If a Christian’s faith is discovered, it can be a death sentence.
bottom“Some people grew suspicious of my husband’s [Christian] activities. Early one morning… He was attacked and killed near our home.”
– Yasaman, secret believer in Afghanistan
The international community has seen the scope of the Taliban’s brutal rule since the group took power in August 2021. In the years since, Afghanistan has at least had some level of political stability—but that stability has extended to crushing pressure and violence against minority groups.
As far as the Taliban are concerned, there are no Christians in Afghanistan. Most house churches that existed before the Taliban (even if they had to be hidden) have been closed, as believers were forced to flee or go even further underground.
When the Taliban came to power, they did so with pledges to recognise more freedoms than in the past, but that hasn’t happened. If an Afghan’s Christian faith is discovered, it can be a death sentence, or they can be detained and tortured into giving information about fellow believers.
The surrounding society and family structure have no space for religious freedom, and the government upholds this rigid stance. This means Christians—almost all of whom are converts from Islam—must keep their faith secret, or they may simply disappear.
Thousands of Afghan refugees live in countries bordering Afghanistan, often in poor conditions in camps for displaced people, and many Christians are among them.
Christians in Afghanistan face difficulties wherever they are. Additionally, any Christian refugees forced to return from neighbouring countries will find themselves in a dangerous situation without any support network.
Oppressive social attitudes toward women contribute to the extreme pressures that female converts face from their families and communities. Women who convert apart from their families are rare, but when it happens, it’s almost always hidden.
– Pray for Afghan refugees living in countries where it’s still difficult to follow Jesus.
– Pray that God would be close to secret converts who feel the pain of loneliness.
– Pray that refugees sent back to Afghanistan will be able to find support.
Open Doors works through partners to strengthen Christians from Afghanistan. We cannot provide details about how we support them, as the situation is too dangerous. But we can say that our brothers and sisters desperately need our prayers.
