Story Tag: Afghanistan

What Being a Secret Believer Looks Like

 

In this episode, Andrew and Nicolette share the stories of three different secret believers and talk about what that really means. Join us in prayer for these brothers and sisters.

Download a copy of the 2024 World Watch List at https://www.opendoorscanada.org/worldwatchlist/

Find more resources to pray for the persecuted church at https://www.opendoorscanada.org/get-involved/pray/

Get in touch with us at podcast@odcan.org

Subscribe to the #OpenDoorsCanada podcast via iTunes, PodBean, Spotify, and more.

*Names changed for security purposes.

Khada’s Dangerous Secret

Khada*, one of the secret believers in Afghanistan, carries a secret that could get her killed. But she’s trusting you with it – because she needs your support.

Khada’s friend slipped the book quietly to her. Khada dropped it into her bag and took it home to show her husband.

It was a Bible.  

Just holding it in their hands was dangerous for this couple. Like almost everyone in Afghanistan, Khada and Ehsan* were strict Muslims. But curious, they began to read – and it changed their lives. 

“We had questions, which we solved together, and my husband told me he would follow whatever path I took,” said Khada. “We chose the path of Christ.” 

The decision came with the highest cost.

Khada and Ehsan chose to follow Christ together. They paid a high cost.

Three Taliban years 

Since the Taliban seized control in 2021, it has never been more dangerous to follow Jesus in Afghanistan. The country is 10th in Open Doors World Watch List. The reality is, if you leave Islam and you are found out, you will be killed. 

Many Christians have fled and remaining believers have gone into hiding.

But incredibly, the church appears to be growing.  

“The people of Afghanistan are thirsty for love because, for decades, they have experienced war and misery,” says our local partner. “Jesus motivates believers to operate covertly, spreading the good news. They keep faith alive by reading the Word and meeting when it’s safe.” 

Unbearable cost 

Khada and Ehsan had been baptized and were connected to a group of secret believers. They were very careful – but no matter how careful you are, danger is always there. For Khada, the cost was unbearable. 

One day, after visiting a Bible study group, Ehsan did not return home. He had been captured and executed.

Khada was overcome with grief with only the words of Scripture to comfort her.

“My friend, the one who gave me the Bible, told me Ehsan was now with Christ,” said Khada. “I stopped crying, read Ephesians 6 and vowed to serve Jesus.” 

“In the Taliban regime we face challenges, but with strong faith, we persevere. With hope, I continue to be a servant of Christ.” 

Khada

Your generous gift today will support a struggling secret believer like Khada.

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Not alone 

Now, Khada carries her dangerous secret, supporting other believers and quietly raising her children to follow Jesus. But she can’t do it alone. 

As a widow, Khada can’t survive without vital aid. As a secret believer, she depends on the global church to keep her faith strong. Your gifts and prayers can provide Bibles, discipleship training and run vital livelihood projects for Khada and secret believers around the world. 

“In the Taliban regime we face challenges,” said Khada. “But with strong faith, we persevere. With hope, I continue to be a servant of Christ.” 

*we’ve changed her name because of the extreme danger involved in sharing this story. 

Will you support secret Christians like Khada?

Please pray

  • That Khada will know the Lord’s comfort as she grieves the loss of her husband.
  • For protection over Khada and Afghan Christians as they bravely follow Jesus. 
  • For secret believers everywhere, that God will give them strength.

Please give

  • Every $34 could give Bibles to five secret believers, so they can meet God in his Word. 
  • Every $75 could help a secret believer establish a livelihood, giving long-term financial security. 
Give a gift today

Afghan Believer shares gospel in new home

In the months after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August of 2021, more than 1 million Afghans fled the country. The economic collapse and the threat of brutal governance drove thousands of people to stream across borders each day. And now, more than three years later, there have been at least 3.6 million Afghans who have left the country, most of whom are in neighbouring countries.

As Taliban forces went door-to-door, looking for non-Muslims and anyone who had worked with foreign militaries, followers of Jesus were left with a difficult choice: stay, knowing if their faith was discovered they could be executed; or flee into the unknown. Many believers made the painful decision to leave their homeland in the hope of saving the lives of themselves and their families.

One of these Christians is Abdulla*.

He and his family made it out to an undisclosed country in Central Asia. An Open Doors partner recently checked in with Abdulla and was able to share this report.

Abdulla has been able to get citizenship in the country where he lives. And now he’s working on securing citizenship for his wife, Fatima*.

