Algeria is clamping down on house churches imposing a strict limit of 10 people per gathering. Several church leaders were sent to prison.
This crackdown is occurring against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war. The Algerian govt views the Christian minority as sympathizing with Israel and harboring foreign and Western influences that goes against the nation's Islamic unity ICC explains.
Morocco and Algeria are bitter rivals over the issue of the Western Sahara. In 2020, Morocco normalized relations with Israel in return for the United States recognizing Morocco's sovereignty over the Western Sahara. Algeria on the other hand recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic as the sole legitimate governing representative of the Western Sahara.
There has been a resurgence of Christianity among the Berber minority with vigorous growth and outreach of the Christian community to their Muslim neighbors.
Even though Christian churches are technically legal in Algeria, the government has placed them under close scrutiny with new Christians being discriminated against by the Algerian government as well as the local community.
https://www.christianpost.com/news/algeria-govt-limits-house-church-gatherings-arrests-pastors.html
This crackdown is occurring against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war. The Algerian govt views the Christian minority as sympathizing with Israel and harboring foreign and Western influences that goes against the nation's Islamic unity ICC explains.
Morocco and Algeria are bitter rivals over the issue of the Western Sahara. In 2020, Morocco normalized relations with Israel in return for the United States recognizing Morocco's sovereignty over the Western Sahara. Algeria on the other hand recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic as the sole legitimate governing representative of the Western Sahara.
There has been a resurgence of Christianity among the Berber minority with vigorous growth and outreach of the Christian community to their Muslim neighbors.
Even though Christian churches are technically legal in Algeria, the government has placed them under close scrutiny with new Christians being discriminated against by the Algerian government as well as the local community.
https://www.christianpost.com/news/algeria-govt-limits-house-church-gatherings-arrests-pastors.html
