AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - Asia

Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)

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Feb 10: Afghanistan

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Afghanistan

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Asia

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Geography

Area: 652,225 sq km
Dry and mountainous but with fertile valleys. This strategic land has been fought over by rival foreign empires for nearly three thousand years.
Population: 29,117,489    Annual Growth: 3.51%
Capital: Kabul
Urbanites: 24.8%
HDI Rank: 181 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)

Peoples

Peoples: 76 (93% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Official language: Pashtu (used by 50% of population), Dari (Afghan Persian, used by 70%)    Languages: 41 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Muslim

Religion		Pop %	Ann Gr
Christians	14,559	0.05	14.6
Evangelicals	8,442	0.0	16.7
Muslim	29,074,395	99.85

Prayercast

Challenges for Prayer

Afghanistan is one of the least reached countries in the world. There are 48,000 mosques but not a single church building. Pray for the 70 unreached peoples of this land, especially for the following groups:
a) Pashtuns. They number over 40% of the Afghan population and are politically dominant. Pashtun on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border comprise what has been called the largest Muslim tribal society in the world – as many as 46 million people in over 30 major sub-tribes. Christians among them remain few, though urban, educated Pashtuns in exile have shown some response. Pray that multitudes might be released from fear, prejudice, the strongholds of Islam and pride in pashtunwali(their tribal code of honour); there is evidence of an intense spiritual battle for breakthrough among this people.
b) Tajiks in the northeast. Speaking Dari (a form of Persian), they are closely related to the Pashtuns. Some Tajik groups were among the last people to resist the Taliban, yet they remain over 99% Muslim. Pray for their spiritual freedom.
c) Hazaras, Shi’a Muslims of Mongol descent. Being a Shi’a group, they have been severely persecuted through the years and were even massacred by the Sunni Taliban. They have demonstrated greater openness to the gospel in recent years.
d) Uzbeks and Turkmen of the north have shown encouraging responsiveness as refugees in other lands, but as in their namesake countries, only a tiny proportion are believers.
e) The six Aimaq tribes of the west, of nomadic background, and the Baloch and Brahui of the south. There are very few if any believers from these isolated groups.
f) The nine Nuristani tribal groups in the mountains north and east of Kabul. They speak five languages and 16 dialects; many of these are mutually unintelligible.
g) The five Ismaili Muslim Pamir people groups and the Kyrgyz living in the far northeast of Afghanistan, along the high Pamir Mountain range. These people groups are isolated in small valleys, far from good roads. Ismaili Muslims tend to be more open to the good news, and a small community of believers was birthed some years ago. Praise God for good distribution of gospel audio materials among the Kyrgyz.
h) The numerous Dardic people groups near the volatile border region with Pakistan. The largest of these is the Pashai, numbering in the hundreds of thousands of people.
i) The nomadic Gujar and Jugi/Kuchi/Ghorbat people groups.
The Church in Afghanistan remains almost entirely underground, despite a slight improvement in the situation since the fall of the Taliban. Expat believers, who have increased greatly in number, must be very circumspect in their faith and witness. Pray for:
a) Afghan believers. Their numbers are increasing, as are the resources available to help disciple them. There are probably several thousand indigenous Christians; no exact number is known. They can never meet publicly, and even their secret meetings must change times and locations to avoid detection. In rural areas, they often believe as family groups, even as extended families. Also multiplying are small groups of Afghan believers in South Asia, Europe and North America. Pray for the protection of these precious believers, and for the clarity and consistency of their witness.
b) Afghans being reached by the gospel. Most are devoutly Muslim, but many, uncomfortable with terrorist actions in Islam’s name, are interested in discovering more about Jesus Christ. The long-term presence of Christians working in aid, development and business, the return of former refugees who encountered the gospel while abroad, the presence of Christian radio as well as dreams and visions of Jesus have all moved mountains. The greatest difficulty is that of identity – many cannot see how to be both Afghan and openly Christian, especially when no such recognition is offered within the wider Afghan society. Pray that an expression of faith will emerge that allows them to be truly Afghan while truly following Jesus.
c) Safety and perseverance for believers as severe repercussions and persecution loom. The inevitable discovery of spiritual movements among believers from a Muslim background received high profile media coverage in Afghanistan and promises of harsh penalties – even death – from both family members and the authorities. Pray that no attacks of the enemies of the gospel might discourage or destroy the Church, but that in the crucible of suffering, the body of Christ might mature and even grow.
     For an additional 6 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Afghanistan.