Following Jesus is a death sentence if your faith is discovered.
bottom“The Taliban are conducting a door-to-door search to find us. God alone knows who has informed them about the whereabouts and identities of the believers. If they find us, they kill believers on the spot.”
– Gulshan, a secret believer from Afghanistan
The Taliban’s takeover of power has forced most Christians either further underground or away from the country entirely. Many (if not all) house groups closed, with believers forced to leave behind everything they own. Following Jesus remains a death sentence, if discovered.
The rigid form of society imposed leaves no room for deviation, meaning Christians – almost all of whom are converts from Islam – must keep their faith secret. Leaving Islam is considered shameful and punishable by death under the prevailing Islamic law.
Consequently, Christian converts face dire and violent consequences if their new faith is discovered, even from family members who must save their so-called ‘honour’ by getting rid of them.
Thousands of Afghan refugees, including many Christians, are now living in countries bordering Afghanistan, often in poor conditions in camps for displaced people.
Although the Taliban has deepest roots in the south, east and north west of the country, the whole of Afghanistan is strictly Islamic. This means that Christians face difficulties wherever they are in the country. That said, control and supervision tends to be stricter in rural areas than in most cities. The level of hostility that Christians can face from their families and communities is consistent across the country.
After the Taliban took over government control on 15 August 2021, most Christians tried to leave the country or went into hiding. The takeover proved to be a game-changer especially for women, who are confined to the walls of their homes once again, but also for ethnic and religious minorities, including Christian converts, who are seen as apostates.
The decrease in scores, especially for violence, does not mean that the situation for Christians has improved, but that it has become much more difficult to establish for which reasons people suffered persecution.
– For the protection of secret believers and that God will bring hope to their hearts.
– That those who have fled will be led to places where all their needs are met.
– That the Holy Spirit will soften hearts towards women and religious minorities.
