A member of the Afghan parliament has suggested that people who convert from Islam to Christianity should be executed according to Sharia (Islamic law) to stop the rapid growth of Christianity among Afghan citizens at home and abroad.
Newsroom (August 16. 2021, Gaudium Press) – Local sources told Fides Service that the appeal by Muslim parliamentarian Nazir Ahmad Hanafi follows a report published in the Afghan press pointing to the increase of Christians in Afghanistan. Hanafi told the assembly: “Afghan citizens continue to convert to Christianity in India. This is an affront to Islamic law and, according to the Qur’an, they should be executed”.
Earlier, another member of the Afghan Parliament reported that in India, where there are thousands of Afghan refugees, a Christian community called “Church of the Afghans” has been set up, to which all citizens of Kabul are invited.
According to Fides information, in the debate that followed the assembly, another member of Parliament, Abdul Latif Pedram, declared that “the conversions to Christianity are the result of the presence of the United States in Afghanistan“. In conclusion, Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, the Speaker of Parliament, condemning all “Christian proselytising” activities in Afghanistan, ordered the National Committee for Security to “pursue the matter seriously”.
Afghanistan’s Islamic leaders see the growth of Christianity as a threat to the country and have warned the government about the influence of Christianity. In recent months, the ‘Islamic Council of Afghanistan‘ has reported with concern to President Karzai the growing presence of foreign workers in Afghanistan of the Christian faith. According to local sources, some members of the Afghan parliament have also secretly converted to Christianity, despite the risks involved.
