*ARCHIVED OCTOBER 2007 // CLICK HERE FOR CURRENT DATA
Afghanistan
(click here to view a satellite map)
Afghanistan
Population: 31,889,923
Political Leader: President Hamid Karzai
Predominant Religions: Islam 97.9, Parsee 1.5%, Christianity 0.02%
Persecution Ranking: 10th
Number of Terrorist Groups: 16
Acts of Terrorism: 1,056; Casualties: 1,725
Percent of Corruption: Insufficient Data to Rank
% of People in Poverty: 53%
Location:
Afghanistan is a rugged, landlocked country which bears the proud distinction of being one of the few countries in the Middle East that successfully resisted colonization by European empires. However, it did not manage to completely escape European influence. Its borders were defined by Russian and Britain during their struggle for power in Central Asia. Their geopolitical design rendered entire nationalities divided by borders, thus sowing the seeds of future discord into fertile soil.
Religion:
Afghanistan is an Islamic republic with no churches and a Christian population of around 0.01%. Freedom of religion, as stated in the nation's constitution, remains a contradiction since Islamic law is promoted as the law of the land. Although it guarantees freedom of religion to non-Muslims, laws that are “contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam” are prohibited by the same constitution. Christians need to be very careful; foreigners caught in outreach are being jailed and usually deported. Local Afghans who commit themselves to Christ are often pressured by family and society to follow the cultural norms of Islam. Converts to Christ suffer repeated verbal abuse and intimidation, beatings, loss of employment, and even imprisonment.
Terrorism:
In recent years, the Taliban have made their presence felt in widening swaths of territory, moving farther out of their traditional base in the south and into provinces ringing the capital. Taliban fighters have executed local judges in Ghazni province, killed schoolgirls in Logar province, and abducted two German engineers in Wardak province, killing one. In the summer of 2007, they were responsible for abducting 21 South Koreans who were members of a Protestant church group doing humanitarian work in Afghanistan. Two members of the group were killed, and the others were returned after six weeks of imprisonment.
Prayer Points:
- Pray that the terrorist groups will be thrown into confusion and will not be able to regroup, recruit, or have the capacity to be disruptive. Pray that the Taliban resurgence will be halted and that peace and stability will come to the country. Ask the Lord to powerfully topple the demonic forces that are using the terrorists like puppets so that the people will be set free to worship the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
- Pray that the Islamic extremism evident in the last quarter century will be channeled into love and passion for Jesus Christ. (Acts 26:18) Ask God to draw these leaders to the truth of Himself so that these influencers will His saving grace. (1 Timothy 2:1–4)
- Pray that the Afghani drug trade, which is estimated to be among the worst in the world, will cease. (Mark 4:6)
- Pray for those in leadership roles to hunger and thirst after the one true God and seek His kingdom. Pray for godly men and women to obtain positions of influence in these countries. (Daniel 2:48) Ask God for courage and protection, both spiritual as well as physical, for church leaders.
- Pray for Afghans who turn to Christ – they are often pressured by family and society to return to Islam and may face repeated verbal abuse, intimidation, beatings, unemployment, and even imprisonment.
- Pray for God to visit Afghanistan in a powerful way, revealing Himself graciously to those not seeking Him. (Isaiah 65:1)
- Pray for all who share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed. Ask God to keep Afghanistan's intensely persecuted underground Believers safe so the Afghan Church may live and grow to be an instrument of blessing (salt), transformation (yeast), and truth-giving (light) for the nation.
SOURCES:
http://www.newint.org/issue269/profile.htm (New Internationalist)
Open Doors, CSW, Barnabas Fund |
