“The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies…. Give thanks to The LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 118:6-7, 29

The Taliban are continuing their crackdown on Afghan Christians and especially those who do not adhere to the government’s harsh and strict interpretation of Sunni Islam.

For most Afghan Christians, following Jesus is a death sentence. Fear dominates the country and believers cannot practise their faith openly.

They face dire consequences, including disownment, torture, being forcibly sent to a psychiatric hospital, or even death if they are discovered.

Two weeks ago, the Taliban arrested a Christian and jailed him. According to local sources, the police beat him in prison and forced him to recant his Christian faith.

He was forced to share the names and phone numbers of other Christians he was involved with in the country.

Sources also say the Taliban has been monitoring suspected Christian leaders and finding out their homes and work addresses.

There have also been accounts of the Taliban going door to door seeking out Afghan Christians. Others have received letters from the militants, threatening them and their families.

Christian converts have also been receiving threatening phone calls. Some Christians have turned their phones off for fear of being discovered and have moved to undisclosed locations.

According to Sharia law, conversion from Islam to another religion is considered shameful and punishable by death.

Afghanistan has a small number of Christians, mostly Afghan believers. The country is ninth on the Open Doors World Watch List, making it a place of extreme persecution.

Meanwhile, the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has arrested dozens of women who failed to observe the strict dress code in the streets of the capital city, Kabul.

They have been taken to unknown locations. A spokesperson for the Ministry referred to this violation of the rule as “bad hijab” and warned women they would continue tracking down offenders.

Women are not allowed by the Taliban to visit public parks, gyms or bathhouses, and a close male relative must accompany them for long road trips.

As previously reported, in September 2023, the Taliban detained at least 20 people, including an American surgeon, in a fresh crackdown on international aid agencies.

The International Assistance Mission (IAM) offices in Ghor, central Afghanistan, were raided and the non-profit organization accused of using aid to spread Christianity.

IAM said the detention took place on two separate occasions in September. IAM has operated in Afghanistan since 1966.

Prayer points:

• Pray for the protection of secret believers and that God’s close presence will bring peace, joy, and hope to their hearts.
• Pray for opportunities for believers to gather secretly, and have all their physical, emotional and spiritual needs met.
• Pray that The Holy Spirit will soften the hearts of the Taliban leaders towards women and religious minorities.
• Pray that those who have fled to neighbouring countries will be led to places where all their needs are met.

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Materials used by kind permission of the original author.

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