Christians in Afghanistan have been paralyzed with fear at the news that the Taliban has taken control of the country. Nadine Maenza, chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom said the Taliban takeover ‘is the worst possible development for religious minorities. While most from these communities left Afghanistan in recent years, those that remain, and women in particular, are now in imminent danger.’
News received by Aid to the Church in Need echoed reports that leaders of underground house churches in Afghanistan had received letters from the Taliban warning them that they ‘know where they are and what they are doing’.
According to Pew, around 90 per cent of the 37 million population is Sunni and 9.7 per cent Shia, with the remaining 0.3 per cent belonging to other religions. The number of Christians in the country is thought to be below 20,000, perhaps as low as 1,000. Most Christians in Afghanistan are underground, so getting a precise estimate of their number is nigh-on impossible.
One Christian reportedly received a letter saying his house now belongs to the Taliban
There is only one Catholic church in the whole of Afghanistan, hidden away in the Italian embassy but that was forced to shut due to the pandemic.
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