'Do Not Provoke Us!': The Extremist Persecution of Christians, June 2026

By Gatestone Institute | Created at 2026-10-16 10:55:11 | Updated at 2026-10-16 11:42:36 1 hour ago

"Witnesses said Ahmad confronted Siddique and objected to his drinking water from the same cooler because he was a Christian.... Ahmad... grabbed Siddique from behind and slit his throat." — Morning Star News, June 24, 2026, Pakistan.
"Sadique's murder is another example of how Muslims in Pakistan look down on Christians and treat them as 'Achhoot,' or untouchables. Christians in Pakistan are often forced into the back-breaking work of making thousands of bricks a day. A system of greed keeps their families trapped in these horrible conditions for generations." — International Christian Concern, July 20, 2026, Pakistan.
Ahmed Yetrib, a Muslim who converted to Catholicism, reported receiving death threats on social media, partly because he was sharing his reasons for converting. — Tribune Chrétienne, June 20, 2026, Belgium.
"[T]he court sentenced him in January, without ever allowing his defense to see his case file. He was convicted under Article 98(f) of the Egyptian Penal Code, which penalizes 'extremist thoughts....'" — International Christian Concern, June 19, 2026, Egypt.
"We reject [the construction of the church] so that nearby residents also know that if a rule is violated, then there must be an evil plan...." — Morning Star News, June 23, 2026, Indonesia.

The following are among the murders and abuses Muslims inflicted on Christians throughout the month of June 2026.

The Muslim Slaughter of Christians

Democratic Republic of Congo: Islamic terrorists slaughtered hundreds of Christians in separate attacks. Then, on June 3, and again on June 24, Muslim militants beheaded a total of 14 Christians.

Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) claimed the slayings, which took place in the village of Mungbere.

In attacks on June 11 and June 13 in Beni Territory, 11 other Christians were shot and killed, and one was beheaded in Mayangose on June 20. Also, in early June, the Muslim terrorists burned down 80 Christian homes in separate attacks in Haut-Uélé. According to the report:

"ISCAP has now claimed the killing of around 1,155 Christians in north-eastern DRC since its campaign of jihadi violence escalated in December 2024. Its fighters will typically demand that communities convert to Islam, accept dhimmi status as subjugated (supposedly "protected" people), or face death. In classical Islam, Christians and Jews ("people of the book") have the option of becoming dhimmis – lower-class, conquered non-Muslims -- and living under Islamic rule. Accepting such a status involves following many humiliating rules and regulations, including paying the jizya [protection] tax."

According to a separate report:

"During the night of June 2, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked the village of Mbau, located about 12 miles from Beni City in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), leaving at least 24 Christians dead... Among the victims were a local pastor and his wife. The attack occurred just days after another brutal overnight attack nine miles away on May 30, which left 15 dead in the village of Ngadi."

Ethiopia: In early June, "Islamists" attacked and killed "37 peaceful Orthodox Christians" across several communities. Later reports put the number of slain over 50 and indicate that some Christians were beheaded. According to one report:

"the death toll may rise as many residents are still listed as missing since the violence began... Extremists completely burned down the century-old Church of Archangel Gabriel in the village of Tefa Kebele. In a letter to the Ethiopian Patriarchate, local clergy confirmed the fact of massive destruction and human casualties. As a result of attacks on villages, militants burned houses and forced more than 280 Orthodox families to flee. Attacks were also recorded in neighboring settlements... Witnesses report mass looting of property and cattle theft. In Kore Kuftele, radicals damaged the building of the Church of the Holy Savior, which the community used for receiving guests and conducting religious events. Church representatives criticized the slow response of local law enforcement, who failed to protect the civilian population from massacre in time. Government authorities, for their part, decided that the attacks had no religious or ethnic undertones."

Another report notes:

"These latest attacks are not isolated incidents. In March 2026, Borkena reported that 34 Orthodox Christians were killed over a four-day period in the Sherka and Merti districts, while others were injured, reported missing, or abducted... [A]ttacks in East Arsi in late-February claimed nearly 30 lives, including Orthodox Christians killed at a marketplace and inside a church. The organization further described a pattern of violence specifically targeting Orthodox Christian communities... [These] repeated attacks appear to target civilians on the basis of their religious identity..."

Sudan: On June 19, a terrorist group murdered Fr. Youhana al-Amin, a priest. On the previous day, they had stormed his church and seized some of its contents for their own use. When they returned, and suspecting that he had reported them, they opened fire and killed him.

