Christian Missionaries In Afghanistan: A Complex And Controversial Issue

Afghanistan has a long history of conflict and instability, and Christians have always comprised a small community in the country. It is impossible to live openly as a Christian in Afghanistan, and Christian missionaries are not allowed to spread their faith in the country. Leaving Islam is considered shameful, and Christian converts face dire consequences if their new faith is discovered. They must either flee the country or risk being killed. Christian missionaries are therefore forced to operate in secret, mostly under the name of charity organizations.

Christians in Afghanistan are persecuted

The Taliban has further exacerbated the persecution of Christians in Afghanistan. When the Taliban took power in 2021, they pledged to recognise more freedoms than in the past, but this has not happened. The Taliban controls every aspect of government, including owning documentation that may help identify Christians. Christians are at risk of death or torture for their faith, and the surrounding society and family structure has no space for religious freedom. The Taliban also falsely claims that there are "no Christians" remaining in Afghanistan.

Christians in Afghanistan, almost all of whom are converts from Islam, must keep their faith secret. They are forced to live, work, and identify as Muslims. Many Christians have fled the country, and those who remain are in hiding. Some have turned off their phones to avoid surveillance and have started moving to undisclosed locations.

Afghanistan was ranked number one on Open Doors’ 2022 World Watch List, an annual ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. In 2023, the country was ranked number 9.

Christian converts face societal and official pressure

Afghanistan has a long history of instability and conflict. Today, it is one of the most impoverished countries in the world, with a ruined economy, infrastructure, and civil society. A majority of the Afghan people are vulnerable to various forms of violence and extremism, and many have become refugees.

Christian converts in Afghanistan face dire consequences if their new faith is discovered. They must either flee the country or risk being killed. Leaving Islam is considered shameful, and those who leave the religion are ostracized and threatened with honor killings by their family, clan, or tribe. In some cases, converts may be forcibly sectioned in a psychiatric hospital, as leaving Islam is considered a sign of insanity.

Christian converts in Afghanistan are also subjected to official pressure and scrutiny. They face regular raids on their homes by the Taliban, threats against their jobs and families, and a lack of access to educational opportunities. The Taliban has attempted to cut contact between Afghan citizens and any Western groups, and have practically eradicated on-the-ground relief efforts by NGOs. The Taliban is working to completely erase Christianity and any religious minority from the country, even stating that there are no Christians in Afghanistan—an obviously false claim.

The Taliban considers Christian converts to be apostates and subjects them to severe penalties. Apostasy, or the act of renouncing Islam, is punishable by death. Christian converts can also be imprisoned or have their property confiscated. The Taliban has gone door-to-door hunting down converts, and those who are discovered often face brutal torture and even death. Unless ransomed by their families, captured Christians face brutal torture or death. If redeemed, survivors and their families, often bankrupt from exorbitant ransom demands, must flee their homes to avoid repeated kidnappings by various Taliban gangs.

The few remaining Christians in Afghanistan live in constant fear—even of their own families. They live in constant isolation and fear that the fundamentalist Islamic government and practically the entire society are out to persecute them. All Christians in Afghanistan are converts from Islam, making them abhorrent to the fundamentalist Sunni regime. This makes the ramifications of their conversion even more serious. The moment an Afghan decides to follow Christianity, they know there are a lot of consequences. They can lose their jobs, get kicked out of school, lose custody of their children, and even lose their possessions or their lives.

Christian converts are also unwelcome in their own families and villages, making them unable to work or provide for their families. They are frequently cast out by their families, who fear that harboring a Christian will bring trouble from the Taliban. This is a brutal punishment in a society that is communal instead of individualistic.

Christian converts in Afghanistan face both societal and official pressure and scrutiny. They must keep their faith a secret or risk severe punishment and discrimination.

Christian missionaries secretly operate in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has a long history of conflict and instability. Today, it is one of the most impoverished countries in the world, with a ruined economy and infrastructure. The country is also one of the most dangerous places on Earth for women, and poverty, inaccessibility to healthcare, cultural prejudice, and gender-based violence are all contributing factors.

