Afghanistan

Key Facts:
Leader: President Hamid Karzai
Population: 31 million (few Christians)
Majority Religion: Islam
Type of Government: Islamic republic

As fighting with the Taliban continues, large areas are outside government control.

There are no churches, few Christians and open evangelism is effectively illegal.

The new constitution guarantees freedom of religion but prohibits laws "contrary to the beliefs and provisions of Islam".

Abdul Rahman was spared execution for apostasy, ruled mentally unfit to stand trial. His case sparked the arrest and further harassment of other Afghan Christians.

Prayer

• 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
• Ask God for courage and protection, spiritual and physical, for church leaders
• Pray for all who share the Gospel in word and deed.