(Bonn, 25.11.2025) The Global Imams Council (GIC) has published a Statement against the Persecution of Christians which we reproduce here.
Statement from The Global Imams Council on the Persecution of Christians Worldwide
The Global Imams Council expresses deep concern over the alarming rise in the persecution of Christians around the world. We stand in solidarity with our Christian brothers and sisters who continue to face discrimination, violence, and displacement solely for their faith. The Holy Quran reminds us: “There is no compulsion in religion” (2:256), a timeless command that upholds freedom of belief and the sanctity of hum an dignity.
Reports indicate that more than 380 million Christians currently experience high levels of persecution and discrimination, with an estimated 310 million living under extreme threat—including violence, imprisonment, and forced displacement. Incidents of sexual violence, harassment, and other faith-related attacks have also risen sharply in recent years. Such acts are in direct violation of the moral and ethical values shared by all Abrahamic faiths.
Nigeria remains among the most dangerous countries for Christians, where extremist groups such as Boko Haram and Fulani militants have carried out horrific acts of violence. Since 2009, over 52,000 Christians have been killed, 18,500 churches destroyed, and millions displaced. In 2025 alone, over 5 million Christians have reportedly been displaced, more than 9,000 churches attacked, and hundreds of clergy kidnapped or killed. These atrocities, often carried out in the name of religion, are a grave distortion of Islam ’s true teachings and must be unequivocally condemned by all people of conscience.
The Global Imams Council calls upon Muslim leaders, scholars, and institutions worldwide to intensify efforts toward interfaith dialogue, education against extremism, and collaboration with Christian and other faith leaders to foster understanding and peace. We further urge governments and international bodies to ensure the protection of all religious minorities and to uphold the universal right to freedom of belief.
In these challenging times, we reaffirm our shared responsibility to defend hum an dignity and promote coexistence among all faith communities. The Global Imams Council extends its prayers and unwavering support to persecuted Christians everywhere and remains steadfast in its commitment to a world where every individual m ay practice their faith freely, safely, and without fear.
About the Global Imams Council
The Global Imams Council (GIC) is an independent, non-governmental organization founded in 2014, comprising Islamic scholars and leaders from all Islamic denominations and schools of thought. Headquartered in Najaf, Iraq, and Toronto, Canada, it serves as a global representative body advocating mainstream Islamic teachings rooted in the Quran and Prophetic traditions. The Council promotes peaceful coexistence, interfaith dialogue, and counters extremist ideologies, providing guidance to Muslim communities worldwide. It holds a unique authority to issue fatwas and represents over 1,500 Imams, playing a significant role in fostering unity and peace among Muslims globally while opposing extremism and terrorism.
“The GIC established its Interfaith Network, composed of influential leaders. The first to join the Network was his Holiness Ganzevra Sattar Jabbar Hilo al-Zahrony, the worldwide head of The Sabean Mandeans, followed by numerous other prominent religious leaders, including HRH Prince Gharios El Chemor, the Hon. Archbishop Dr Thomas Schirrmacher, the Hon. Archbishop Malkhaz Songulashvili, and His Excellency Rabbi Elie Abadie of the United Arab Emirates.” (quoted from Wikipedia)
The GIC published many major statements (https://imams.org/gic-news/), e.g. in 2020 adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism and in 2025 backing the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. In 2023 they called upon all Muslim states to end Female Mutilation.
The GIC is also the only council with the authority to propose fatwas to the Islamic Fatwa Council (IFC), a non-government body of Shiite, Sunni and Sufi clerics headquartered in the Iraqi spiritual capital of Najaf. The Global Imams Council was the driving force behind the first and only Fatwa (Islamic Verdict) against Hamas, which is binding in courts across the Muslim world, declaring that Hamas is responsible for corruption and terror against Palestinian civilians in Gaza (https://gic01.bonn-profiles.net/). The fatwa states it is prohibited to pray for, join, support, finance, or fight on behalf of Hamas. It strongly condemns Hamas’s actions as contrary to Islamic principles, international law, and human rights.
Vice President Imam Mohammed Tawhidi from Australia, also known as “the Imam of Peace”, regularly publishes researched expertises on the Muslim Brotherhood and extremism. He is advisor on Counter-Extremism and Terrorism Affairs at TRENDS Research & Advisory (https://trendsresearch.org/expert/imam-mohammad-tawhidi/).
Downloads and Links
- Statement from The Global Imams Council on the Persecution of Christians Worldwide: https://bonner-querschnitte.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GIC-CV-2025.pdf, https://bonner-querschnitte.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GIC-CV-2025.jpg
- Wikipedia entry on the Global Imams Council: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Imams_Council
