Christianity in Libya

Christianity in Libya is the story of Christianity's survival in another extremely war-torn region. It is ranked #3 in terms of countries where Christians are most persecuted by Open Doors in 2024.

Population of Christians

The Population of Libya is around 70 MN and Christians would number perhaps 50,000 so less than 1%. Libya needs many missionary efforts, prayers and sacrifices so it can catch up to the incredible growth story that is the Rest of Christianity in Africa.

Christianity under Muammar Gaddafi

The U.S. State Department's International Religious Freedom Report for 2009 said this of religious freedom's under Muammar Gaddafi:

a basis for some degree of religious freedom is provided in the Great Green Charter on Human Rights of the Jamahiriya Era, and the Government generally respects the right to observe one's religion freely in practice. The Government tolerates most minority religions but strongly opposes militant forms of Islam, which it views as a security threat... The World Islamic Call Society (WICS) is the official conduit for the state-approved form of Islam....WICS serves as the religious arm of Qadhafi's foreign policy... There were no reports of forced religious conversion...prominent representatives from the Government and society made new efforts to promote religious coexistence and harmony. ...minority religious communities achieved several symbolic milestones within the context of the country's increasing openness to the international community. ...There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice.

In 2001 Gaddafi's Islamic Call Society provided the Anglican Church of Christ the King with a church building on the downtown square in Tripoli.

In August 2011 the New York Times reported Christian churches were openly praying to protect Muammar Gaddafi as NATO bombs fell.

What does persecution look like in Libya post-Gaddafi?

After the regime change operation and NATO war in Libya to allegedly "protect" civilians and bring "democracy", Libya became a place with very little political stability. Much of the country exists in a sort of perpetual anarchy, ruled over by militias linked to the official government in the West of the country or by the US-backed Libyan National Army in the East, with strong Islamist influences in both cases. Due to lawlessness, Christians can easily be targets for violence and death.

Converts from Islam face the most intense and violent pressure from their family and community. They risk house arrest, attack, abduction, sexual violence and murder. It is incredibly dangerous for converts to meet together to worship, and church life is almost non-existent.

See Also

• Christianity in Africa