11Afghanistan

The dangers facing Christians can’t be overstated: Afghanistan remains a place of extreme persecution for anyone who dares to follow Jesus under the brutally oppressive rule of the Taliban.

Since the group retook power in August 2021, Christians have either fled the country or gone deeper underground. As far as the Taliban is concerned, it’s not possible that any Afghan could be a Christian. Almost all believers are converts from Islam, and apostasy is considered punishable by death under Islamic law. To preserve their “honour”, families, clans and tribes feel obliged to deal harshly with those known to have turned to Christianity. Mere suspicion of conversion – such as avoiding mosque attendance – can trigger catastrophic consequences.

Given the immense risk of meeting with other believers, the Church exists only in increasingly fragmented, secretive gatherings; this makes accurate assessment of their situation difficult. Those who have fled the country or become Christians while living as refugees have slightly more freedom, but also face intense challenges, including the threat of deportation.

Meet Samira

“Being a secret believer [in Afghanistan] is like walking on the edge of a blade. It’s full of caution, pain, but also hope and strength.”

As a woman and Christian in Afghanistan, Samira* (not her real name) is at risk in more ways than one, but bravely she holds onto the hope that Jesus gives us.

What does Open Doors do to help?

Because of the risks faced by our partners and the people they serve, we’re restricted in the information we can provide about Afghanistan.