10Afghanistan

The international community has seen the scope of the Taliban’s brutal rule since the group took power in August 2021. In the years since, Afghanistan has at least had some level of political stability – but that stability has extended to crushing pressure and violence against minority groups.

As far as the Taliban are concerned, there are no Christians in Afghanistan. Most house churches that existed before the Taliban (even if they had to be hidden) have been closed, as believers were forced to flee or go even further underground.

If an Afghan’s Christian faith is discovered, it can be a death sentence, or they can be detained and tortured into giving information about fellow believers. The surrounding society and family structure has no space for religious freedom, and the government upholds this rigid stance. This means Christians – almost all of whom are converts from Islam – must keep their faith secret, or they may simply disappear.

Meet Yasaman

“Some people grew suspicious of my husband’s [Christian] activities. Early one morning, as he went to buy bread, two people followed him. He was attacked and killed near our home.”

Yasaman (name changed), a secret believer in Afghanistan.

What does Open Doors do to help?

Open Doors works through partners to strengthen Christians from Afghanistan. We can’t provide details about how we support them, as the situation is too dangerous. But we can say that our brothers and sisters desperately need our prayers.