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Afghanistan

• Taliban Orders Strict Sharia Punishments

  

  When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, they promised moderation and justice for all. Regrettably, they have demonstrated something very different, as the rights of women, freedom of the news press, and fair treatment of religious minorities have been brutally repressed. In a recent development, Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada ordered all judges to impose strict Sharia punishments for crimes committed within the country. While the exact list of applicable crimes has not been defined, expected punishments include amputations, public lashings and executions by stoning.

• Light in the Midst of Darkness

  

  When the Taliban gained control over the governance of Afghanistan a year ago, many organizations were forced to shut down their in-country operations and thousands of believers decided to leave because of the suffering they knew would be coming as a result. Many other Christians, however, chose to remain in the country to be witnesses for Christ despite the severe danger.

• Currently Ranked Most Dangerous Country for Christians

  

  Each year, the Open Doors International organization publishes a list of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to follow Jesus. For the past 20 years, North Korea has topped that list due to the oppressive rule of the Kim dynasty (see the North Korea country report for more details).
  
  In the most recent report, which was published this January, a shift in ranking has clearly taken place. Afghanistan is now at the top of the list, designating it as the most dangerous country to be a Christian. According to Open Doors, the change is not because of improvements in North Korea. On the contrary, the level of persecution in the so-called "Hermit Kingdom" has increased. However, with the return of the Taliban to power, the already oppressive nation of Afghanistan has become so dangerous for Christians that it is now considered the most perilous nation in the world.

• Report Highlights Dire Conditions for Religious Minorities

  

  The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has stated that Christians and other religious minorities in Afghanistan face "dire consequences, including death, if discovered by the Taliban" for openly expressing their beliefs. Since most Afghan Christians are converts from Islam, all Christians are considered "apostates" by the Taliban – a crime that is punishable by death.

• God's Work in the Midst of Suffering

  

  Tremendous challenges are taking place politically in the country of Afghanistan, leading to many daily difficulties for citizens. Compounding this, evangelism is illegal and can bring about serious consequences for Christians. These followers of Christ must contend with additional struggles that are unique to them, including the freedom of being able to worship openly. Despite these difficulties, God's work is continuing throughout the country.

• Forcible Deportation of Afghan Christians
  

  According to a recent report released by Amnesty International, thousands of asylum-seeking Afghans in Europe are being deported at a time when civilian casualties in Afghanistan are at their highest levels on record. As a result, Afghan Christian converts in vulnerable situations are being sent to a country where they are at serious risk of torture, kidnapping, death, and other human rights abuses.

• Kidnapped Finnish Mission Worker Freed
  

  A Finnish mission aid worker who was held hostage for nearly four months was freed on September 14th. The unnamed woman had been studying the Dari language in preparation for her first assignment when she was kidnapped from an international guesthouse in Kabul. The guesthouse -- which was attacked on May 20th -- was run by her employer, Operation Mercy. During the attack, a German female colleague and an Afghan guard were killed. Thus far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, nor for holding the Finnish worker hostage. (A previous report on the attack is available here.)

• Attack at Mission Guest House
  
  The German woman who was killed has
  served the Afghan people for 13 years.

  Two women working for a Swedish mission, known as Operation Mercy, were targeted by unknown attackers at their guest house in Kabul on May 20th. A German national and her Afghan guard were tragically killed, while a woman from Finland was kidnapped. All the mission's other staff members, both national and international, are accounted for and safe.

  The ministry worker from Germany had been serving in Afghanistan for 13 years, and was most recently leading a literacy project. Whereas her Finnish co-worker had only been in the country for three months, studying a local language to further her work there. Both ministry workers had a deep desire to serve the people of Afghanistan.

• Humanitarian Workers Killed by Taliban Gunmen

  The Groenewald family

  Three South Africans and two Afghan nationals were killed in an attack on the Partnership in Academics & Development compound in Kabul on Saturday, November 29th. Werner Groenewald was killed along with his 17-year-old son, 15-year-old daughter, and two Afghan co-workers.

  Three Taliban gunmen had entered the compound dressed as policemen and carried out an attack that lasted for three hours. Werner's surviving wife, Hannelie, was at the clinic where she worked as a doctor when the attack occurred. Werner, who had worked in Afghanistan for 12 years, was killed while trying to protect his children.

  The Taliban later claimed responsibility for the attack by posting a message on the Twitter social networking site, stating that it was a "Christian proselytizing compound." A friend of Werner's reported that he had closed his last session with an international group of co-workers by saying, "We only die once, so it might as well be for Jesus."

  (To learn more about what Christians are facing in Afghanistan, review our online country report.)

  Please uphold the distraught families of the two slain Afghan workers and Werner's now suddenly widowed wife, Hannelie, who has tragically lost three close family members of her own. Ask the Lord to supernaturally sustain these bereaved Christians as they come to terms with their tremendous loss. Pray that as they grieve, He will give them the strength and grace needed to exemplify His love through their Godly response, as well as through their prayers for the persecutors (Matthew 5:43-48). May their tragic loss not be in vain, but rather serve as a powerful testimony -- one that will ultimately strengthen fellow believers and draw many Afghans to Christ.

• Convert in Danger of Deportation from the Netherlands

  Mostafa found the answers he was looking for in God's Word. Photo: Flickr / Jesus Solana

  Mostafa Najafi, an Afghan convert to Christianity who fled his home country to seek asylum in the Netherlands, is facing the risk of deportation. After his immigration case was rejected, he was imprisoned for four months. Now, during his detainment in the immigration camp, he faces the possibility of deportation at any time. He also has received threats from hardline Muslims within the camp.

  Mostafa, formerly a Muslim, became a Christian about nine months ago. "The first time I got a chance to read the Bible, I realized that I had found answers to many of the unanswered questions I had all my life," he shared.

  His acceptance of Christ comes at great risk, as conversion from Islam is considered a crime punishable by death in his home country. When asked what happens to Christians who return to Afghanistan, Mostafa gave this troubling response: "Everyone is aware of the religious extremism in Afghanistan. Even my own father, when he found out that I had become a Christian, told me that 'killing you is my duty, it is my mandatory jihad.'"

  Please join us in praying that Mostafa's case will be reviewed with great heartfelt concern and that, as a result, he will be permitted to stay in the Netherlands. Also raise in prayer the immigration officials, asking the Lord to help them recognize the very real dangers facing converts from Islam so they will serve as humanitarian rescuers by offering security to Mostafa and other believers like him. May God shield Mostafa from harm while in the immigration camp. Pray that his devotion to Jesus will lead others to the Christian faith.