And according to Abdulla, their new home is precisely where God has called them to be!

“When I escaped from my country and came to Central Asia with my family, my initial plan was to go farther to one of the European countries for ‘the better life,’ but I’m still here in Central Asia,” he says. “I prayed, and now I’m sure God is calling me and my family to serve here.”

 

Fatima takes care of their three children while working as a hairdresser. She also has a Sunday school ministry in a local church. Abdulla also serves as a home group leader in the church and works with other Afghan refugees. And even their children have been able to share the good news of Jesus!

"My initial plan was to go farther..now I'm sure God is calling me and my family to serve here."

Abdulla, Afghan refugee in central asia Tweet

“I know that many refugees from Afghanistan are already in Western countries, even some of our friends, but we are not going,” Abdulla says. “My wife and I decided to follow God’s calling. We can see how God is blessing our family. Our elder son, who is 12 years old, shares the gospel with other children in his school. He is also responsible for leading our evening family prayers twice a week. We gave him this responsibility to teach him.”

Abdulla has also started a new ministry project, where he shares the gospel in his native language and makes Christian content available through an online resource.

“It’s obvious that people are using the information from this internet resource; we get phone calls very often,” Abdulla says. “A month ago, a man called us and asked a lot of questions about Jesus. It turns out that he was from a radical Muslim community but was very interested in learning about Jesus. That man is now ready to accept Jesus. It is very encouraging that we can serve such people through our internet resource!”

Pray

He also asks us to continue to pray for him and his family as they serve God in their Central Asian country. Abdulla shared specific requests with our local partners:

  • For the safety and protection of my family in this Muslim country.
  • For the opportunity to visit my parents-in-law in the Middle East and to speak with them about Jesus.
  • Pray also for wisdom, because they are strong Muslims.
  • For our growth in faith and ministry.

Why Afghanistan’s Score Dropped on the WWL

In this episode, we’ll discuss the surprising drop of Afghanistan from #1 to #9 on the World Watch List, and we’ll talk about whether this means that life is getting better for Christians in Afghanistan. 

Watch ‘We have lost our homeland’ | Reflections from Afghan Refugees at https://youtu.be/0hUlfVNTiaQ

Download a copy of the 2023 World Watch List at https://www.opendoorscanada.org/worldwatchlist/

Find more resources to pray for the persecuted church at https://www.opendoorscanada.org/get-involved/pray/

Get in touch with us at podcast@odcan.org

Subscribe to the World Watch Weekly podcast via iTunes, PodBean, Spotify, or YouTube.

A New Well Provides Water for Refugees

This is a note from Ahmad (pseudonym), an Open Doors partner in Central Asia.

I want to tell you some very good news. We have started a ministry on the border between our (undisclosed) country in Central Asia and Afghanistan. This is a very difficult and closed area for the Gospel. But by the grace of the Lord, we can serve in this region. There are now a lot of refugees from Afghanistan, many of them are hiding in a deserted area without clothes, food and drinking water.

Those who live there cannot get their water because of the climate changes and harsh terrains. Those who earn, at least, a small income in a family can afford to buy water, but such people are very few. Basically, people drink rainwater and water from rivers and ditches. The risk of disease is very high.

We prayed a lot about this situation and by God’s grace, your prayers, and your help, we were able to make our dream and the dream of many people in this region a reality. We started drilling 240 meters deep and found water there!

This path was very difficult, many of those who were engaged in the drilling were initially reluctant to get involved with this project, especially because they were not sure whether they would even find water in this area. And besides, there was no equipment that could reach such depths. Fortunately, one company agreed to help us and ordered additional specialist equipment to drill to the required depth.

The team drilled for 240 metres before finding clean water.
The machine was drilling, with three shifts of workers working around the clock to find the underground water. And finally, a miracle happened. After a month of work, we reached the desired depth and found water. Now, local residents, Afghan refugees, our minister and his family, and other believing brothers and sister can use this water source free of charge! Praise the Lord!

Afghan Refugees on being Christians in Afghanistan

"We have lost our homeland."

On August 15, 2021, Taliban fighters swept into Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, the last step to their complete military control of the country. By the end of the month, American military forces had withdrawn from Afghanistan, and the nation’s conversion into an Islamic emirate ruled by the Taliban was made official.

