Dominica - Kerk In Nood

Afghanistan, the freedom to convert (from Islam) is totally denied. In 2011,
the government prosecuted people for “religious offences” like apostasy
and blasphemy.
The Taliban and other illegal armed groups favourable to a rigid application of
Islam have also carried out acts of violence and intimidation against Afghan
citizens.
Despite the presence of international military forces for more than ten years,
religious minorities are still faced with an uphill battle just to exist.
Under Afghan law, religions other than Islam cannot be preached, and many laws
discriminate against religious minorities.
The Afghan Penal Code allows judges to refer to the Sharia any matters not
explicitly covered in the code itself or the Constitution, such as apostasy and
conversion. Consequently, such crimes can be punished with the death penalty.
In 2011, although no official execution was carried out by the State for apostasy,
some summary executions did take place. Two Christian men were also arrested
on apostasy charges.
AFGHANISTANIn
Apostasy and summary executions of Christians
Afghanistan’s tiny Christian community is vulnerable and has to practise in hiding
since there are no Churches in the country. Its members have been targeted for
arrests and violence. The few Afghan Christians that do exist are mostly converts
from Islam, and are thus forced to hide their faith at risk of their lives.
Their situation worsened when a local TV network, Noorin TV, broadcast a tape
in 2011 showing a few Afghans undergoing baptism in May 2010.
The video sparked a storm of criticism from the country’s conservative religious
establishment. President Karzai was forced to declare that his government would
seek out the converts, thus legitimising a “convert hunt” in 2011.
More than 20 people were arrested. Eventually, they were all released except
for one man, Said Musa, whose case attracted the attention of the international
community and media.
Musa was held for six months in a Kabul prison, where he faced the death penalty.
He was eventually freed under US and international pressure 3 , and later left
the country with his family.
Shoaib Assadullah suffered the same fate. Arrested in October 2010, he was
held in prison for six months in Mazar-i-Sharif on charges of “proselytising”
because he gave a Bible to a friend. He too was released, in April 2011 4 .
3 AsiaNews, February 25 th 2011
4 International Christian Concern, April 20 th 2011