Article source: www.incontextinternational.org

On Saturday 7 May, the Taliban announced a new decree ordering all Afghan women to wear “all-covering” clothing in public and threatened to punish their male relatives in cases of noncompliance. The ideal face covering, the group stipulated, was the all-encompassing blue burqa – referring to the garment that was obligatory for women in public during the Taliban’s previous rule from 1996 to 2001.

The decree provides exceptions for older women and young girls. The statement added that if women had no important work outside it was “better they stay at home.” Male relatives face the possibility of prison or the loss of state jobs if the women under their charge do not comply. Most Afghan women wear a headscarf for religious reasons but many in urban areas such as Kabul do not cover their faces.

 

This decree marks one of the strictest controls imposed on women’s lives since the hardline Islamists seized power in August. After the withdrawal of NATO troops, the Taliban vowed not to reimpose the same strict rules on women seen during its previous rule. However, over the past nine months, most of those restrictions have been reimposed. In March, girls’ high schools were shuttered on the morning they were due to reopen.

The administration also stepped up curbs on women’s movements – restricting travel without a male chaperone and banning men and women from visiting parks at the same time. The Taliban has faced intense criticism from Western governments, as well as some religious scholars and Islamic nations, for limiting women’s rights. The US, and other nations, have responded by cutting development aid and sanctioning the banking system, pushing Afghanistan towards economic ruin.

FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

± 39.6 MILLION? unknown CHRISTIAN

0.02% EVANGELICAL

67 UNREACHED GROUPS (99.9%  of pop.)

Even before the Taliban came back to power in Afghanistan, it was difficult to be a Christian in this nation. For many years, Afghanistan has been in the top three on Open Doors’ World Watch List (a list of countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian), moving to the top slot in the most recent report, due to the Taliban takeover.

Amid years of oppression and restrictions, the Church in Afghanistan – a totally ‘underground’ Church where believers meet in small groups and in secret – has grown exponentially. Despite several believers (including some church leaders) fleeing the country as foreign troops departed and the Taliban moved in, one source confirms that the Church remains a presence within the country and that the advancement of the Kingdom continues.

The risk for Christians has increased considerably as the Taliban control every aspect of government and have access to any records the government may have had on Christians in the country. One Afghan believer who now lives in the US and is actively engaged in reaching Afghans both in Afghanistan and the US said in an article in Christianity Today (October 2021): “The Taliban takeover has created a unique opportunity for some Afghan Muslims to rethink their faith. It’s the younger generation, and especially the women, who are most disenchanted with Islam, and most open to learning about the God of Christianity.”

Numerous ministries continue their outreach to Afghans through various methods from radio, the internet, and especially social media.  The status of women deserves special prayer as many Afghan women suffer physical violence, while widows face tremendously difficult circumstances without a male guardian, and suicide is common. Christian Afghan women have an opportunity to reach out to other women – those who are suffering and are frustrated by the reimposed restrictions – with the Good News of hope and life in Christ.

Please pray with us for the following:

  • For God’s grace to be extended to Afghan women facing increased restrictions and oppression, that their spiritual eyes may be opened, and their hearts softened to receive the life-giving Gospel
  • For Afghan believers to continue in their Kingdom-building activities and that the Lord will shield them from the enemy
  • For Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers to find more than physical freedom – that they will also have the opportunity of finding true freedom in Christ

Click here to KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE weekly newsletter.

Date published: 31/05/2022
Feature image: Image for illustrative purposes only. unsplash.com

DISCLAIMER
JOY! News is a Christian news portal that shares pre-published articles by writers around the world. Each article is sourced and linked to the origin, and each article is credited with the author’s name. Although we do publish many articles that have been written in-house by JOY! journalists, we do not exclusively create our own content. Any views or opinions presented on this website are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company.