Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 059 | Wed 09 Jun 2010

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AFGHANISTAN: CHRISTIANS MENACED AS KARZAI WOOS TALIBAN
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The government of Afghanistan suspended two church-based aid
organisations — US-based Church World Service (CWS) and Norwegian
Church Aid (NCA) — on 31 May over allegations of proselytising. Both
groups deny the charge, insisting they had adhered to the Islamic
State’s strict protocols. Leaving Islam (apostasy) is a capital offence
under Afghan law and it is illegal to proselytise. The allegations
emerged on 30 May via a privately-run Afghan television station, Noorin
TV. The station broadcast video footage reportedly showing Afghans
being baptised and participating with Westerners in Christian prayer
meetings being held in alleged ‘missionary safe houses’ in western
Kabul. Whilst CWS and NCA were specifically named, Noorin TV
unashamedly confesses it has NO evidence they were involved. The
producer maintains that the report merely raised ‘suspicions’ about the
two groups. He had simply selected their names out of the telephone
directory because they contained the word ‘church’.

In Kabul, angry protesters have demanded the expulsion of foreigners
who try to convert Muslims. In parliament Abdul Sattar Khawasi, a
deputy of the lower house, called for Muslim converts to Christianity
to be executed: ‘Those Afghans who appeared in this video film should
be executed in public; the house should order the attorney general and
the NDS (intelligence agency) to arrest these Afghans and execute
them.’ Qazi Nazir Ahmad, a lawmaker from the western province of Herat,
affirmed that killing an apostate is ‘not a crime’. Afghanistan’s
President Hamid Karzai is reportedly taking a personal interest in the
case and has ordered an investigation, but not because he is keen to
defend religious liberty for he no longer needs to do this to maintain
Western favour. According to Waheed Omar, the President’s spokesman,
Karzai has instructed his interior minister and the head of the
country’s spy agency ‘to take immediate and serious action to prevent
this phenomenon’. A European diplomat told Agence France-Presse (AFP)
that he suspected there might be a ‘hidden political agenda’ behind the
Noorin TV broadcast, ‘at a time when stirring up anti-foreign sentiment
is quite fashionable in Kabul’.

This drama is unfolding parallel to President Karzai’s desperate
efforts to entice the Taliban into a peace agreement. However, the
Taliban are not interested because they are ascendant and even now they
can terrorise Kabul at will. They are just biding their time until the
US and allied forces depart. Whether they then decide to take over
Kabul or not, they will certainly dictate their terms. So Karzai is
offering appeasements and inducements in the hope that the Taliban will
talk ‘peace’, i.e. to ensure his survival, albeit as a puppet or
facade. As part of the British-authored, US-approved Afghanistan Peace
and Reintegration Program, Taliban who denounce violence and lay down
their weapons will receive money and amnesty. Billions of dollars will
thus be channelled to supposedly de-radicalised Taliban. Nations
desperate for ‘peace’ are lining up to contribute to the Peace and
Reintegration Trust Fund. Australia for instance has pledged $25
million. However, it is easy to imagine how this scheme could be
massively rorted to produce the exact opposite of what was intended.

In such an environment of political and existential desperation, the
lives of the Afghan believers who have been filmed being baptised or
praying to the Lord are imminently imperilled. The Islamic masses are
against them. The Islamic State’s constitution is against them. Their
own government — including their Western-backed president — is
against them. However, the God of their salvation, the Almighty eternal
God Jehovah, is for them and with them.

WE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT GOD WILL:

* be a refuge, strength, help and fortress to all Afghanistan’s
seriously threatened and besieged Christians. (Psalm 46)

* gift and empower all Afghanistan’s young believers with radical
faith that expresses itself in humble prayer and fearless peace. ‘Be
still, and know that I am God.’ (Psalm 46:10 ESV)

* in mercy (Ephesians 2:4) and pity (Jonah 4:11) awaken the
consciences of many Afghans, opening their eyes and their hearts to
receive the true and liberating gospel (Luke 4:18,19; Acts 16:14).

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SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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AFGHANI CHRISTIANS MENACED AS TALIBAN ARE WOOED

President Hamid Karzai and his Western backers desperately want peace
with the Taliban. The British-authored, US-approved Afghanistan Peace
and Reintegration Program offers money and amnesty to Taliban militants
who denounce violence and lay down their weapons. However, the Taliban,
sensing victory, reject peace and are merely awaiting the US
withdrawal. (Nevertheless they might not pass up an opportunity to make
some money in the meantime!) In this climate, Afghan TV has shown
Afghans being baptised and praying with Christians in Kabul. The angry
masses want supposedly proselytising foreigners deported. MPs are
calling for these Afghani apostates to be publicly executed. Karzai has
ordered the interior ministry and spy agency to ‘prevent’ conversions.
Still, God is in the midst of his people (Psalm 46). Please pray for
the Church in Afghanistan.

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We suggest that churches and fellowships using the above Summary might
also provide a copy of the listed prayer points to be used in their
worship by people who are leading in prayer.

This RLPB was written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious
Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) by Elizabeth Kendal, an international
religious liberty analyst and advocate, and a member of the AEA RLC
team. Previous bulletins may be viewed at
http://www.ea.org.au/ea-family/Religious-Liberty/Prayer-Postings.aspx.

* For other articles, information and helpful links see Elizabeth
Kendal’s blog ‘Religious Liberty Monitoring’ at
http://elizabethkendal.blogspot.com/