Our battle in the coronavirus pandemic is not against flesh and blood. We are fighting an unseen enemy. We need God’s mercy and a united front to stop it.

Sadly, there are individuals — even leaders — who are using this time to stoke flames of fear and anger against vulnerable “others,” like religious minorities. That could spell trouble for Christians and members of other faith groups around the world.

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Last Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback took to Twitter to denounce using minority faiths as scapegoats during the coronavirus crisis.

“This is wrong,” he said. “This is a global pandemic — we must all work together and support one another. We call on host countries to step up and push back on these false narratives.”

One offender that likely won’t surprise you is China, ground zero for the outbreak. The authoritarian regime is well known already for harassing Christians, Uyghur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, and others who will not submit to the communist state as their ultimate allegiance. The pandemic has simply given authorities new cover for their attacks.

To China’s west, longtime foes Pakistan and India are also struggling with division. Pakistan is a primarily Sunni Muslim nation, and some in the majority are targeting the Shia Muslim minority during the crisis, even referring to the coronavirus as the “Shia virus.” There are fears stigmatization of the Shia could prevent them from receiving proper care.

In India, the world’s largest democracy, religious attacks are sadly not new. Muslims make up a sizable minority at 14 percent of the population (14 percent of 1.3 billion means more Muslims live in India than any other nation besides Indonesia). Given their growing ranks and India’s hostile relationship with Pakistan, Muslims have been viewed with suspicion by many in the Hindu majority. Extremists have been known to assault and murder Muslims, and government agents have been accused of ignoring or even fomenting such attacks.

Now the hashtag #CoronaJihad is reportedly being used to blame Muslims for the spread of the virus and stir up hate. This is concerning both for Indian Muslims and the 30 million Indian Christians who also regularly face persecution at the hands of Hindu extremists. Open Doors USA ranks India as the 10th most dangerous country in the world for believers (worse than China).

These are just a few examples, but the problem is growing — enough that the the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) issued a release on the broad challenge in recent days. USCIRF Chairman Tony Perkins said, “COVID-19 does not discriminate based on religion or creed… It is time to stop scapegoating religious minorities — as we have witnessed by the Chinese Communist Party — and instead unite against this pandemic.”

Will you pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world?

Please pray that they not be harmed by the virus or the hands of men. Pray that social stigmatization would not prevent them from fair access to food and medicine. Pray that those imprisoned for standing true to Christ may be released.

Would you pray, too, that governments would actually open themselves to the value of religious communities and their ministries? Now is the time for trust to be built so that, by God’s grace, as a team we may all be victorious in this struggle and beyond.

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. (Psalm 31:1-2)

Aaron Mercer is a Contributing Writer with two decades of experience in Washington, D.C.’s public policy arena and Christian associations. A seasoned strategist, he aids organizations with research, analysis, and writing services, and he reflects on faith, technology, and the public square at FTPolicy.com.