Persecution is no stranger to the Middle East, and least of all to its women. From the earliest centuries of church history, Christian women played indispensable roles in shaping and transmitting the faith – but following the Lord Jesus often came at great personal cost. Here we delve deeper into the persecution suffered by our sisters in Christ.
She sits quietly at her desk, yet behind her calm eyes is the courage of a girl whose faith and education are constantly under threat.
Christian Women Carry the Burden of Persecution
Thecla of Iconium (c. 30 AD), a disciple of the Apostle Paul, defied familial and social norms to share the Gospel despite threats of violence. Febronia of Nisibis (d. 304 AD), martyred during the reign of Diocletian, bore witness through her steadfast devotion unto death. In the fourth century, Saint Nina of Cappadocia (c. 296–338 AD) carried out missionary work in Georgia, making the Gospel known to an entire people, even as her visibility exposed her to hostility and resistance.
These examples testify that the witness of women in the Middle East has always been intertwined with persecution, exercised in hostile contexts and under the shadow of threat.
“The LORD gives the word; the women who announce the news are a great host.”
Psalm 68:11 (ESV)
In continuity with this historical witness, contemporary Christian women in the Middle East face trials that recall those of their foremothers in the faith. They endure hostility not only for their confession of Christ but also because of their gender and minority status. Modern persecution manifests itself in displacement, sexual violence, forced marriages and systematic marginalization, echoing the dangers encountered by the early saints, though within today’s political and social realities.
Accounts of Syrian Christian converts abducted from their homes, or Iraqi women who persist in worship despite threats, mirror the courage of Thecla and Febronia. Across the centuries, Christian women have carried both the burden of persecution and the calling of witness, embodying the truth that “they overcame by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11), transforming suffering into a testimony that sustains and strengthens the Church.
Marginalization: Living on the Periphery of Society
Christian women in many Middle Eastern countries often find themselves on the margins of public life, their voices muted.
Their dual identity as both women and Christians leaves them particularly vulnerable in societies where dominant religious groups enjoy privileges of representation and protection. This marginalization is a lived daily reality. It shapes access to education, restricts economic opportunity, and curtails political participation.
Women attending a post-literacy class in Egypt – a reminder that marginalization remains a daily reality for many women in the Middle East. 
In Egypt, for example, Christian women frequently encounter discrimination in employment and public life, with limited access to higher education and few prospects for professional advancement.
With the support of Barnabas, some underprivileged Egyptian women are able to attend post-literacy classes and develop new skills. Mariam, a young Egyptian woman, testifies, “This class taught me my worth, shaped my choices, and gave me hope to pursue my dreams, including becoming a doctor.”
Mary, another participant in the program, adds, “I learned how to live and love based on what the Bible teaches.”
“I learned how to live and love based on what the Bible teaches.”
Mary from Egypt
In Iraq and Syria, the devastation of war and the rise of extremist groups have left Christian women especially exposed to displacement, abduction, and forced marriage, their lives uprooted by violence and sectarian hostility. In Lebanon, while freedoms are greater in comparison, women from minority Christian communities still face subtle barriers that limit their influence in both civic and ecclesial life.
Across the region, these patterns of exclusion reveal how faith and gender combine to heighten vulnerability, yet they also show how women continue to care for families, sustain communities, and bear witness to Christ despite systemic marginalization.
Abduction, Forced Marriages, and Kidnapping: Instruments of Control
The abduction of Christian women remains one of the most devastating realities for communities across the Middle East. In Iraq, during the rise of Islamic State (IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) between 2014 and 2017, hundreds of Christian women and girls were kidnapped, many forced into slavery and coerced marriages. Families in Mosul and the Nineveh Plains recount daughters disappearing overnight, their absence leaving wounds that fracture entire communities.
Women at a church service in Jaramana, Syria. [Image credit: Antioch Patriarchate]
In Syria, particularly from 2011 onwards during the civil war, Christian women in cities such as Aleppo and Homs were targeted for abduction both by extremist groups and by criminal networks exploiting religious minorities.
Forced marriages, particularly those in which Christian women are coerced into unions with Muslim men, remain a grim reality across the Middle East, often following abduction or pressure from family. Young women, especially converts from Islam, are disproportionately at risk. Within such unions, their freedom to practice their faith, pursue education, or participate meaningfully in society is severely restricted. Societal and familial pressures frequently compound the coercion, leaving women with little control over the course of their own lives.
The Plight of Converts: Navigating Hostility
In the Middle East, many come to know Christ from other religious backgrounds, often facing particularly acute forms of hostility.
In many Muslim-majority societies, apostasy is legally or socially condemned, leaving converts to Christianity – especially women – exposed to familial rejection and communal violence, if their Christian faith becomes known. Secret journeys to hidden prayer spaces, coded messages exchanged within underground networks, and inventive strategies to sustain belief under pressure are part of daily life for these women.
In countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, female converts face severe consequences, including imprisonment and social ostracism. Yet despite these dangers, these women remain steadfast in faith: they take on key roles in house churches, nurture the faith of others, disciple new believers, and willingly consider nothing a “loss” for the sake of knowing Christ.
Persecution Beyond the Middle East: The Case of Pakistan
Not far from the Middle East, Christian girls in Pakistan face serious threats of abduction, forced conversion to Islam, and coerced marriage to Muslim men. Many victims are under the legal age for marriage, and authorities often fail to intervene.
Pakistani Christian women sustain their faith and hope, navigating systemic discrimination and building networks of support despite societal, and religious pressure.
These patterns of abuse echo the challenges faced by Christian women across the Middle East, demonstrating that faith and gender continue to render women particularly vulnerable in societies where religious minorities lack protection. Even in more stable contexts, institutionalized discrimination persists in employment, inheritance and political representation.
Yet despite these formidable challenges, Christian women display remarkable faith and commitment. They nurture their beliefs in secret, raise children with hope, and contribute quietly but solidly to their communities. Support from churches and other non-government organizations (NGOs) through counseling, legal aid, and safe spaces, has been essential; yet women themselves often act as the architects of survival, creating informal spiritual and social networks that sustain both personal dignity and communal life.
How You Can Pray
Heavenly Father, we lift up in prayer the Christian women of the Middle East. Grant them courage when fear surrounds them, strength when oppression weighs heavily, and hope when their path seems uncertain. Protect their bodies, minds, and spirits; surround them with loving communities, and guide those in positions of power to act with justice. May Your light shine in the darkness, may their faith endure, flourishing even in the face of persecution, and may they continue to proclaim the Good News.