The vast majority of the Afghan population is Muslim, with reliable sources estimating that approximately 80% are Sunni and 19% are Shia. The remaining 1% are made up of Buddhists, Parsis (Zoroastrians), Sikhs, Hindus, and Christians. Determining the exact number of Christians in Afghanistan is difficult, as many practice their faith in secret due to the threat of persecution. The US State Department estimates that there could be anywhere from 500 to 8,000 Christians in the country.

Christian missionaries have historically faced danger in Afghanistan. In 2001, 24 workers for the NGO Shelter Now International were arrested by the ruling Taliban and accused of converting Afghan Muslims to Christianity. Although they were eventually freed, this incident illustrates the risks that missionaries have faced in the country.

Since the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021, the situation has become even more dangerous for Christians and those involved in missionary work. Living openly as a Christian in Afghanistan is impossible, and those who convert from Islam face dire consequences, including death. As a result, Christian missionaries must operate in secret, often under the guise of charity organizations. They must be extremely secretive, or they will face severe repercussions.

Despite the risks, there are an estimated "dozens" of Christian missionaries in Afghanistan, according to Christian sources. These missionaries are both foreign and local and play a crucial role in providing spiritual support to the country's small Christian community. They operate underground, often in small house churches consisting of fewer than ten people. Their work is a testament to their dedication and courage in the face of adversity.

Afghan Christians secretly practice their faith in private

Christian converts from Islam are especially vulnerable to persecution by their families, clans, or tribes, who may disown or kill them to save their honor. Additionally, leaving Islam is considered a sign of insanity, so converts may be forcibly sectioned in a psychiatric hospital. The complete Bible is available online in Pashto, and Bibles can also be obtained through underground ministry networks or in digital formats.

Despite the dangers, some Afghan Christians have chosen to stay in the country to maintain a witness for Christ. They boldly take risks and use every opportunity to help believers grow in faith and connect with local house churches. These underground churches are believed to consist of fewer than ten people each and are not recognized by the government.

The exact number of Afghan Christians is unknown, but estimates range from 500 to 20,000. This uncertainty is due to the difficulty of conducting surveys and the necessity for Christians to keep their faith hidden. The Afghan government does not recognize any of its nationals as non-Muslims and automatically considers all citizens to be Muslims.

The Taliban controls all aspects of government, increasing the risk of Christians being discovered

Afghanistan has historically been a dangerous place for Christians, and the Taliban's return to power in 2021 has only exacerbated the risks faced by this small religious minority. The Taliban controls all aspects of government in Afghanistan, and its ideology dictates that the country is a Muslim nation, leaving non-Muslims with the choice of leaving or accepting second-class status.

The Taliban's extreme interpretation of Sharia law means that converts from Islam to Christianity are considered apostates and subject to Sharia's deadliest consequences. The discovery of Christian converts is therefore a matter of life and death, and the Taliban has been known to go door-to-door to root out non-Muslims. The risk of discovery is heightened by the Taliban's control of all aspects of governance, including documentation and paperwork, which may help identify Christians.

The Taliban's takeover has resulted in increased persecution of religious minorities, with Christians facing regular raids on their homes, death threats, and a lack of access to education. The group is attempting to cut contact between Afghan citizens and Western groups, and has practically eradicated on-the-ground relief efforts by NGOs. The Taliban is also working to cut off Christians from sources of spiritual support, with Catholic missionaries and priests leaving the country, and the only legally recognized church in Afghanistan, located within the Italian embassy, no longer being recognized.

The exact number of Christians in Afghanistan is unknown, as the community is largely closeted and hidden from public view. Estimates range from 500 to 20,000, with most sources placing the figure between 10,000 and 12,000. The community consists almost entirely of converts from Islam, and due to the extreme persecution they face, they are forced to keep their faith a secret, practicing in private homes.

The situation for Christians in Afghanistan is dire, and the Taliban's control of all aspects of government only increases the risk of discovery and persecution for this vulnerable religious minority.

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