It’s been nearly 18 months since that date and Open Doors wanted to bring you this first-hand look at what the situation is like for Christians living in Afghanistan, as well as for Afghans who made the painful decision to flee to Central Asia and live as refugees.

These are real quotes from real people who are from Afghanistan and surrounding areas. For security reasons, names are disguised throughout—but please pray with your sisters and brothers who risk everything to follow Jesus in and around Afghanistan.

Last year, Open Doors reported: “Christians are in grave danger. Anybody who is exposed, will be severely punished.” That was shortly after the Taliban took over in Afghanistan. What’s changed since then?

Hana, Open Doors partner in the region: Tens of thousands of people have fled the country; hundreds of people [who were] seen to have “collaborated” with the United States and the previous government were killed. The Christian community in particular was exposed to the Taliban. Many of our families had to flee on the night the Taliban arrived; others [fled when they heard] homes were being cleared out and friends and family members were being martyred.

“Ordinary people in Afghanistan live in great danger. When they get up in the morning, they can’t be sure if they’ll live to see the night. And when they go to bed at night, there is no certainty that they will live until morning. A lot of terrible things are happening there, [which ] we … learn about from our friends and relatives. They say that the Taliban often go [out] in the evenings; they break into houses and can just kill for any reason.”

—Abdulla, Afghan refugee in Central Asia

The Taliban swept into power with promises of moderation—for women, religious minorities, etc.
What’s the status of those promises?

Hana: The moderation is yet to appear to the people in Afghanistan. In fact, things are getting worse; on days when policies become moderate, they are changed to even more harsh policies in hours. [The Taliban] have lost the trust of all people, and many live a life of uncertainty.

“It’s been a year from last year[’s Taliban takeover] to now, as I can say with confidence that there hasn’t been a single day that I’ve been happy.”

—Sitara, Afghan refugee in Central Asia

“It is very difficult to live in Afghanistan now. Women don't have any human rights there. [They] have been forced to wear the hijab [head coverings]. And if a woman refuses to wear the hijab, she will either be killed or severely beaten.”

—Shafika, Afghan refugee in Central Asia Tweet this

“It is very difficult to live in Afghanistan now. Women don't have any human rights there. [They] have been forced to wear the hijab [head coverings]. And if a woman refuses to wear the hijab, she will either be killed or severely beaten.”

—Shafika, Afghan refugee in Central Asia Tweet this

What is daily life like for Christians in Afghanistan?

Hana: Afghanistan’s Christians are on the move, trying their best to avoid detection. Many families who faced persecution in the past see a continuation of this persecution; however, now there is no safety anywhere, for anyone. The schools were closed and are now only open for boys; many girls are very upset that they had to stop their education mid-stream. They are capable and intelligent—our Christian girls and boys are compassionate, and willing to serve people. However, the opportunity for the church to engage with the wider community for now is on hold.

“The Christian [in Afghanistan] is a ‘kafir’ [‘sinner’ or ‘infidel’]. If [it’s discovered] that some man is a Christian, they would kill [him] immediately. And not only the person, but also the whole family … would be killed.”

—Nilufar, Afghan refugee in Central Asia

During the Taliban takeover, Open Doors was able to confirm multiple reports that the Taliban had a list of Christians and it was going door-to-door, searching for believers. What was the result of that door-to-door action?

Hana: The door-to-door action involved groups of soldiers launching violent attacks on those on the list, and their families. Many have been killed as retribution for years of being out of power. Others have fled the violence and live in hiding. Christians who worked with the former regime and the West are under particular pressure. There is no sign of any forgiveness.

“In the morning, leaving home, people say goodbye to their parents and relatives because there is no certainty that they will return home and see their family again.”

—Abdulla, Afghan refugee in Central Asia

A believer from Afghanistan recently told us that her parents, still in Afghanistan, describe the country as “a prison” for women. Can you talk about the specific impact of the Taliban’s rule on women?

Hana: This is the return to the ways of [an extremist branch of] Islam that sees women as the “property” of men who have one purpose: to produce more soldiers for the fight or jihad. Therefore, for some it is a prison; others have been forced into marriage with Taliban fighters who abuse them for the purpose of raising a family. This strategy also ensures a long-term link with the community, and it is the best way to embed their ideology and fighters. The levels of fear rising in the community in Afghanistan ensures compliance, as anyone who disagrees with the regime are tracked [now] and killed later. The numbers of female activists killed in Afghanistan continues—now as state-sanctioned and -approved [actions].

