Afghan Christians are either converts from Islam or the children of converts; they face severe penalties if their faith becomes known in this increasingly fundamentalist Muslim country. Only God knows the exact number of Afghan believers in their homeland, but it is thought to be around 1,000. Converts potentially face murder at the hands of relatives, zealous Muslims, or the Taliban which is now in government. Apostasy is a capital offence.

Many Afghan believers have fled to other countries. Between 2015 and 2017, more than 9,000 Afghan asylum seekers, some of whom were Christians, were deported back to Afghanistan from Europe.

Afghanistan’s constitution enshrines Islam as the state religion, permitting no law contrary to Islam. For any crimes that are not covered in Afghan legislation, the authorities will turn to sharia (Islamic law) for guidance as to how to handle them. Taliban-controlled areas enforced sharia with public executions and amputations and openly targeted Christians.

In 1973, Afghan soldiers destroyed the last official church building on Afghan soil (apart from one in the Italian embassy), but its congregation, who were foreigners, continued to meet in other premises until 2010.

Since the Taliban took control of the country many Christian families have escaped over the borders into neighbouring contries. Barnabas Fund (supporting the persecuted Church) is in direct contact with many hundreds of Afghan families. Barnabas Fund

• supports the living costs of Christians hiding in Afghanistan
• supports the living costs of those who have recently got out to neighbouring countries
• funds flights for Christians to travel from the region to safer countries
• plans to fund them for a period as they settle in new safe countries.

Pleae visit the Barnabas Fund website at https://barnabasfund.org/ to see how you can help.