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Christians at risk in Afghanistan
Being a Christian in Afghanistan has long meant facing potential dangers. As already reported, these risks were notched up a gear at the end of May when a privately-owned national television station aired footage of native Afghans being baptised. In a country where religious and national identity are closely intertwined and Christianity is viewed as a Western religion, being a Christian and an Afghan can mean being associated with foreign powers, and so betraying both Islam and Afghanistan. Members of the western NGO community have also been put at higher risk by the controversial footage, particularly those from organisations with Christian words in the title. This compromises both their personal safety and the delivery of vital relief work to Afghans of all faiths.
Very likely designed to agitate national passions, the publicising of the above footage infuriated many Afghans, including state officials, who subsequently called for the exercise of Shari’a law, which can be interpreted as demanding that the new Christians be executed. To make matters worse, the Kabul-based TV station continues to publicise the issue and has released a national telephone number, calling for the naming and shaming of new Christians, whose faith is mostly practised discretely and away from the overwhelming opposition of society. The station has asked for photographs and personal details of individual Christians and associated organisations, leaving in no doubt the intention to expose the already marginalised Christian community.
CSW takes action for the Afghan Christian community
CSW, together with Release International and Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, recently attending a meeting at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to raise these concerns. The following joint statement from CSW, Release International and Bishop Nazir-Ali was made:
‘In response to recent Christian voices of concern raised from within Afghanistan, we met with the British Government Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Afghanistan Unit, to raise their concerns and call for action. A positive and helpful meeting was held between the FCO and Release International, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali and Christian Solidarity Worldwide. A wide range of issues were covered and the FCO requested an ongoing dialogue specifically on the issue of religious freedom, which we welcomed.’
Now, CSW and other Christian NGOs are joining with the Evangelical Alliance UK, lobbying MPs to sign an Early Day Motion on the situation of Christians in Afghanistan. Take part in these efforts today by emailing your MP to sign the EDM.
The aim of our lobbying efforts is to ask our government to put pressure on the Afghan authorities to honour the commitments they have made to safeguard religious freedom and other human rights under international law.
Your lobbying on this will make a great difference!
Latest news
Apostasy report: CSW brings the truth to light
Apostasy means the renunciation of religious faith and it is a controversial issue in Muslim countries. As part of our strategic efforts in bringing the truth to light within the international political community, we wrote a report on apostasy in 2008 entitled 'No Place to Call Home', based on the experiences of apostates and an assesment of what is lacking in provision for thier protection internationally. Among many enthusiasts of the report, the following endorsements were given, underlining why research of this kind is so essential.
“This is an assiduously-researched and comprehensive report on an issue that has often not received the level of attention focused on other aspects of the human rights discourse. Persecution of human-beings who exercise their right to change religion is a growing problem and one that exposes victims to abuse, imprisonment and even death. This timely work will provide a valuable source of information for rights campaigners, decision-makers, journalists and academics who work with issues of freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief.”
Daniel Wheatley, Government Relations Officer, Baha’i community of the UK
“The situation of people who convert to another religion out of Islam is one of the world’s major human rights issues, but it is little discussed and even less understood. Hence it is a pleasure to read this careful exploration of theological, legal political, sociological and human aspects of apostasy. This balanced study should be read widely.”
Paul Marshall, Senior Fellow at Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom and editor of ‘Religious Freedom in the World’
>>> View CSW's report 'No Place to Call Home - Experiences of Apostates from Islam, Failures of the International Community' |
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Please pray...
- For Christians from a Muslim background to find safety, support and provision within Afghanistan.
- That God would protect, strengthen and guide those who are in hiding in Afghanistan or seeking asylum elsewhere.
- For God to work in the hearts of those running the Kabul-based TV station and put an end to their anti-Christian campaign.
- That Afghanistan would honour its voluntary commitment to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), both through the law and in the treatment of Afghan citizens.
- That CSW and the international community would respond appropriately to the issue of apostasy in Afghanistan and across the Islamic world, without further endangering converts from Muslim backgrounds.
Why not add a prayer to our Prayer Wall to show your solidarity with Christians in Afghanistan?
>>> Visit the prayer wall |
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Use our online lobbying action to ask the UK Government to put pressure on the Afghan authorities to honour the commitments they have made to safeguard religious freedom and other human rights under international law.
>>> Take action!
>>> View EDM 418 |
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