“The women now live as in prison—[like] how it feels to be in a closed box. They can’t breathe. If a woman goes out, she doesn’t know what will happen with her in the next 10 minutes. Will she return home … or not?”

—Nilufar, Afghan refugee in Central Asia

“It is very difficult to live in Afghanistan now. Women don’t have any human rights there. [They] have been forced to wear the hijab [head coverings]. And if a woman refuses to wear the hijab, she will either be killed or severely beaten.”

—Shafika, Afghan refugee in Central Asia

“I have two nieces [still in Afghanistan]. They also have daughters. They can’t go outside. If they come out, they will be caught and killed.”

—Hadija, Afghan refugee in Central Asia

Where do you see God at work in Afghanistan?

Hana: God is continually at work in Afghanistan – because He has always worked in Afghanistan. Even though there are only a handful of believers, He has been faithful to them. He continues to answer their prayers, give them the strength to endure suffering and call them to Him at the time of His choosing. God continues to lead the visible and freer church like [yours in the West] to pray for them, so you can recognize yourself as being of one Body. God continues to open doors for those searching for Him.

“Please continue to pray; not only for us, but also for the Taliban. Of course, the Taliban are our enemies, but I ask you to pray for their salvation.”

—Abdulla, Afghan refugee in Central Asia Tweet this

“Please continue to pray; not only for us, but also for the Taliban. Of course, the Taliban are our enemies, but I ask you to pray for their salvation.”

—Abdulla, Afghan refugee in Central Asia Tweet this

Pray

How can people pray for believers there?

Hana: Pray for:
1. Security for all believers and seekers, for people to meet with Christ in dreams and visions, that Christ may direct them to a place of nurture and discipleship. Pray for our teams as they navigate minefields and dangerous parts of the country to reach our family in Christ.
2. Access to education and medical help: Apart from food and relief, the way out of an existence [where the church simply “survives”] is the access people can have to education and medical help.
3. For vision and prophesy in the church that will lead us to a thriving and growing church even in these circumstances.
4. For our team who continues to work under grave conditions. Pray for the men and women with their own families and children who are willing to put themselves at risk for the strengthening of the Church.

“Please continue to pray; not only for us, but also for the Taliban. Of course, the Taliban are our enemies, but I ask you to pray for their salvation.”
—Abdulla, Afghan refugee in Central Asia

“I would ask [people] to pray for the simplest of things. I am not asking for a big thing, but, for example, about the basic things: about education, work [and a] peaceful life.”
—Sitara, Afghan refugee in Central Asia

A Visit with Afghan Refugees

Open Doors partner Miranda* was recently blessed with the opportunity to visit Afghan refugees, in an undisclosed location. She shares her reflections here. 

The smell of urine flooded my nostrils as we entered the apartment block where many Afghan refugees were staying. Our contact told us that these refugees had come even before the fall of the Kabul government on 15 August 2021. It all started when the Taliban began its quest of capturing the country—step by step, village by village, town by town.

As we climbed up the narrow stairs, I saw that the sides of it were filled with broken old stuff: furniture, bicycles, broken wood etc. When we arrived on the top floor, happy faces of women and children enthusiastically greeted us at the entrance of an apartment. They were all smiles, looking at us and saying something to us that we could not understand. “They are just saying thank you for the help you have provided,” said our local contact.
We were then ushered into a small room where we were greeted by three men and one woman. They invited us to sit on the carpeted floor. The closed room still felt cold as it was winter and there was no heater or fireplace in the room. A few young Afghan women came in to serve us tea and sweets as refreshments.

An Afghan refugee camp. 

“I sang Afghan songs for a living. My career is considered sinful by the Taliban. And I have three daughters. The Taliban will take them as wives, even without my approval,” said the singer. All of them had sold everything they owned in Afghanistan to come here. But life has been difficult for them as refugees. They are unable to get a permit to work and earn an income, but still have to pay to renew their refugee status every year. On top of that, they must pay rent for the place they are staying.

“Sometimes, we don’t know what to spend our limited money on – food, rent, medicine or sometimes renewing our refugee card,” said a mother, with a baby crying in her arms. She and many other women were part of the Afghan refugees that we visited that week. “The Taliban took my husband away when we were crossing the border. My son, my three daughters and I made it here, but one of my daughters died from an illness,” one refugee woman told a team member. As the woman was sharing her story, we noticed her son. The expression on his face clearly showed it all – anger, bitterness, hatred. There was so much pain.

