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In which countries do Muslims face higher prosecution rates than Christians?
Executive summary
Available reporting shows that persecution affects both Christians and Muslims across many countries, but the balance—whether Muslims face higher prosecution rates than Christians—varies by country and by the measure used (number of countries with any harassment, severity of physical violence, government restrictions). Pew and other surveys count harassment of both groups in many countries (Christians in 166 countries vs. Muslims in 148 in 2022) while advocacy groups and watchdogs point to concentrated, often severe persecution of Christians in a number of Muslim-majority states (e.g., Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Nigeria regions) [1] [2] [3].
1. What the data sets actually measure — “countries with any harassment” vs. severity
Different sources count different things. Pew’s metric counts a country if it records harassment of a religious group at all, so it reports Christians being harassed in 166 countries and Muslims in 148 countries in 2022; that does not indicate which group is more severely persecuted within any specific country [1]. By contrast, Open Doors’ World Watch List and similar Christian advocacy reporting focus on the intensity and outcomes for Christians (deaths, church closures, displacement) and list many Muslim-majority states among the worst for Christians [4] [3] [2].
2. Countries where reporting highlights Christians face especially severe repression
Reporting and advocacy groups repeatedly name a set of countries where Christians face extreme danger. Open Doors’ lists and related Christian-focused analyses point to Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and parts of Nigeria as among places where following Christianity can be life‑threatening — and many of those are Muslim-majority states [3] [2] [4]. Scholarly and NGO work also documents active persecution of Christians across many Muslim-majority countries, from structural discrimination to violence by non‑state actors like ISIS [5] [6].
3. Countries where reporting highlights Muslims face especially severe repression
Other sources emphasize that Muslims are also primary victims in many countries. The Lausanne Movement states that globally “Islam is the most persecuted religion,” noting high levels of harassment against Muslims in India, China, and Myanmar [7]. Pew’s broader country counts show Muslims are harassed in a large number of countries (148 in 2022), reflecting state or social hostility in many contexts that are not Muslim-majority [1].
4. Context matters: majority status, state actors, non‑state actors
Where one group suffers more depends on who is wielding power. In some Muslim-majority countries, state laws (blasphemy, apostasy, restrictions on conversion) or social pressures disproportionately target Christians and other minorities [2] [3]. In other settings — for example, India, China, Myanmar — Muslim communities are singled out for state or communal repression [7]. Non‑state violent actors (terror groups, militias) have victimized both Muslims and Christians depending on local dynamics [6] [5].
5. Geographic and methodological patterns reporters emphasize
Christian-focused NGOs and commentators highlight that many of the worst places for Christians are Muslim-majority, citing statistics such as a high proportion of the top 50 worst countries being Muslim-majority or having influential Muslim populations [8] [9]. Independent research (e.g., Pew) cautions that counting “countries with any harassment” inflates prevalence without capturing severity, and thus cannot alone determine whether Muslims or Christians face higher prosecution rates overall [1] [10].
6. Points of disagreement and implicit agendas to note
Advocacy groups focused on Christian suffering present concentrated rosters of Muslim-majority states as the principal locations of severe Christian persecution [2] [3]. Secular research organizations like Pew emphasize methodological limits and show widespread harassment of both faiths globally [1] [10]. Some sources (blogs or partisan outlets in the dataset) amplify patterns in ways that suggest broader cultural or religious attributions; these may reflect advocacy aims rather than neutral measurement [11] [8].
7. Bottom line for your question
Available sources do not produce a single list of countries where “Muslims face higher prosecution rates than Christians” because studies use different metrics (any harassment vs. severity, deaths, displacement, legal penalties). Pew data shows Muslims are harassed in many countries but fewer countries than Christians on that metric (148 vs. 166 in 2022), while Christian advocacy groups document concentrated, often severe persecution of Christians in many Muslim-majority countries [1] [3] [2]. To answer this question precisely for particular countries would require a country‑by‑country comparison using the same indicators — information not assembled in a single source among those provided (not found in current reporting).