Nigeria: The following were among the Muslim massacres of Christians throughout the month of June:

On June 10-12, Fulani herdsmen killed four Christians in Plateau State.
On June 16, Fulani herdsmen killed nine Christians, including women and children, and wounded 11 others in a night attack in Kaduna state.
On June 16, Fulani herdsmen killed five Christians in a mining site Plateau state, central Nigeria, sources said.
On June 22, Fulani herdsmen killed 28 Christians, including a pastor, in a raid on a village in Plateau state.
On June 25, Fulani herdsmen raided two Christian villages in the same area of Kaduna state, Nigeria, killing two Christians, kidnapping seven others and injuring dozens of others.

Pakistan: On June 10, Muslim men shot dead a young Christian man, Prem Masih, 22, after a series of attacks and threats targeting his family. Two days earlier, the men, led by Muhammad Habib and Muhammad Rizwan, arrived at the family house where they began to shout abuse and threats over a work-related dispute, including by subjecting the mother and sister to "degrading verbal abuse." According to the report:

"The attackers allegedly threatened to publicly humiliate the Christian women and demanded that family members come outside to face the consequences for refusing to continue working at their shoe factory. When the family attempted to calm the situation and asked the men to return later for peaceful discussions, the group reportedly opened fire in the street. Despite repeated calls to Rescue 15 [equivalent to 911], the family says no police assistance arrived during the attack. The men eventually left, threatening to return."

Two days later, on June 10, the Muslim group did return -- in the middle of the night.

"During the second attack, Prem Masih was shot in the back, with the bullet entering between his right shoulder and chest. He collapsed immediately as the attackers fled the scene while continuing to issue threats against the family."

Although the young Christian was rushed to a hospital, he succumbed to his injuries by 4 am. The dispute traces back to Prem's older brother, who worked for both Muhammads, who cheated him out of his wages. After he quit, they demanded that he return. His compliance led to the harassment of his family and murder of his brother. Discussing this incident, Juliet Chowdhry, a Pakistani human rights activist, said:

"The murder of Prem Masih is a heartbreaking reminder of the vulnerability many Christian families face when seeking fairness, dignity, and equal protection under the law."

Separately, on June 22, a Muslim man killed a Christian co-worker for drinking from a water fountain as an unclean infidel. Siddique Masih, 40, was a Catholic father of four who worked with his brother, Rafique, as daily wage brick loaders. According to his brother:

"Siddique and a Muslim laborer identified as Ahmad Varyam had a brief argument over a wage-related issue. The dispute appeared to have been resolved after other workers intervened, and both men returned to work."

A few hours later, Siddique approached a water cooler installed for laborers at the kiln.

"Witnesses said Ahmad confronted Siddique and objected to his drinking water from the same cooler because he was a Christian. Siddique responded by comparing Ahmad's conduct to that of Yazid, whose forces denied water to Islam's Prophet Muhammad's grandson Imam Hussain and his family before the massacre at Karbala. According to witnesses, Ahmad then pulled out a knife, grabbed Siddique from behind and slit his throat. He died at the scene."

Rafique, who was working when his brother was stabbed, added:

"A few minutes later, I heard shouting, and someone told me that Ahmad had attacked him with a knife. When I reached the spot, other workers had restrained the attacker, and my brother was lying on the ground, blood gushing out of his throat. I was in complete shock.... Even if there had been a disagreement, nothing could justify such violence. My brother was a devoted Christian, a loving father and a hardworking man whose only concern was providing for his family and ensuring medical treatment for his sick son. We are placing our trust in God and praying for justice."

The brother said that the murder has devastated Siddique's family:

"Siddique was the sole breadwinner for his wife and four minor children. One of his sons suffers from thalassemia and requires regular blood transfusions every two to three weeks. The family lives in rented accommodation and was already struggling financially. His death has left them facing an uncertain future."

The report notes several other recent cases highlighting violence against vulnerable Christians in Pakistan:

March 2025: Muslim employers allegedly tortured a Christian farmworker to death, then staged his death as a suicide.

May 2025: A group of Muslim men allegedly tortured and killed a Christian laborer over an unproven accusation of theft.

March 2025: A Muslim co-worker allegedly slashed a Christian factory worker's throat after accusing him of touching an Islamic textbook with "unclean hands"; the worker survived.

February 2025: Muslim landowners allegedly abducted a Christian laborer, publicly humiliated him, and paraded him on a donkey over an accusation of stealing wood.

