When we talk about Muslim-majority countries, we often forget about the Christian minorities within them. In some of these countries, even where the official Christian presence is minimal or nonexistent, there are tens or even hundreds of thousands of “crypto-Christians” — people who, despite having converted from Islam to Christianity, live their faith in secret.
These former Muslims cannot reveal their conversion due to the risk of persecution or legal sanctions, especially in countries where Sharia law is applied. Apostasy, in fact, is often considered a crime or an act deserving of punishment, both through the law and through social pressure, sometimes even violent.
The phenomenon of conversions to Christianity is now widespread and occurs mainly spontaneously, without external intervention, preachers or forced pressure. Many people say they became interested in Christianity following a dream, in which they saw figures such as Jesus, the Madonna or saints such as Saint Charbel or Padre Pio. Others find comfort and new spiritual stimuli after dramatic events, such as illness or the loss of a loved one, which push them to reconsider their religious path.
In addition, a significant role is played by the growing discomfort towards certain aspects of their own religious tradition, such as acts of terrorism or particularly rigid applications of the Sharia. Severe restrictions on women’s freedom, such as the imposition of the burqa or forms of segregation, push some to look for an alternative and to explore Christianity as a new possibility. Many find information online, on social media or through texts such as the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, thus discovering a different way of relating to God.
Last but not least, several conversions occur in countries of migration, where people have more opportunities to make friends with Christians and to learn about testimonies and resources on Christianity, finding in them new points of spiritual reference.
Every day about 30,000 Muslims become Christians (years ago the Arab TV Al Jazeera spoke in an alarming manner of 22,000 conversions to Christianity every day but there was less population and there were almost no social networks that facilitate knowledge and conversions)
Here is a fairly up-to-date list of conversions to Christianity:
Africa
Algeria 140,000 Christians (all ex-Muslims)
Morocco 48,000 Christians (all ex-Muslims)
Tunisia 60,000 Christians (22,000 ex-Muslims)
Libya 300,000 Christians (80,000 ex-Muslims)
Egypt 13 million Christians (2 million ex-Muslims)
Nigeria 107 million Christians (several million ex-Muslims)
Sudan 2.4 million Christians (400,000 ex-Muslims)
Senegal 900,000 Christians (10,000 ex-Muslims)
Mali 300,000 Christians (many crypto-Christians)
Somalia 200,000 Christians (crypto-Christians)
Burkina Faso 1.7 million Christians (110,000 ex-Muslims)
Mauritania 40,000 Christians (13,000 ex-Muslims)
Guinea 250,000 Christians (50,000 ex-Muslims)
Chad 8 million Christians (700,000 ex-Muslims)
Guinea-Bissau 176,000 Christians (26,000 ex-Muslims)
Benin 2.5 million Christians (300,000 ex-Muslims)
Sierra Leone 2.3 million Christians (200,000 ex-Muslims)
Comoros 4,000 Christians (900 ex-Muslims)
Europe
France about 40,000 ex-Muslims now Christians
Italy about 20,000 former Muslims now Christians
Germany about 40,000 former Muslims now Christians
Spain about 22,000 former Muslims now Christians
UK about 60,000 former Muslims now Christians
Netherlands about 12,000 former Muslims now Christians
Belgium about 10,000 former Muslims now Christians
Asia
Indonesia 25 million Christians (almost one million are former Muslims)
Pakistan 4.4 million Christians (about 100,000 are former Muslims who are crypto-Christians)
India 36 million Christians (almost 1.5 million are former Muslims)
Bangladesh 1.9 million Christians (90,000 are former Muslims)
Iran between 3 and 5 million crypto-Christians (all former Muslims)
Turkey 160,000 (all former Muslims)
Uzbekistan 350,000 Christians (at least 50,000 former Muslims)
Yemen 50,000 Christians (many crypto-Christians)
Malaysia 3.1 million Christians (400,000 ex-Muslims)
Kazakhstan 5 million Christians (500,000 ex-Muslims)
Azerbaijan 320,000 Christians (20,000 ex-Muslims)
Turkmenistan 90,000 Christians (10,000 ex-Muslims)
Kyrgyzstan 480,000 Christians (50,000 ex-Muslims)
Tajikistan 70,000 Christians (13,000 ex-Muslims)
Lebanon 1.7 million Christians (300,000 ex-Muslims)
Palestine 50,000 Christians (4,000 ex-Muslims)
Albania 600,000 Christians (200,000 ex-Muslims)
Bosnia and Herzegovina 470,000 Christians (70,000 former Muslims)
Qatar 250,000 Christians (90,000 former Muslims)
Oman 250,000 Christians (30,000 former Muslims)
Kuwait 570,000 Christians (100,000 former Muslims)
United Arab Emirates 1.3 million Christians (300,000 former Muslims)
Bahrain 87,000 Christians (8,000 ex-Muslims)
Maldives 2,000 Christians (700 ex-Muslims)
Brunei 38,000 Christians (8,000 ex-Muslims)
We can only pray for them because their life is difficult and risky.
