Persecution takes many forms. For Christians across the Middle East and North Africa, following Jesus can mean losing family, freedom, fellowship or even home. On the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (1 November), their experiences reveal the human cost of faith, and why solidarity matters.

“Please don’t forget us – please be our voice.” This is what the makers of SAT-7 PARS program Insiders heard from viewers in Iran when their messages were able to break through the country’s recent internet blackouts.

It is difficult to define religious freedom in Morocco. On the one hand, the Moroccan Constitution “guarantees the free exercise of worship for all.” On the other hand, the law does not allow Morocco’s estimated 4,000 to 8,000 local Christians to attend the approved churches.