39Tajikistan

Tajikistan is a former Soviet state. Despite now officially having freedom of religion, the reality is different. The state still imposes restrictions on religious gatherings and activities – mainly to contain Islamist extremism. But the rules and surveillance affect Christians too, and the state is becoming increasingly wary of and hostile toward them.

There are many elements to the Christian life that are illegal without a permit, from holding a religious meeting to printing religious literature. Anyone under age 18 isn’t allowed to attend church services, and Christians aren’t allowed to share their faith. In recent years, church meetings have increasingly been raided by the authorities, with church members being interrogated for hours at a time and pressured to inform on others. They can be detained, fined or imprisoned. As a result, the risk of persecution has driven many Christians underground.

There are strict laws about religious education, so training church leaders is a problem. Much of the country is Muslim, and believers who come from this background face rejection, humiliation and possible violence from their families and communities.

Meet Khasam

“For two weeks, we were summoned every day to the state intelligence service. They threatened, frightened and insulted us. But I thank God because we were able to testify about our faith in Jesus Christ … Let’s pray for those people who oppressed us so that they would know the truth.”

Khasam (name changed)

What does Open Doors do to help?

Open Doors strengthens the Church in Central Asia by providing relief aid, Bibles, ministry training, prayer support, vocational training and business microloans, as well as projects such as rehabilitation centres.