Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is the second largest country among former Soviet republics, after Russia. Its president, former Communist Party chief Nursultan Nazarbayev, has been in office since Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991. Ethnic Kazakhs, who make up a slight majority, practice Islam loosely. Other ethnic groups practice Sunni Islam, Russian Orthodoxy and Protestantism, among others.

In late 2011, the government adopted a new repressive religion law. Religious groups were required to re-register with the government, a complex and expensive process. Unregistered religious activity, private religious education and proselytism are illegal, and the activities of registered groups are strictly regulated. Violators face short-term detentions, fines, confiscations of their homes and other penalties. In 2012, the country's new censorship regulations for religious literature went into effect.

Three new measures being considered by the government would "halt illegally functioning places of worship," limit the distribution of religious literature and restrict missionary activity. If implemented, these measures would be in force from 2013 to 2017. Christian converts face harassment from authorities, militant Muslims and family members. After a police raid on Easter Sunday 2013, seven worshippers in a small church were heavily fined, and a 73-year-old woman suffered a heart attack during the raid.

Kuwait

Kuwait has a relatively liberal Islamic regime. Kuwaiti citizens are nearly all Muslim, with the exception of about 100 to 200 Christians and a few Baha'i. The expatriate population includes 450,000 Christians, 400,000 Hindus and 100,000 Buddhists. The state religion is Sunni Islam, and Shariah (Islamic law) has a strong influence. Human trafficking is a major problem in the country.

Evangelism to Kuwaitis is forbidden. Kuwaitis who openly convert to Christianity face harassment and arrest, but more underground church members are making their faith public. Foreign Christians have the freedom to live and work in Kuwait, but they must worship within enclosed compounds, and no new land is being released for church buildings. Only Muslims may become citizens. House churches exist, and Bibles can be sold legally. As recently as three years ago, there were only a handful of Kuwaiti believers, but now there is a small, growing community of indigenous believers. Some are very bold in sharing their faith.

Photo: Wikipedia / Torbenbrinker (cc)

Laos

The Communist Party, which has ruled Laos since 1975, maintains close ties to Vietnam and China. The power and influence of neighbouring Vietnam, China and Burma have somewhat isolated Laos economically and geographically.

Most Laotians consider themselves Buddhist, but rather practise a syncretistic version of Buddhism mixed with tribal animism. While the government-controlled Lao Evangelical Church is allowed to exist, the Communist government and Buddhist monks actively persecute Christians. Poverty, lack of infrastructure and mountainous terrain also make evangelistic outreach a challenge. Thanks to the faithful ministry work of bold evangelists, the church continues to grow even as it experiences ongoing persecution

Life for Christians:

Christianity is viewed as a North American religion or a tool of missions to undermine the Laotian regime. Many in Laos also believe Christians anger the spirits. While house churches and church buildings do exist, the vast majority of them do not have a trained lead pastor. However, in most villages, church buildings are not allowed. If village leaders notice that a house church is growing, they will try to stop it. Christians generally have difficulties providing for themselves and their families, for they often cannot get jobs -- most of which are available through the government. Christians commonly are denied medical treatment, education and other social services. Arrests of believers frequently take place, resulting in detainments that average for up to a week.

Lebanon

Lebanon was a majority Christian nation before 1970, but war, instability and the growing influence of militant Islam prompted many Christians to leave. In 1970, Lebanon was 62 percent Christian. By 2010, Christians composed only 32 percent of the population. The capital city of Beirut is segregated by religion, and there is very little interaction between the two sides.

There is a unique openness to the Gospel among Arab Muslims in Lebanon who have suffered greatly because of the war in Syria. As Lebanon consists of a significant Christian population, it has become a haven for persecuted believers throughout the region. More than one million Syrian refugees have entered the country over the past seven years, increasing Lebanon's population by nearly one-fourth. Yet, these refugees have not always been welcomed with open arms by the general population. Despite the country's hardships, many of the evangelical churches in Lebanon have reached out by caring for their emergency needs. These congregations willingly distribute Bibles and Christian literature, along with food and other necessities. Many receptive Muslim refugees attend home Bible studies and church services to learn about Christianity. Significant numbers have placed their faith in Christ, received baptism, and are now actively witnessing to other Syrian Muslims.

Life for Christians:

In addition to having a reputation of being a free country, Lebanon is highly westernized in urban areas. Those acknowledged as Christians by birth are allowed to worship openly. Yet they can face ongoing harassment from the Muslim majority, such as denial of land acquisition and increased tax rates. More severe forms of persecution occur when believers share their faith or Muslims come to Christ. Christian converts from Islam are persecuted mostly by their families and communities.

Libya

In 1969, Muammar al-Qadhafi seized power in an atmosphere of animosity toward Western control of the oil industry and single-handedly ruled the country, surrounded by a cult of personality.

Qadhafi was best known around the world for his open hostility toward the West and his sponsorship of terrorist groups. However, because of a failing economy, he has begun to open up to the West, including accepting responsibility for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Because of this and other actions, the U.N. lifted sanctions against Libya in September 2003. In December 2003, he agreed to reveal and end Libya’s programs to develop weapons of mass destruction and to renounce terrorism.

In late 2010 and early 2011, unrest in several countries in the region led to pro-democracy campaigns that ousted Tunisia and Egypt’s leaders. The campaigns took place in in Libya as well. Hundreds of civilians died in the crossfire of ongoing battles between Qadhafi-controlled forces in the west and rebel forces in the east, leading to intervention by the international community. The Qadhafi government was toppled in mid-2011 and replaced by a transitional government. Elections were held in 2012 and 2014 but remnants of the former legislature refused to leave office and created a rival government.

A major challenge for Libya has been migrants passing through Libya from sub-Saharan Africa, most heading for Europe. The Christian community is small but growing, though the majority are foreign workers. There are, at present, no laws officially restricting religious freedom, but Islamic law continues to dominate. The presence of ISIS militants is a significant concern. In April 2015, a video was released of Christian migrant workers being beheaded and shot by militants.

Malaysia

Malaysia is a multiracial society that faces serious challenges caused by a large ethnic wealth gap and vast religious differences. Sunni Islam is the official and favoured religion in Peninsular (west) Malaysia. By constitutional definition, all ethnic Malays are Muslim. Civil courts govern the Indian and Chinese ethnic minorities, while Muslim Malays are subject to Islamic, or Shariah, courts in matters such as marriage, land rights, inheritance and religious conversion.

Malaysia's constitution guarantees religious freedom, but fundamentalist Muslims do everything in their power to inhibit Christian evangelism. Shariah law often supersedes the constitution. It is illegal to evangelize Malays, and Malays may not convert to another religion. Apostasy laws make conversion illegal in all but one Malaysian state. The government restricts Christian literature and Bibles in the Malay language and monitors their use.