I thought to myself about how extremely difficult it must be to be a refugee. What future is there for them? They say no one asked them how they could be helped. Right now, they cannot work. They are
professionals – doctors and nurses – but they cannot practice their profession in a foreign land. There is paperwork to do and permits to chase. There is no telling how long they will be here, in transit between
countries – longing for a home, and trudging toward whatever lies ahead. They lost their husbands and children to the Taliban, and now they are picking up the pieces of whatever is left.


“What hope do we have, for ourselves, for our children?” said another refugee woman, who worked as a schoolteacher back in Afghanistan. Pointing to a young girl sitting next to her, she said, “She finished her school education in Afghanistan. She is supposed to be in college. But now she can’t. She can’t study. She can’t work. What can she do?”


 Hope. It is the one thing that they need so desperately. “Please don’t forget us!” they pleaded with us before we left.


 Through your support, Open Doors helped this refugee family with practical aid, and continues to be present with them in their time of need. “You’re the only group who came to help us,” they said. A listening ear and visits from a ministry partner can give our Afghan brothers and sisters hope. But I know that there is still so much to do. Yes, we can help practically, but the greatest hope we can give them is to pray for them to know the source of hope – Jesus Christ.

Afghan Refugees Face Deportations and Threats

More than one year after the fall of Kabul and with winter approaching, thousands of Afghan refugees are left to fend for themselves in refugee camps in foreign countries.

For example, a man named Jamal* has not eaten in days from fear and anxiety. Last month, when he was taking a blanket to his sister who lives elsewhere in the refugee camp where he lives, he was stopped by a group of men. They pulled him aside into an alley and told him, “This is where we killed two Christians two years ago. We can tell you the exact spot where we left their bodies to rot. Do you wish to lie in the same spot?

“We know what you are up to and if you do not come for prayers we will make sure you and your entire family are piled up there,” they said.

Jamal, who does not want his real name to be mentioned, told Open Doors’ local sources the men were local vigilantes who are refugees but working for the government of the host country. “They inform on people who are suspicious in any way,” the local source said. “The story of the two Christians who were killed in that place is well known and Jamal and other Christians know that these are not empty threats.”

Deportations

Decades of conflict, political instability, economic challenges, and the Taliban’s take-over of the country last year, has forced at least 2.6 million Afghans to flee. Approximately 2.2 million are registered in Iran and Pakistan alone, according to the UNHCR. 

While facing threats within the refugee camps, another big fear for Afghan refugees is that the police will round them up to send them back to their home country. Some refugees told Open Doors’ local partners that there had been an increase in men forcibly deported, leaving families behind without husbands and fathers.

“The deported refugees did not even have the opportunity to appeal the actions of the authorities in court,” the local source said.

It has left refugee families anxious about going out, which lowers their chances of finding jobs to earn money to feed their families.

One refugee told the Open Doors source that two of his neighbours had been detained the day before and sent across the border to Afghanistan. “For what reason they were urgently deported – nobody knows,” said the source. “The refugees worked in shops, cafes and restaurants in small cities. Almost all of these points have now been closed,” he said.

“Some refugees say that their life in their host country was not easy before but that the danger of being deported has become a new problem for them.”

A return to Afghanistan would pose a great risk, especially for Christians. Most of them are converts from Islam, which – under the Taliban – carries the death sentence. 

It was the Taliban take-over of government that pushed Afghanistan to #1 in this year’s Open Doors World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is hardest to live as a Christian. Open Doors researchers called the Taliban’s return to power a “game changer”, not only for women and ethnic minorities but also for religious minority groups. 

Please Pray

  • It’s impossible to live openly as a Christian in Afghanistan. Pray that despite believers’ isolation, they would be strengthened and encouraged and that God would make “seeing eyes blind” so that their faith would not be discovered.

Current Situation for Believers in Afghanistan

This month brings little relief for the people of Afghanistan. Severe drought, earthquakes, and flash floods, which caused numerous deaths this year, continue to have an impact on families displaced across the gulf region. The Taliban’s ever-tightening grip on society, lack of access to healthcare and the prospect of a freezing winter ahead make the coming months even harder for the persecuted church. Yet still, we see local partners working to strengthen the body of Christ in Afghanistan.

Our persecuted brothers and sisters need our prayers and support. Pray especially for their health and well-being. Pray that they will be able to stand strong and hold on to their faith even as they face hardships. Pray for local partners who are serving on the ground.

