I want to thank God for all blessings granted to me, and you for all the kindness and support you do for me and my family. God bless you and your family, dear sister.
I am an Afghan man about 40 years old, of the Hazara ethnicity and Christian beliefs, and married with children. I was born in an Islamic family.
My parents insisted that I read the Quran and pray from the fourth grade in Arabic. I didn’t understand what I was reading. We did many things, for example, we mourned in the month of Muharram, the Islamic new year, and we beat ourselves, and the mullahs told us that it was rewarding.
We had no right to even think about another religion, lest we become sinners. When I was 35 years old, I got familiar with Christianity. I understood that this is the way of salvation, love, and light.
I converted to Christianity in 2018, although the situation was not good for the Jesus Christ believers. But the Lord helped me and showed me his light and blessing. I am grateful to my heavenly father, who chose me and enlightened my heart with his faith.
We knew that if neighbors or even some relatives know about our beliefs, it may be cause to death, because according to Islamic law, if someone converts from Islam to another religion such as Christianity, he becomes an infidel and faces the death penalty. We used to gather secretly for prayer and the place continuously changed.
I was threatened by phone in 2019 by a guy that spoke in Dari but Pashto accent. I did not share this with anyone and changed my phone number and left the province. During the republic period, we heard that some believers disappeared. Their bodies were found after a while. One of these murders was in 2007, a group of Christians came to Afghanistan from Korea and two were killed by the Taliban.
The situation was bearable until the Taliban came to power in August 2021.
The Taliban is an extremely extreme Islamic group. With their arrival, we could no longer gather and worship. They killed many people for being Hazara, let alone for being a Hazara and Christian. I worked with a company in Kabul, but as soon as Taliban came, I was unemployed, and the situation got harder for me.
I lived in isolation and could not go outside. After a long time, I went to my [relative’s] house but when I was returning with my son, I was targeted by three armed men who covered their faces and spoke in the Pashto language.
They shot two bullets at me in front of my son, and the third they aimed at him. Two struck me in my chest. I dove to block my son from getting hurt and took one bullet in my abdomen. After surgery and 10 days hospitalized, God wanted me to live, so I survived. I saw the miracle of Jesus Christ in my life. He healed me and saved my life.
The day after I was targeted, my family moved, in fear of another attack. A neighbor said that people with weird appearances asked about me and if he is alive or dead. After I was discharged from the hospital, I looked for a way to escape from Afghanistan.
I had never imagined that one day I may be under targeted attack. I had no enmity with anyone. But some of my friends and those I worked with doubted my faith and frequently questioned me. I think they were trying to kill me. But my Lord saved me.
With the help of an American friend, I found a way to Pakistan. This friend came like an angel to our life. My family is thankful for her kindness, and I am thankful to the Lord that always protects my family. I totally believe the great God never left my family alone.
Now we are in Pakistan. It is better than Kabul; however, sometimes the Pakistan police annoy Afghan refugees and arrest them even though they have valid passports and Pakistani visas. Here also is an Islamic country and hard for us to declare our beliefs.
Even so, I am afraid. If Pakistan police arrest and deport me and my family to Afghanistan, what will happen to us? Taliban would not have mercy to my family. But we are not disappointed. We wait for God’s will, which will be beyond my expectation.
Psalm 10:46: “Be still and know that I am God.” We entrust our worries and fears to Him because He holds our future in His hands.