Afghanistan
Leader
How many Christians?
Main threat
- Islamic oppression
How many Christians are there in Afghanistan?
It’s very hard to know precisely how many Christians there are in Afghanistan, because they must keep their faith completely secret – but only a small number from a population of over 38 million.
How are Christians persecuted in Afghanistan?
It is impossible to live openly as a Christian in Afghanistan. Leaving Islam is considered shameful, and Christian converts face dire consequences if their new faith is discovered. Either they have to flee the country or they will be killed.
If a Christian’s family discovers they have converted, their family, clan or tribe has to save its ‘honour’ by disowning the believer, or even killing them. Christians from a Muslim background can also be sectioned in a psychiatric hospital, because leaving Islam is considered a sign of insanity.
Urgent prayer called for Christians in Afghanistan
Following the events of August 2021, the Taliban are now in control of Afghanistan.
Thousands of families are fleeing their homes amid intensified extremist offensives. According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), as of May 21, about 100,000 people had been displaced by conflict in Afghanistan this year. Since then, the numbers have more than doubled.
Afghanistan remains the second-highest country on the World Watch List, even before the Taliban takeover. With the recent confirmation of the Delta variant inside the war-torn country, Covid-19 cases have surged, killing 4,600 to date and infecting 114,000.
Open Doors stands with the small community of believers inside Afghanistan and we’re calling for urgent prayer on their behalf.
With the ongoing effects of civil war, the expansion of extremism, food shortages and the raging pandemic - as well as the Taliban takeover - Afghanistan needs urgent prayer from the global church right now more than ever.
Many of these believers have been forced to flee and leave everything they own to find safety in an already unstable and dangerous situation. Join us in prayer today for our brothers and sisters caught in the crossfire in Afghanistan.
Meet a secret Afghan believer
“How we survive daily only God knows. He knows because He has been kind to dwell with us. But we are tired of all the death around us.” A secret Afghan believer
How can I help Christians in Afghanistan?
Please keep praying for your brothers and sisters in Afghanistan. Your prayers make an enormous difference to those following Jesus no matter the cost.
Open Doors raises prayer support for persecuted believers in Afghanistan.
Dear Lord, please protect the small number of Christians among the millions of people who live in Afghanistan, paticularly as they face even more extreme persecution under the Taliban takeover. Thank You that, despite their small number, they have discovered the greatest love in the world. Please keep showing them Your wisdom, mercy and comfort, and give opportunities for believers to meet together, despite the opposition. Provide for all citizens under the extremist Taliban regime. Amen.
