Under Taliban rule, Afghanistan remains a deadly place for Christians.
bottom“Being a secret believer [in Afghanistan] is like walking on the edge of a blade. It’s full of caution, pain, but also hope and strength.”
—Samira*
*Name changed for security purposes
The dangers facing Christians cannot be overstated: Afghanistan remains a place of extreme persecution for anyone who dares to follow Jesus under the brutally oppressive rule of the Taliban.
Since the group retook power in August 2021, Christians have either fled the country or gone deeper underground. The Taliban believe that it’s impossible for any Afghan to be Christian. Almost all believers are converts from Islam and apostasy is considered punishable by death under Islamic law. To preserve their “honour”, families, clans, and tribes feel obliged to deal harshly with those known to have turned to Christianity. Mere suspicion of conversion—such as avoiding mosque attendance—can trigger catastrophic consequences.
Given the immense risk of meeting with other believers, the church increasingly exists in fragmented, secretive gatherings. This makes accurate assessment of their situation difficult. Those who have fled the country, or become Christians while living as refugees, have slightly more freedom but also face intense challenges, including the threat of deportation.
Control and supervision in smaller, rural communities is stricter than in most cities. But even in cities there’s a very high level of control and increasing CCTV surveillance, forcing Christians to face difficulties throughout the country. If discovered, Christian women suffer beatings, house arrest, forced marriage, sexual assault, and even “honour killing”. Men and boys are vulnerable to forced recruitment by the Taliban and must show obedience or risk exposing their faith.
– That God protects His people and gives them a spirit of hope and peace.
– That Afghan Christian refugees will receive comfort and be protected from harm.
– That God will change the hearts of the Taliban leaders so they will receive Christ.
Given the risks faced by our partners and those they serve, we are restricted in the information we can provide about Afghanistan.
