Restricted
Maldives
The Maldives is one of the most restricted nations in the world, with fewer than 30 known indigenous believers. Any Maldivian who follows Christ faces imprisonment or expulsion from the country. The Maldivian government seeks to eliminate or greatly minimize outside influences that could affect its citizens’ cultural identity, which includes complete commitment to Islam.
Major Religion
Even though many Maldivians have little knowledge of Islam, all Maldivians are officially required to be Sunni Muslims; the government enforces this rule without exception.
Persecutor
The government is the main persecutor, and Maldivian society is aligned with the country’s commitment to ensuring that every Maldivian remains a Muslim. In addition to government persecution, seekers and converts receive tremendous pressure from their families and communities.
WHAT IT MEANS TO FOLLOW CHRIST IN THE MALDIVES
The country’s oppressive anti-Christian government and culture make it one of the world’s most challenging regions for Christian work. Seekers and new converts experience extreme social pressure. Small, close-knit island communities enable the government to maintain tight control over the population. Christian converts have been imprisoned in attempts to pressure them to renounce Christ and return to Islam, and they are usually forced to leave their homes and perhaps even the country.
Access to Bibles
It is illegal to import Bibles, but some Maldivians access Scripture through the internet. Translation of the Bible into Dhivehi, the main language of the Maldives, is ongoing, but the work has been difficult and slow because of the small number of Christian converts who are able and willing to help with translation. Give Bibles
VOM Work
VOM supports creative, covert methods to share the gospel and plant churches inside the Maldives. Give to VOM’s Global Ministry
Pray for Maldives
- Pray that front-line workers will encounter "people of peace" who are open to the gospel.
- Pray that more Maldivian Christians will be able to help translate the Bible into Dhivehi, the local language.
- Pray for Christian converts who have been imprisoned and are pressured to renounce Christ and return to Islam.
- Pray that seekers and new converts will pursue Christ even when faced with societal pressure.
- It is illegal to import Bibles into the Maldives. Pray that God's Word will be accessible to persecuted Christians.
