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by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

BETHLEHEM/BEIJING (Worthy News) – Millions of Christians around the world are marking Christmas in secret amid persecution, violence, and discrimination, according to investigators.

Advocacy group International Christian Concern (ICC) said believers in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia face attacks on churches, arbitrary arrests, forced displacement, and social exclusion as they commemorate the birth of Jesus.

The ICC warned that in some nations, Christmas worship is held discreetly for fear of security raids or attacks by extremist groups, while in other countries, believers risk imprisonment simply for attending church services.

ICC said Christians in countries including Brunei, China, Iran, North Korea, and Somalia must celebrate Christmas quietly or face legal consequences, including detention or long prison sentences.

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS BANNED OR RESTRICTED

In Brunei, public Christmas displays have been banned since 2014. While Christians may observe the holiday inside homes or churches, public celebrations are prohibited. Authorities say such displays could influence Muslims, who face prison sentences for violations, while Christians are forbidden from evangelizing Muslims.

China allows state-approved churches to hold tightly controlled Christmas services that vary by region, but children under 18 are barred from attending. Authorities continue pressuring churches to align worship with communist ideology.

In Iran, Christmas gatherings are limited to registered churches in approved areas.

Unregistered house churches—especially those involving Muslim converts—are frequently raided. According to Barnabas Aid, two converts began serving two-year prison sentences in November 2025 following a raid on a house church near Tehran.

WORLD WATCH LIST SHOWS SCALE OF PERSECUTION

The World Watch List 2025 by Open Doors reports that more than 380 million Christians worldwide live under high levels of discrimination or direct threat because of their faith—one in seven Christians globally.

In the 50 most dangerous countries alone, some 310 million believers face extreme or very high levels of persecution.

North Korea again ranked first, where practicing Christianity is considered a mortal offense and churches operate entirely underground. Conditions are only marginally better in Somalia, Yemen, Libya, and Sudan, where Islamist militants, militias, or authoritarian regimes suppress open expressions of faith.

Africa remains the deadliest region for Christians, with eight of the ten most violent countries located there. In Nigeria, thousands of Christians have been killed in recent years by Fulani militias and jihadist groups, with attacks often intensifying during the Christmas season.

Asia also remains deeply hostile. In Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan, Christians risk long prison sentences or death, while attacks linked to Hindu nationalism continue to rise in India. In Central Asia, including Kyrgyzstan, governments have imposed harsher restrictions on what they label “foreign influence,” including Christianity.

HUNGARY VOICES CONCERN AND SUPPORT

Hungary has expressed concern over the reported global persecution of Christians and has become one of the first countries with a government-backed program dedicated to aiding persecuted Christians, providing humanitarian assistance, and advocating for religious freedom abroad.

“As Hungarians prepare to celebrate Christmas in peace, many believers elsewhere dare only to pray in whispers, hide their Bibles, or gather quietly in underground rooms to commemorate the birth of Jesus,” Hungarian media noted.

Rights groups urged governments and international organizations to speak out against persecution and called on Christians worldwide to pray for believers suffering for their faith.

At Christmas, observers note, the contrast is stark: while churches elsewhere sing carols freely, Christians in countries such as North Korea, Algeria, or Brunei must worship in secret—if they dare at all.

“For the Body of Christ is one,” advocates say, citing Scripture that “if one member suffers, all suffer together.” They urge believers in free societies to pray and speak out for religious freedom, remembering that Jesus himself was born amid danger and persecution.

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