June 2024: A young Catholic worker allegedly died after his employer and others tortured him with electric shocks for leaving his job without permission.

Another report covering the same story notes:

"Sadique's murder is another example of how Muslims in Pakistan look down on Christians and treat them as 'Achhoot,' or untouchables. Christians in Pakistan are often forced into the back-breaking work of making thousands of bricks a day. A system of greed keeps their families trapped in these horrible conditions for generations. These brick kiln laborers, often unseen and unheard, are among the most marginalized and vulnerable in Pakistan."

Muslim Abduction and Forced Conversion of Christian Girls

Pakistan: Christian relatives of Maryam Asif Masih, a 13-year-old girl who was abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, and married to an older Muslim man fear, as they continue efforts to recover her, that she could have been trafficked. According to a June 18 report, Maryam's mother said that Muhammad Kashif, a 41-year-old married man and father of four children, abducted the child, after promising to teach the girl a useful trade:

"Kashif offered to teach Maryam skills that could help support the family. I had no reason to suspect his intentions and agreed to send her to learn the work two months before the occurrence of this incident."

The mother returned home from work on April 23 to learn from Kashif's wife that he had disappeared with her daughter. Local police were notified but failed to act:

"Frustrated by the lack of progress, we submitted an application to the Vehari District Police Officer, who instructed local police to locate my daughter and arrest the accused. After that, the police became hostile toward us. The investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Muhammad Shafique, abused and cursed me and told us that no matter what we did, we would not get our daughter back."

The family later learned that Muhammad had previously abducted other girls and sold them to traffickers:

"We are desperate to recover Maryam because she is just a child. If she is sold to a criminal network, it may become impossible to trace her and bring her back home."

When Maryams's mother tried to contact the abductor's wife, she said that her husband had "threatened to kill her if she shared any more information about him."

The family's attorney, Zunaira Patrick, said:

"Timely intervention could have prevented the accused from fleeing with the child. Unfortunately, law enforcement agencies often move slowly in cases involving the abduction of girls from religious minority communities."

Muslims Attacks on Apostates, "Blasphemers," and Evangelists

Sudan: According to a June 15 report, "a group of Muslims" tracked down and beat a Haron, a Muslim convert to Christianity, inside a church in the Gorom Refugee Camp. The attackers "remain unidentified. The attack was unprovoked and carried out in what should have been, by every standard of human decency and international norms, a protected space." In an interview afterwards, Haron said he was expecting the violence:

"Becoming a Christian from a Muslim background puts me and many others at risk, but where God has delivered me is worth the risk. From a flesh standpoint, there is fear, but when I remember the promises of God in Jesus Christ, I become bold and strong. But those threats have never made me change my mind to be a Christian."

Egypt: According to a June 19 report:

"Egyptian Christian Augustinos Samaan was sentenced to five years of hard labor after he was convicted of 'contempt of religion' and 'misuse of social media.' Samaan has a YouTube channel on which he posts apologetics videos comparing Christianity and Islam. Because of these videos, he was arrested on Oct. 1, 2025, and his pre-trial detention was extended in 15-day increments until the court sentenced him in January, without ever allowing his defense to see his case file. He was convicted under Article 98(f) of the Egyptian Penal Code, which penalizes 'extremist thoughts with the aim of instigating sedition and division or disdaining and contemplating any of the heavenly religions or the sects belonging thereto, or prejudicing national unity or social peace.' A five-year prison sentence is the maximum punishment under Article 98(f)."

Although Article 98 (f) is worded in a way that supposedly guards all "heavenly religions"—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—in practice, the report notes, it is primarily used against Egypt's Christian minorities:

"Dozens of other Egyptian individuals of minority faiths have been imprisoned for their 'blasphemous' online content since August 2025, demonstrating a trend away from equal protection under the law in Egypt. The broad language of Article 98(f) grants the Egyptian government too much discretion to suppress the expression of minority religions.... In practice, blasphemy laws like Article 98(f) consistently discriminate against Christians."

Bangladesh: On June 5, a group of Muslim men severely beat Arif Salam, 55, a Christian husband and father, after he answered a knock on his front door. According to the report,

"a group led by a local Islamist arrived at his home and questioned him about why he did not perform Namaz (Islamic prayers). In response, Salam says he calmly explained that he is a follower of Jesus Christ. Immediately after making this statement, Salam was physically assaulted by the group whose leader he identified as belonging to Jamaat-e-Islami, a radical political party associated with the global rise of political Islam.

