Christian Persecution Nov/Dec 2021

Pray for the Christians in Afghanistan
As the world watched videos and images of people trying to escape the Sharia regime the Taliban is imposing in Afghanistan, reports have emerged of Christians who are expecting arrest, torture, and execution.

The Taliban are going door to door, forcing girls as young as 12 to be married off as sex slaves to Taliban fighters. “The women in these communities are particularly vulnerable,” Nadine Maenza told ALL ARAB NEWS. Maenza is a policy expert and advocate for international religious freedom and serves on the ALL ARAB NEWS Advisory Board.

In an emotional post on Instagram, Robby Dawkins—an American evangelist who has worked in Afghanistan—said he was speaking with believers there until he “lost all contact with them.” “[The Taliban] are not looking for converts at this point, they are looking for extermination of Christians,” he said.

Dawkins appealed to Christians to pray for Afghani believers for protection, boldness, and miracles. The Taliban have “no plan for good, only harm and destruction in their path,” he said.

But Dawkins believes Afghanistan can be saved. He calls it the second fastest-growing church on the planet, after Iran. The nation has been ranked by Open Doors as the world’s second-worst persecutor of Christians for years.

Release International, an organization that monitors and helps persecuted Christians around the world, warned that attacks on Christians are likely to rise across the region, not just in Afghanistan. Release International CEO Paul Robinson said, “The resurgence of the Taliban will fan the flames of Islamist extremism. Pakistan especially may be impacted by the new mood of militancy—which can only be bad news for the region’s Christians.”

Another Christian described the situation as “dire.” “Our brothers and sisters in Christ are telling us how afraid they are. In the areas that the Taliban now control, girls are not allowed to go to school and women are not allowed to leave their homes without a male companion.”

To be exposed as a Christian risks being charged with apostasy, which is punishable by death or imprisonment. There have also been honor killings of Christians by their families.

In the past, foreign Christian workers have been murdered, and many have long since left the country. Many secret believers are fleeing the Taliban, whose version of Islam is violent and extreme. But many Christians are poor and cannot afford to leave. They will be left behind.

International Christian Concern noted, “Afghanistan’s Christians are already mostly underground. The country has only one Catholic church, tucked away in the Italian embassy, and even that closed in response to the pandemic. The 2004 constitution of Afghanistan severely limits religious freedom, forbidding the open preaching of the gospel and restricting conversion to Christianity.”

In Mission Network News, Katey Hearth said Christians “know what to expect” based on the Taliban’s previous control of the country.

“We don’t have to wonder what they’re going to do. We’ve seen it,” said Todd Nettleton of Voice of the Martyrs (VOM). “It is not good news for our Christian brothers and sisters. It’s not good news for anybody in Afghanistan.” He added, “It won’t be worse in the level of persecution, but I think it will be worse in terms of the numbers because there are more Christians in Afghanistan than there were 20 years ago. We know there are followers of Jesus Christ in every single province of Afghanistan.”

by Nicole Jansezian, news editor for both ALL ARAB NEWS and ALL ISRAEL NEWS. Editor-in-chief is Joel C. Rosenberg.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Features

Antique fountain pen on parchment.

From the Editor Nov/Dec 2021

When I was eight years old, I had a friend named Mary. She moved to Vermont from California, lived two houses away, and attended Catholic school. Every year I’d...

We Stand With Israel!

There is no authority on Earth except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. That may seem like a strange statement in view of...

The ‘Forbidden Chapter’

What joy was mine when I ministered in Israel for one month each year when I served as director of...

From the Root of Jesse

When my friend and colleague Steve Herzig lived in Chicago many years ago, he issued a challenge to some of his friends. The challenge seemed simple enough, but...

Christmas Is…

Christmas is a busy time of year. Everyone’s schedule seems to be full of holiday events. Getting together with family and friends. Singing Christmas carols. Buying...

God’s Awesome, Immutable Plan

In the 1980s, an action-adventure television series used a catchphrase that has long outlived the show: “I love it when...


Share Your Story.
Has God used The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry in your life? Share your story with us!
 

Subscription Options

1 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$9.99 every 1 year

1 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archives

$19.99 every 1 year

2 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$19.99 every 2 years

2 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archives

$39.99 every 2 years

3 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$29.99 every 3 years

3 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archives

$59.99 every 3 years