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
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Russia and the United States edged closer to confrontation after U.S. forces seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic, prompting sharp protests from Moscow and assertive statements from senior U.S. officials. Russian state broadcaster RT released grainy images showing a helicopter approaching the tanker, while Reuters, citing U.S. officials, confirmed that American forces boarded and seized the vessel under a U.S. court warrant linked to sanctions enforcement. The tanker, identified as the Marinera (also known as Bella 1), had been traveling from Iran toward Venezuela … Read more
At least 11 Christians were killed and 18 others seriously wounded when a drone operated by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) struck civilians traveling to Christmas celebrations in South Kordofan state on Dec. 25, according to local sources.
A Christian pastor was seriously injured after being attacked by a group of Muslim assailants wielding sharp objects in eastern Uganda, according to an exclusive report by Morning Star News.
Iranian security forces confronted large demonstrations at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar on Tuesday with tear gas and a heavy police presence, as nationwide protests entered a second week and the country’s currency plunged to a historic low.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers during a closed briefing Monday that recent White House rhetoric about Greenland does not signal an imminent U.S. invasion, emphasizing instead that the administration’s preferred goal is to purchase the island from Denmark, according to people familiar with the discussion.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Tuesday that a federal crime crackdown in the nation’s capital has led to dramatic reductions in violent crime, crediting the effort to President Donald Trump’s public safety initiative.
Israel, Syria and the United States have agreed to establish a new “joint fusion mechanism” aimed at enhancing security coordination, intelligence sharing and military de-escalation, marking the most significant formal cooperation between Jerusalem and Damascus in decades.