"In addition to physical injuries, including to his head, the attack left Salam severely traumatized. He and his family are now living in a state of fear, anxiety, and insecurity."

Uganda: On Sunday, June 14, a group of Muslims beat a Christian preacher after he participated in an evangelistic outreach. According to the report, as he and his wife were walking back to their lodging,

"about nine Muslims approached at about 7 p.m. and questioned their presence in the area and distribution of Christian materials. The group objected to their preaching about Christ and the use of the cross in worship, and an altercation ensued.... The assailants struck him on the head with blunt objects."

Then, according to his wife, Elizabeth,

"Others grabbed him, pushed him to the ground, and he was then stomped on and kicked while the assault continued with various objects. My husband sustained fractures to his left leg and right hand."

The Muslims tore his Bible and beat him until he lost consciousness, she said, adding, "I thank God that the attackers did not attack me." The assailants fled when a passing sugarcane truck approached.

Belgium: On June 30, Ahmed Yetrib, a Muslim who converted to Catholicism, reported receiving death threats on social media, partly because he was sharing his reasons for converting. His ordeal began in 2018, when he was baptized, at which point his entire family ostracized him. Even so, he has "never been so worried" as he is now, the report states.

Muslim Attacks on Christian Churches

France: On Friday, June 5, a group of Muslims stormed a Catholic service at a church in Beauregard. They shouted obscenities such as "F*ck your mothers, you Christians!" and "Allah Akbar." A parishioner described this incident on social media:

"I attend Mass and prayer services every week at Saint-Louis de Beauregard Church. I was deeply shocked by the shouting I heard from outside the church last night. I distinctly heard 'Allahu Akbar,' followed by 'F*ck your mother, Christians.' I feel sadness, disgust, and genuine concern. I never imagined hearing such words directed at people gathered simply to pray. I ask the authorities and the city to take this situation seriously and ensure that places of worship receive the protection they need. Everyone should be able to practice their faith freely, with respect, safety, and peace of mind."

Iraq: A June 18 video showed how the Mar Kiryakos Church in the historic Assyrian village of Sharanish was heavily vandalized. Pews are disturbed, items smashed and strewn on the ground. According to one report:

"The Assyrian villages of northern Iraq have endured decades of conflict, displacement, and demographic change. Many churches and monasteries across the region have suffered damage throughout the years, whether from warfare, neglect, or forced displacement. Historic sanctuaries that once served thriving communities are increasingly maintained by smaller populations or diaspora families seeking to preserve their ancestral heritage. For Assyrians and Chaldeans, churches such as Mar Kiryakos represent far more than architectural landmarks. They embody centuries of faith, memory, and communal identity in a region that has witnessed repeated waves of upheaval."

Indonesia: On June 11, Muslims, for the second time, protested the planned construction of the Java Christian Church, in part due to "fear of proselytizing" and because it was too near to a mosque. They crowded a narrow road near the planned worship site, with banners and a Taliban flag. Two of the banners read, "Do not provoke us – Banyuanyar residents are already peaceful; we reject the attempt to build a church. Reject, reject, reject," and, "Beware!!! Watch for proselytizing in Banyuanyar. Reject the church construction." A demonstrator leading the rally said:

"We reject [the construction if the church] so that nearby residents also know that if a rule is violated, then there must be an evil plan, a plan for proselytizing, a missionary agenda. There is a plan to convert the Muslims living around this place."

Separately, on June 24, dozens of Muslims demonstrated against the presence of a church in the Hegarmanah Indah housing complex.

"At one point the group chanted the jihadist slogan 'Allahu Akbar [Allah is the greatest]' and announced they would say Islamic prayers. The protestors were not local residents and were unknown to neighborhood inhabitants, according to eyewitness testimony... The demonstrators claimed the church endangered the Muslim faith of youth. They threatened violence against Christian women and warned they would burn the worship building."

Sudan: On Sunday, June 7, authorities went to the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church and informed leaders that their building could be demolished at any time. They gave no specific date, only warning "Be ready."

Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West, Sword and Scimitar, Crucified Again, and The Al Qaeda Reader, is the Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute.

About This Series

While not all, or even most, Muslims are involved, persecution of Christians by extremists is growing. The report posits that such persecution is not random but rather systematic, and takes place irrespective of language, ethnicity, or location. It includes incidents that take place during, or are reported on, any given month.

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