DESIGNATION: Restricted
OVERVIEW: Comoros remains one of the world’s most restricted countries. The government openly welcomes tourists, and although resident foreigners are allowed freedom of religion, Comorians are not. For them, conversion from Islam is illegal. Sharing the gospel and discipling new believers is also highly restricted and can lead to expulsion for foreigners and imprisonment for locals. Muslims who become Christians must meet in secret for study and worship. Some Christian organizations are allowed to operate, but they are strictly monitored and restricted to humanitarian projects. Despite these challenges, the gospel continues to spread through the boldness of underground believers and secret distributions of biblical material.
MAJOR RELIGION: Nearly 99 percent of Comorians are Sunni Muslim.
PERSECUTOR: Anyone who leaves Islam is heavily persecuted by family members and the government.
WHAT IT MEANS TO FOLLOW CHRIST IN COMOROS: Believers must meet in small groups and can only share their faith through one-on-one personal relationships. Every time believers gather to read their Bibles or speak about their faith they risk physical and societal persecution from their communities as well as imprisonment by the government. For example, five believers who hosted a debate in a private residence were imprisoned.
ACCESS TO BIBLES: Translating the Bible into the native languages has been slow and difficult, with only portions of the Scripture available in these languages after more than a decade of work. Most Comorian believers have digital versions of these translated portions on their smartphones.
VOM WORK: VOM helps equip believers to share the gospel.
