By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
NOUAKCHOTT (Worthy News) – Representatives of Mauritania’s tiny but thriving Christian community have expressed concerns about renewed Islamic extremism in the northwest African nation after Muslim imams organized a protest against the presence of Christians in the southern city of Sélibaby. The April 7 rally, which was approved by local authorities, followed the death of a Christian convert in a motorcycle accident a few days earlier, Christians told Worthy News.
Some Muslim leaders were reportedly angered over the burial of the Christian within their community as they regarded him as an “apostate” for abandoning Islam.
During the protest, “threats were made against followers of Jesus both in person and on social media,” added advocacy group Voice Of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC), which closely followed the case. “Demonstrators demanded that action be taken against the community’s “infidels,” including calls to burn the homes of Christian residents. At one point, the body of the buried Christian was dug up and dragged through the streets before being reburied in a village 20 kilometers (12.5 miles)
away.”
Although a tense calm returned to the streets, “hate speech and threats persisted on social media,” Christians said, adding that “militant Muslim community members” continued to call for “the complete social ostracism of Christians.”
Due to the volatility of the situation, “some Christian leaders have been warned by relatives to refrain from contacting them,” added VOMC.
The incident comes amid a broader crackdown on devoted Christian believers in the country, which is officially 100 percent Muslim. However believers among the roughly 11,000 Christians living in the strict Islamic country continue to worship, with several risking the death penalty for leaving Islam, Worthy News learned.
FACING EXECUTION
Although the death penalty is “seldom enforced” in the country of 4.3 million people, “the law emboldens Muslim militants and creates an atmosphere of fear for those who are at risk of potential harm,” VOMC explained.
Mauritania currently ranks 23 on the annual World Watch List of 50 countries where advocacy group Open Doors says Christians face the most persecution for their faith in Christ. The country “is staunchly Islamic, and Christian activities are severely restricted, making it difficult for Christians to express their faith. For those who convert from Islam, it’s almost impossible,” Open Doors noticed in a recent assessment.
“Christianity is viewed as a negative Western influence, and Christian converts face severe hostility both from the authorities and from their families. Apostasy is legally punishable by death, although there are no known cases of this in recent years – but the threat remains. Converts risk expulsion from the family home and loss of livelihood; they may even be forced to leave the country. The presence of Islamist extremist groups also constitutes a threat to those who leave Islam. Baptisms can only be carried out secretly, but many converts are reluctant to do this, fearing the awful consequences of being discovered,” Open Doors noticed.
It has added to social difficulties for Christians in the country, which remains poor despite an abundance of natural resources, including iron ore and petroleum. The country’s economy is based mainly on agriculture, livestock, and fishing.
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, a former army chief in power since 2019 and re-elected last year, has been credited with returning some stability to the troubled nation after decades of political unrest and frequent coups.
However, he is under pressure to end the persecution of Christians as well as slavery, which is still a reality in the country despite being outlawed. Anti-slavery activists have faced torture and detention, according to well-informed sources, with thousands of Black Mauritanians reportedly being enslaved. About three percent of the country’s total population are living as slaves, according to the Global Slavery Index (GSI) in 2023.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
FBI Director Kash Patel said Sunday that the bureau has gathered evidence supporting claims by President Donald Trump that the 2020 election was stolen, though he declined to release details, citing an ongoing investigation.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Saturday that it has established a “Yellow Line” security perimeter across southern Lebanon, creating a controlled buffer zone during the current 10-day ceasefire. The move is aimed at maintaining operational security while preventing renewed hostilities along Israel’s northern border.
The United States is preparing to significantly expand its maritime pressure campaign against Iran, with plans underway to board and seize Iran-linked oil tankers and commercial vessels in international waters, U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal.
A pastor was killed and several worshippers seriously wounded after a church in Ukraine was struck during an Easter gathering, highlighting the growing toll on Christian communities amid the ongoing war.
Military planning for a potential U.S. intervention in Cuba is quietly accelerating, according to a USA TODAY exclusive, as the Pentagon prepares contingency options should President Donald Trump authorize action against the communist-led island.
At least six people were killed after a gunman opened fire in a district of Kyiv before barricading himself inside a supermarket, where he later died in a confrontation with police, officials said.
The administration of U.S. President Donald J. Trump has renewed a waiver allowing countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil at sea for about a month, despite critics fearing it could help Moscow finance its war against Ukraine.