Most people in Algeria are Muslims, and those who decide to become Christians can face harsh treatment: ostracism, beatings, forced attendance at mosques, disownment by their families, and sometimes permanent expulsion from their home. Church leaders face frequent interrogations or detentions by police and gendarmes (armed police officers). Some pastors have fled the country. Unmarried women are closely monitored, making it difficult to attend underground churches, while widespread church closures have forced thousands into isolation. Female converts risk forced marriage or divorce as corrective punishment. Many believers are forced to live out their faith in secret. Kamelia*, a young secret believer who lives with her devoutly Muslim family, shares, “The biggest challenge for me has always been my family situation. I often have to take my Bible lessons in hiding, which requires a lot of discretion, patience and faith.”