Climate change and food insecurity

The compounding effects of natural disasters and the intensifying humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan have brought the lives of Afghan people to a virtual standstill. According to the United Nations, approximately, 18.9 million Afghan people, including children, are suffering from high levels of acute food insecurity.

With livelihoods gone, many are looking for ways to survive the months ahead. There is a deep concern that with a cold winter approaching, the well-being of many is in question.

Pray that God will provide our brothers and sisters with enough to eat and the means to keep themselves and their families warm. Pray for those who need shelter and that through the work of partners, we will be able to encourage them and show them God’s love.

Pray for the health and well-being of women and children

In the two decades leading up to the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan had been making significant progress in terms of health care and had been on track to expand the scale of health coverage across the nation. The withdrawal of foreign funding and loss of access to essential materials, as a result of the humanitarian crisis, have proven to be a fatal blow to the healthcare system. Earlier this year, the World Health Organization estimated that over 24.4 million Afghans will need humanitarian health aid in 2022.

Currently, a shortage of resources and staff has resulted in many medical centres being closed across the country. Pregnant women and children are dying during childbirth due to a lack of functioning hospitals and a scarcity of midwives and other vital medical services. Closed centres mean that children will be deprived of routine immunizations, leaving them susceptible to disease.

People in the country are directing their efforts to bridge this gap in access to health care. Some of them, even at the risk of being kidnapped and harassed, are courageously travelling long distances carrying medications and other essential supplies.

Pray that partners and other humanitarian medical aid workers will be able to safely reach rural villages where pregnant women, the elderly, and children are desperately in need of attention.

Pray for displaced and separated families

It was estimated that flash floods have displaced over 8000 families. Many have also been separated during their attempts to leave Afghanistan. With no information on the whereabouts of their husbands, some women are left alone to care and provide for their families. With a regime known for its human rights violations in power, women are very vulnerable right now.

In this harsh reality, some families have even resorted to sending their children to earn money by doing menial jobs in unsafe conditions. According to a survey by Save the Children, more than 1 million children are already engaged in child labour.

We are continuously assessing developments and looking for ways to help these families. While local partners are working on the ground, let us cover this situation in prayer. Pray that God will continue to be with displaced Afghans. Pray that God will reunite separated families and put a stop to children leaving their education behind to become breadwinners.  

Pray for our Christian brothers and sisters

Our Christian brothers and sisters encounter faith-based persecution daily. The economic and humanitarian crises have only added to their suffering. Believers in Afghanistan live in constant fear of being identified as Christians. Under the extremist interpretations of Islamic text by the Taliban, conversion from Islam to another religion is punishable by death. Taliban refuses to acknowledge the existence of a Christian community within the country. According to a Taliban spokesperson, “There are no Christians in Afghanistan. A Christian minority has never been known or registered here.”

Let us uphold the Afghan Christian community in prayer. As they practice their faith in secret, please pray that God will protect and strengthen them. Pray that God will, in the words of our founder, ‘make seeing eyes blind’ for those who are at risk of unjustly being picked up and tortured and forced to embrace an extremist ideology.

Prayer points

  • Please pray for the people of Afghanistan as they head into a very cold winter. Pray that God will provide for our brothers and sisters.
  • Please pray that God will bring this nation out of this humanitarian crisis. Pray also that God will pave the way for good leadership to bring this country out of economic instability.
  • Pregnant women are in a vulnerable state as they have limited access to midwives and essential medications. Pray that God will guide them to the right places at the right time to find proper care.
  • Pray that God will continue to be with families that have been displaced by the floods. Pray also for separated families, that God will provide for their needs and open doors for these families to be reunited with their loved ones.
  • Pray for a change in Afghanistan that will put a stop to child labour.
  • Pray for the courageous people who are serving among the Afghan people.
  • Pray for the safety of our Christian brothers and sisters who are enduring hard circumstances and yet firmly holding onto their faith. Pray that God will strengthen them and increase their numbers despite the hindrances against them.
  • Pray for the work that local partners are doing. Pray they will be equipped to reach out with God’s love to more people.

Taliban calls latest US Religious Freedom Report ‘false’

The U.S. Department of State’s latest report on International Religious Freedom released in June has elicited an expected response from Afghanistan’s Taliban government. They have rejected the findings that religious minorities face tremendous pressure and persecution in the country.

