Mauritania Christians Thank God for Release of 15 Brethren Arrested After Circulation of Baptismal Video

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Local Christians are thanking God as Mauritania authorities have now released 15 believers who were arrested after video footage of their participation in a baptismal ceremony in November triggered local Muslims to demand their imprisonment on the grounds of illegal proselytization, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.

The Christians were all released by Dec. 18 without having been charged with any crime, although each spent time in detention, MSN reports. Their arrests followed Muslim protests calling for their deaths after a video of a baptism ceremony was posted on social media.

“They have been asked to go home and believe what they want, but in private and discreetly,” a Christian leader in the region told Christian Daily International. “It seems that our brothers have more to fear from the Islamists than from their government. Thank God for this happy ending.”

As a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Mauritania technically allows all its citizens the “freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief” of their choice, MSN notes. Nevertheless, the US State Department reported in 2022 that the government suppresses public expression of minority religions.

“Authorized churches were able to conduct services within their premises but could not proselytize,” the US State Department said in its report.“An unofficial government requirement restricted non-Islamic worship to the few recognized Christian churches.”

Ruled by an oppressive Islamic government which prohibits the public expression of other faiths, Mauritania ranks 20th on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2023 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

Latest Worthy News