Libya: Praying for Stability

Americans know some of Libya’s turbulent history, including the reign of Muammar al-Qaddafi — a dictator whose regime violated human rights at home and financed terrorism both at home and abroad. He was ousted and then killed in 2011, ushering in a decade of chaos and violence. 

Despite the establishment of an interim government in 2021, the area remains unstable. In July 2023, the U.S. Department of State issued its highest travel advisory about the country: “Do not travel.” In fact, the U.S. government is unable to provide aid to any U.S. travelers in-country. 

Libya's rise

It’s hard to believe that a country now world-renowned for its riches in oil once depended heavily on foreign aid. Time magazine, when reporting on the country’s nascent statehood in December 31, 1951, declared Libya to be: “the first nation brought into being solely by the United Nations. . . . The country has no colleges, and only 16 college graduates. It has only three lawyers. There is not a single Libyan physician, engineer, surveyor or pharmacist in the land. No more than 250,000 Libyans can write their own names; the rest use thumbprints as signatures. . . . The national per capita income is $35 a year.” 

Following the discovery of oil in the late 1950s, Libya now ranks ninth in the world (and first in Africa) for its oil reserves. As a result of an investment in education, the country also enjoys an adult literacy rate surpassing 91 percent, 13 universities, and free education at all levels. 

But Libya’s riches do not remove all of its challenges. Even with a transitional government in place, the country faces political deadlock and continued destabilization. It’s effectively a “lawless land,” according to the Christian ministry Open Doors, with violent extremist groups wielding power. 

Did you know?

In addition to political turmoil and educational strength, consider these geographical and cultural truths about Libya: 

• The country is roughly 2 ½ times larger than the state of Texas. More than 90 percent is desert or semi-desert, with most of its people living along the Mediterranean Sea to the north. 
• The arid landscape away from the Mediterranean hides extensive underground aquifers, leading to the building of oasis towns. Yet no permanent rivers exist — only what are called wadis, which appear during heaving rains.  
• Leptis Magna, a city of magnificent Roman ruins on Libya’s Mediterranean coastline, was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, even though recent years of political upheaval have largely discouraged tourists. Former emperor Septimius Severus (serving 193 - 211 AD) was born there. 
• While Arabic is the official language, both English and Italian are common in major cities. 
• High population growth and a low infant mortality rate mean that more than half of Libya’s population is under age 30.  
• Popular sports include football (soccer), and horse and motor racing. In fact, the capital city, Tripoli, hosted a Grand Prix race for 14 years. 
• While women commonly wear the hijab (veil), to not do so is not illegal.
• However, it is illegal to consume or import alcohol, pork products, or pornography.

Ever-present persecution

It’s also crucial to know that, as even many hope for more political stability ahead, Open Doors labeled Libya as No. 5* among countries where Christians experience the most persecution. Extremist groups target both local Christians and those trying to pass through from sub-Saharan Africa to Europe — even abducting them for slave labor.  

Islam is the state religion in Libya, so “the circulation of non-Islamic religious materials, missionary activity, or speech considered ‘offensive to Muslims’ is banned. The criminal code effectively prohibits conversion from Islam, according to scholars and human rights advocates,” as reported by the U.S Department of State in its “2020 Report on International Religious Freedom: Libya.”  

In 2022 we told you about Nuri and her sister, Muslim-background believers from Libya whose extremist brother was threatening them for their faith. The threat is real, and those who follow Jesus from Muslim backgrounds particularly need your prayers and the experience of God’s comfort. 

In April 2023, Brother Rachid even devoted an episode of his program Let’s Be Clear to how Libyan authorities arrested a group of Libyan converts to Christianity and convicted them of apostasy. Earlier, in September 2022, a Libyan citizen received the death penalty for converting to Christianity from Islam. 

Almost 1,400 users from Libya accessed Brother Rachid’s website in 2022-2023. And we are eager for our programming, resources, and prayer to reach many more in 2024. 

Please pray: 

• For protection for Christians like Nuri and her sister, and peace for those charged with apostasy or given the death penalty 
• For Muslims seeking the truth of the gospel, that they might safely seek Him through our programming. 
• For political stability and a willingness to allow true freedom of religion. 

With your support, AMM’s ministries are working to touch lives in Libya. Click here to learn how you can help us share the gospel there through powerful programming paired with message and phone connections with our trained responders.   

*The top-10 countries where Christians experience persecution are: 

1. North Korea 
2. Somalia
3. Yemen
4. Eritrea
5. Libya
6. Nigeria
7. Pakistan
8. Iran
9. Afghanistan
10. Sudan

World Watch List 2023, Open Doors, https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/ 

— Sources:  “Libya’s interim government takes power after handover in Tripoli,” March 16, 2021, Aljazeera; Libya Travel Advisory, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, updated July 13, 2023; “Libya,” by Mukhtar Mustafa Buru, Dennis D. Cordell, et al, Britannica, updated Jan. 11, 2024; “Libya: Birth of a Nation,” Dec. 31, 1951, Time magazine; “Oil Reserves by Country,” Worldometer; “Literacy Rate by Country,” wisevoter.com; “Libya,” American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers; “Libya,” USAID; opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/libya; “8 things to know before visiting Libya” by Nick Redmayne, March 25, 2015, CNN Travel; “Libya,” Library of Congress, CIA World Factbook, June 2011; “Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna,” UNESCO World Heritage Convention; CIA World Factbook; “Tripoli Grand Prix,” Wikipedia, update Feb. 25, 2023; “Libyan Clothing,” Libyan Heritage House; “Criminal Penalties in Libya,” countryreports.org; “2020 Report on International Religious Freedom: Libya,” May 12, 2021, Office of International Religious Freedom, U.S. Department of State; “Libya: American and Libyan Citizens Arrested and Detained for Conducting Missionary Work and Apostasy,” George Sadek, Law Library of Congress, May 26, 2023.