Afghanistan, South Asia
Population: 31,889,923
Christians: <1%
Religion: Sunni Muslim
Persecution Ranking: 6th
Political Leader: President Hamid Karzai
Religious Freedom in Constitution: Yes
Afghanistan, once the fruit basket of Central Asia, has been devastated by war. Since the Taliban government, an Islamic fundamentalist movement begun among students and orphans, was overthrown, a democratic form of government has been formed. The current government under the leadership of President Karzai is perceived as a Western-installed government. Recent elections were seen as a success for the present government, but it will take a long time before this regime will be able to affect reform in the interior and tribal belts of Afghanistan. Afghan refugees are beginning to return to help rebuild the country. Those who have repatriated thus far are finding it very difficult to cope with life in Afghanistan as housing, water and sanitation, and other amenities are almost non-existent. Taliban and fundamentalist groups are driving persecution since they have neither changed their ways nor accepted the new form of government. In the context of a closed, strictly Muslim society, Afghanistan's new provisional constitution adopted in December 2003 falls short of any guarantee of religious freedom for its citizens. The document declares Islam the religion of the state, with all laws required to conform to the tenets of Islamic law. Among the Afghanis, Christians live under constant threat of persecution from Muslims. Until recently, the Church has been in decline. There are evidences of some Afghanis coming to faith and being baptized. Many of these converts to Christianity have paid a costly price with their lives.