A Taliban spokesperson claimed that “Sunnis, Shiites, Sikhs, and Hindus practice their religion freely [in Afghanistan].” He did not acknowledge the estimated 10,000-12,000 Christians who currently reside in the country and deserve to be treated equally among other minority religious groups.

Hana Nasri*, a partner in the region shares: “While it is well known, because of our authentic connection in country, that religious minorities live in fear of the strict Sharia law enforced by the Taliban, the extremist rulers want to project themselves as a more tolerant authority in the international worldview. In the light of this development, please pray for the Taliban leadership to be truly challenged by the Holy Spirit to not only be inclusive of minority religious groups in the country but to seek Him and be saved. We have seen miracles before.”

Please pray for safety for believers who have to live keeping their faith a secret. If their Christian faith is discovered, converts can face dire circumstances for choosing to follow Jesus. Beheadings and public executions were common practice during the Taliban rule earlier during 1996-2001. Believers live in fear of a similar situation taking place again.

On June 1, Children’s Day, our frontline partners went to the refugee camp to give small gifts to children. They also came with food, hygiene items, and medicines.

Praise God for the opportunity to minister to refugee children!

“Because the people are very poor, they do not have the opportunity to make presents for their children, so the children are very happy to have these gifts for the holiday,” shares Klaudia*, one of our local partners. . “Children are deprived of the opportunity to study, and our partners on the ground – members of various churches – visit refugee camps and provide all possible assistance from them such as food, medicines, clothing, and necessary household items. They pray with them and talk to them about God.”

The situation of Afghan refugees in the border territories is very deplorable. Their number is huge and continues to grow gradually, while the state practically does not officially recognize the presence of such a number of internally displaced persons. As a result, funding is not allocated for their proper provision.

Klaudia asks for prayer: “Please pray for more opportunities for Christians to work with refugees and serve them. Please pray that the refugees will receive more care from the governments where they currently reside, and please ask God to prevent the influence of the new TB regime on Central Asian countries.“

Please Pray

Its impossible to live openly as a Christian in Afghanistan. Pray the despite believers’ isolation, they would be strengthened and encouraged, and that God would make “seeing eyes blind” so that their faith would not be discovered. Also pray the God will soften the hearts of the community around our family. Pray there are gospel opportunities, and a safe community for them.

Religious Freedom in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate

Every year the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an advisory body to the State Department and US Congress, publishes a report about the state of international religious freedom with recommendations for US policy.

In its 2022 Annual Report, released on Monday 25 April, USCIRF said the overall human rights situation in Afghanistan had deteriorated significantly after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 but that it was particularly “calamitous” for, among others, religious minorities. They “faced harassment, detention and even death due to their faith or beliefs,” it said, highlighting how Christian converts were forced “to practice their faith in hiding due to fear of reprisal and threats from the Taliban.

The situation regressed so much that the country should be added again to the list of “Countries of Particular Concern,” defined as engaging in “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom”, USCIRF said. It also recommended that the Taliban should be re-designated as an “entity of particular concern”. If the US government decides to follow the advice, these designations give it legal authority to impose sanctions. 

The last time USCIRF advised the US State Department to nominate Afghanistan as a ‘Country of Particular Concern” was in 2001, just before the Taliban was ousted. 

The recommendation is in line with findings of Open Doors researchers that led to Afghanistan taking over North Korea as No. 1 on the 2022 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is hardest to be a Christian.

India – hostility to religious minorities

Like last year, the Commission also recommended classifying India as a Country of Particular Concern, as religious freedom conditions had further deteriorated in 2021. “The government continued to systemize its ideological vision of a Hindu state at both the national and state levels through the use of both existing and new laws and structural changes hostile to the country’s religious minorities,” it said.

Last month Haryana became India’s 11th state to pass an anti-conversion law that criminalises religious conversion when forced by, for example, fraud, inducement, misrepresentation or by marriage. Hindu nationalists perceive religious conversions to be a threat to India’s overwhelmingly Hindu composition and they have used the anti-conversion laws to harass and attack religious minorities.

Afghanistan refugee camp

 An OD report has found that violence is more frequent in states that have passed such laws than in those that have not.

India is 10th on the 2022 Open Doors World Watch List. 

Please Pray:

Its impossible to live openly as a Christian in Afghanistan. Pray the despite believers’ isolation, they would be strengthened and encouraged, and that God would make “seeing eyes blind” so that their faith would not be discovered. Also pray the God will soften the hearts of the community around our family. Pray there are gospel opportunities, and a safe community for them.

