A new congressional resolution brings renewed attention to reports of Christian persecution in many Muslim-majority countries and urges the U.S. government to address religious freedom concerns in its foreign policy.
ADF International has supported and endorsed the resolution, calling for stronger international protections for fundamental religious freedom.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, U.S. Congressman Riley Moore (R-WV) and Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced a congressional resolution (H. Res,. 594) condemning the widespread and ongoing persecution of Christians in Muslim-majority countries. The resolution cites numerous human rights violations documented across countries, including Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Syria, Türkiye, Iran, Pakistan, and others. It highlights targeted killings, mass church closures, arbitrary arrests, forced conversions, and the denial of basic religious freedoms.
In Nigeria alone, it notes, more Christians are killed each year than in all other countries combined, most recently during an attack in Benue State that claimed the lives of over 200 believers.
“No one from any religious background should face persecution for their faith. Yet year after year, Christians remain the most persecuted religious group worldwide, especially in many Muslim-majority countries,” said Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Global Religious Freedom at ADF International. “We applaud the resolution for recognizing this grave reality and urging U.S. action. When Christians are being killed, silenced, or driven underground, we cannot look the other way.”
“No one from any religious background should face persecution for their faith. Yet year after year, Christians remain the most persecuted religious group worldwide, especially in many Muslim-majority countries. We applaud the resolution for recognizing this grave reality and urging U.S. action. When Christians are being killed, silenced, or driven underground, we cannot look the other way"
“More than 380 million Christians worldwide suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith,
with many of those Christians facing persecution throughout many Muslim-majority countries;,” the resolution states, referencing Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List.
The resolution followed Moore’s first-ever floor speech in April, which also focused on the global crisis of Christian persecution. It calls on the President to prioritize the protection of persecuted Christians in U.S. foreign policy and to use all available diplomatic tools, including in ongoing trade and national security negotiations with Muslim-majority countries, to press for the advancement of religious freedom and the protection of persecuted Christians. The resolution was co-sponsored by seven other congressmen, including W. Gregory Steube, (R-FL), Michael Guest (R-MS), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Addison McDowell (R-NC), Brandon Gill (R-TX), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), and Pat Harrigan (R-NC).
“The widespread, severe, and systematic persecution of Christians is too often ignored. This resolution is important because it clearly identifies what so many won’t: that Christians are often singled out because of what they believe and who they are,” said Sean Nelson, legal counsel for global religious freedom at ADF International.
Background
Through legal advocacy and global alliances, ADF International works to protect the rights of Christians and other religious minorities facing persecution around the world.
In Nigeria, extremist violence by groups such as Boko Haram and Fulani militants has led to the mass killing, abduction, and displacement of Christians. Cases such as those of Rhoda Jatau and Yahaya Sharif-Aminu reveal the violent persecution and punishments that come under the country’s blasphemy laws. ADF International works alongside allied lawyers to provide legal support, document these human rights violations, and advocate for greater accountability and protection for vulnerable communities.
In Egypt, Christians frequently face mob violence, church closures, and legal discrimination. ADF International monitors and provides legal support against these violations and engages with international bodies to highlight the ongoing threats to religious freedom in the country. Christians in nations such as Pakistan, Iran, and Algeria, face imprisonment, harassment, and legal penalties for practicing their faith. ADF International provides legal support, submits human rights reports to the United Nations, and advocates for international action in defense of persecuted religious minorities.
