Persecution of Christians in Afghanistan
To be a Christian in Afghanistan is to live in constant danger. Followers of Jesus must worship in secret, knowing that discovery would result in brutal punishment and even death at the hands of the ruling Taliban.
Sharia (Islamic law) is strictly enforced by the Taliban who, on their return to power in 2021, warned Christians that they had three choices: leave, reconvert to Islam or face death. The overwhelming majority of believers are first- or second-generation converts from Islam and are viewed under sharia as apostates who should be executed.
Before 2021 it was estimated that there were between 5,000 to 8,000 Christians in the country, yet only the Lord knows the exact number today. Many believers fled Afghanistan to neighbouring countries such as Iran Pakistan and Uzbekistan, and now face being labelled as “illegal immigrants” and forced to return.
Christians who remained in Afghanistan must continue to keep their faith hidden not just from the Taliban, but from zealous Muslims among their own family and friends who may kill or betray them.
Religious freedom in Afghanistan
There is no guarantee of religious freedom or other human rights in Afghanistan. The Taliban regard the country as an Islamic emirate, governed solely by sharia as it is interpreted by the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence. In January 2026 a new legal code that recognised the Hanafi interpretation of Sunni Islam as the only permissible religion.
Taliban authorities use their strict interpretation of sharia to restrict the daily lives of Afghan women and girls, limiting their movement, dress, access to education and speech. A 2024 “morality law” issued by the Ministry of the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice states that even the voices of women should be “concealed” in public.
The Taliban has also reintroduced of public executions and punishments, including flogging, stoning and the forced shaving of heads. Church growing in Afghanistan
Despite persecution, authoritarian rule and a desperate humanitarian situation, Barnabas Aid contacts report that the Church in Afghanistan is growing.
“So far this year more than 50 people have been baptised in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” said Pastor “Ali”, a church leader, speaking at the end of 2025. “Remarkably, every one of them is under 30 years old and more than 70% are in their early 20s or younger. “This rising generation is desperate for truth, for hope, for a God who is living and real.”
“Despite the risks, small groups of believers are gathering regularly for prayer, worship and Bible study,” he continued. “These fellowships are lifelines of hope, where men and women are encouraged in their faith, equipped in the Word, and reminded that they are not alone.
“Each new gathering is a testimony that Christ’s Church is alive and growing, even in the hardest soil.”
How you can pray
- Pray for wisdom and clarity for Christians in China, that they will be able to navigate legal restrictions as they seek to faithfully serve the Lord.
- Ask God to protect those who are members of “house churches” from harassment, intimidation and censure.
- Ask the Lord that Christians in the official church will not be unable to profess their faith and proclaim the truth.
