Maldives

In these Indian Ocean islands all citizens must be Muslims. No other religion can be practised. The Muslim population uses extensive social control to keep watch over every single person to correct any deviation form the path of Islam. Foreigners are allowed to practise their religion in private and are allowed a Bible only for personal use; they cannot gather together for Christian activity. The handful of indigenous Christians are forced to practise their faith in complete secrecy, always in fear of being discovered. Believers in the Maldives usually hide their faith from relatives and will not interact with other believers, they can lose their citizenship, be imprisoned, or lose all of their property.

Examples of Persecution:

• In October 2011, police held a teacher from India for about 15 days before deporting him for having a Bible in his house.
• In September 2010, a group of angry Muslim parents stormed a government school accusing the teacher of drawing a cross in her class and of "preaching Christianity."

Please Pray:

• For a spiritual breakthrough in this nation – one of the least evangelised on earth
• That Bibles and Christian literature will reach and build up the believers, despite the ban on their import
• That the election of a new President (see photo) will bring a new openness to religious liberty