A Worsening Situation for Afghan Women

Last month, the Taliban regime officially prevented girls from attending high school.  Open Doors partner Hana Nasri* joined us to talk about what this means for the situation for Afghan women and how best we can stand with them amidst the disappointing developments.

A Broken Promise

The Taliban promised the opening of schools for girls on March 21 – a promise lauded by the international community, as it was an assurance that the new government would not revert to their old ways of not allowing women to study or work.

On March 23, just hours after schools officially opened, the Ministry of Education overturned their previous decision – secondary schools for Afghan girls were suddenly closed to the heartbreak and dismay of thousands of young girls and parents in the country.

Open Doors local partner Hana Nasri says this isn’t surprising at all, and regardless of whether schools open or not, the Taliban’s ideology is aimed to disempower women. It’s a worsening situation for all Afghan women. 

“The death sentence to any woman having a professional career was passed the day the Taliban came to power. Regardless of whether schools open or not, the curriculum to be used (if the schools are opened) will be a curriculum meant to brainwash them and keep them hidden, debilitating them and slowing their growth down. The idea is to paralyze them.”

“If you give a woman the ability to leave her house to go to a school building, you give her agency,” continues Nasri. “So even if her brother wraps her up in a burqa and takes her from her front door to the school – even if these are the two doors this woman will ever pass through – it will be empowering for her, and the Taliban doesn’t want that. The Taliban wants to rob women of any agency.”

A Worsening Situation

Afghan women are at a standstill. Those who remain in the country have had to deal with the reinstated anti-women policies of the Taliban, such as being limited in their public appearances without a male chaperone, staying within segregated public spaces, and now preventing teenagers from attending school.

“The women are confused, angry, disappointed, and afraid, both in-country and out of the country,” says Nasri. “Those who are in the country contend with the restrictions being imposed on them, while women who have fled to neighboring countries as refugees have put their lives on hold.”

Another partner, Desiree*, shares about her recent meeting with Afghan refugees in Central Asia. “I recently met a mother whose daughter used to freely be able to go to school in Afghanistan, and now as a refugee, she can’t. She doesn’t have papers or any of the requirements needed in this foreign land, she doesn’t have the means. Now this young girl just stays at home. There are no opportunities for her. And they say that as long as the Taliban is in power, they will never go back.”
Nasri says though the future for believers – especially for women – will always be bleak as long as the TB is in power. Despite this, they choose to remain hopeful, recalling what Farah*, a believer in Afghanistan once told her.
Since the TB took over, Farah has been separated physically from her husband. Farah doesn’t know where he is, but she stands strongly in faith. She shares: “Times are very difficult and I miss my husband. We try to talk as often as we can in a safe way. Sometimes, I wake up absolutely sure that he must have died. In those moments, I have to decide whether I will live the rest of my life as a rejected widow or a faithful child of God.”

Remaining Strong

In some ways, Nasri says it’s also easier for women to stand strong in the Lord. “Being somewhat invisible makes it easier for women to have fellowship and seek comfort from one another. Women are known to talk to each other, over the walls, in the small spaces afforded them, they encourage each other and serve each other by taking care of one another. When one has something, the other can give to the other. For men who are in the public space, it’s more difficult to have fellowship, as eyes are on them.”
“Pray that the women will be sustained in their hopefulness because it’s very easy to despair. Pray that God will put a new song in their heart. Pray for their good health in the midst of poverty, lack of food, and lack of clean water.”

YOUR YEAR-END GIFT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER.

Persecution is growing, and so are the needs of persecuted believers. More Christians need Bibles, discipleship, trauma counselling, and relief aid as they face violence, displacement, and loss. 

The Canada Post strikes slowed the arrival of gifts during this critical time of year. Will you help?

Your support will empower persecuted believers through Bibles, training, relief aid, trauma counselling, and more. 

Give a Year-end gift

Your year-end gift is more important than ever.

Persecution is growing, and so are the needs of persecuted believers. More Christians need Bibles, discipleship, trauma counselling, and relief aid as they face violence, displacement, and loss. 

The Canada Post strikes slowed the arrival of gifts during this critical time of year. Will you help?

Your support will empower persecuted believers through Bibles, training, relief aid, trauma counselling, and more. 

Give a year-end gift