There is no freedom of religion and Christians are closely monitored.
bottom“My son threatens me, saying that when I die, he will not bury me but will just dump me...[but] I cannot live without Jesus. I cannot deny Him, even if it means being persecuted.”
– Zaida*
Despite Turkmenistan’s constitution allowing for religious freedom, there is little room for Christians to breathe. The authoritarian government uses a huge body of state agents such as police, secret services, and local imams to closely monitor all religious activities. All religious groups are required to register with the authorities, and all non-registered activities are banned.
There are many restrictions to how Christians can live out their faith in Turkmenistan. Printing or importing Christian materials, holding unofficial meetings, or even downloading Christian songs can result in a fine or a worse punishment. Christian leaders are the most closely observed. Even the country’s historical Russian Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic churches can find their Sunday services being monitored.
The majority of people in Turkmenistan are Muslims. People who become Christians from this background are at risk of being shamed, harassed, disinherited, or even beaten by their family, friends, or community.
Government hostility is consistent towards all Christians in Turkmenistan, but pressure towards Christian converts from family, friends and local communities is especially high in rural areas.
In this patriarchal Islamic culture, female converts may keep their faith a secret, otherwise, they are used as a target to intimidate other believers. Church leaders are viewed as responsible for leading people away from Islam and are confronted with the threat of violence to instil fear in congregations.
– Ask God to soften the hearts of the leadership, that they will find the hope of Jesus.
– Pray for unity among Christians and their leaders.
– Ask God to make a way for His Word and other Christian materials to reach believers hungry for Scripture.
Open Doors strengthens the church in Central Asia by providing relief aid, Bibles, ministry training, prayer support, vocational training and business microloans, as well as projects such as rehabilitation centres.
