africa New Day Inc., and ADF International to work together to bring fundamental attention and change to the plight of Christians worldwide. 

Consider the Democratic Republic of Congo, a nation rich in resources but tragically impoverished by violence. For years, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamist terror group with ties to ISIS, has waged a campaign of unspeakable horror, particularly in North Kivu province. Their targets are often Christian villages, where they commit massacres, burn churches, and abduct civilians, including women and children, and behead entire congregations. The intent is clear: to terrorize and displace Christian communities, asserting dominance through extreme violence. Reports from organizations like Open Doors and Africa New Day Inc. detail how entire families are hacked to death with machetes, their homes looted and torched, simply because of their faith. This is not random violence; it is systematic religious cleansing.

Across the continent, Nigeria has become a killing field for Christians. The twin scourges of Boko Haram/ISWAP in the northeast and increasingly aggressive Fulani militants in the Middle Belt are systematically targeting Christian farmers and communities. While some attempt to frame the Fulani violence as mere farmer-herder clashes, the reality on the ground, as witnessed by countless victims and human rights groups, points to a clear religious dimension. Villages are raided, churches are burned to the ground, and pastors are kidnapped and executed. In states like Plateau, Kaduna, and Benue, thousands of Christians have been murdered, their lands seized, and their livelihoods destroyed. The government's failure to protect these vulnerable populations, and in some cases, its perceived complicity, only emboldens the perpetrators.

The ancient cradle of Christianity in Syria has been ravaged by a decade of conflict, and its Christian communities have borne a disproportionate share of the suffering. Before the war, Christians constituted about 10% of Syria's population; today, that number has plummeted. Extremist groups like ISIS deliberately targeted Christians for forced conversions, and execution, destroying historical churches and monasteries. While ISIS's territorial caliphate has been dismantled, the remnants of their ideology and the lingering instability continue to threaten the survival of these communities. 

And then there is Vietnam, where persecution often takes a more insidious, yet equally devastating, form. While not involving machetes or bombs, the Communist government maintains tight control over religious life, particularly targeting unregistered "house churches" and ethnic minority Christians. Montagnard Christians in the Central Highlands and Hmong Christians in the Northwest face severe discrimination, surveillance, and harassment. They are often denied basic services, prevented from gathering for worship, and subjected to forced renunciation of their faith. Pastors are arrested, church properties confiscated, and believers ostracized from their communities and denied opportunities for education or employment. This is persecution by suffocation, designed to extinguish vibrant faith through relentless pressure and control.

These are not isolated incidents; they are part of a global pattern of religious intolerance and violence that demands our urgent attention. For too long, the plight of persecuted Christians has been relegated to the sidelines of international discourse. This must change.

We, as Americans, have a moral obligation and a strategic imperative to act. President Trump has already taken bold action in the Congo and Syria by signing historic and monumental peace accords between Congo and Rwanda and enabling the possibility of freedom and stability in Syria. Now it’s time for Congress to act by passing H.R. 559 for the Congo. 

Religious freedom is not merely a Western ideal; it is a universal human right. When it is suppressed anywhere, it threatens liberty everywhere. Just as we practice and strengthen religious liberty at home we have to think about the religious dimension to commercial diplomacy.  Sanctions against persecutors, robust support for persecuted Christians, and direct aid to suffering communities must become cornerstones of our engagement.

Let us be clear: standing with persecuted Christians is is about standing for justice, for human dignity, and for the foundational principles upon which our own nation was built. The persecution of Christians will not be tolerated. Their suffering will not be ignored. We will stand with them as part of the CPAC Christian Persecution Coalition. We will fight for them. And we will pray for the day when all are truly free to worship according to the dictates of their conscience. The time for action is now.

Alexei Laushkin is the Founder of Kingdom Mission Society

Rev. Pat Mahoney is the Director of the Christian Defense Coalition.