The Afghan church is a unique community. They are all Muslim converts, mostly aged 40 and younger. And it’s one of the fastest growing churches in the world.
Now, the fledgling church of 20 years faces intense persecution as the Taliban promises Sharia Law.
World Magazine Senior Editor Mindy Belz and John Stonestreet of Breakpoint recently talked about the implications the Taliban takeover will have on the Christian Church in Afghanistan.
About two years ago, a number of these Christians decided to declare their religious affiliation on their national identification cards.
The made the change for the sake of future generations. Now these Christians have been targeted over the past few days.
One Christian told Stonestreet he received a letter from the Taliban stating: “We know where you are, and we know what you’re doing.” This implies that the Taliban has access to government records.
The Taliban then showed up at this Christian’s house the day before the full city takeover. They have also visited other Christian homes. The Taliban has already been rounding up Afghan military, many have been shot, and one was beheaded.
Afghan Christians are totally vulnerable with no political power. They have no-one to appeal to. They don’t even generally qualify for special immigrant visas to the United States or other Western countries because they have avoided working for American organizations or for the Afghan military.