Country Profile: Afghanistan
Afghanistan is a land-locked country in Asia. It shares borders with Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and a short border with China. In terms of territory, it is slightly larger than France and a bit smaller than the state of Texas.
Throughout history Afghanistan has been known as the graveyard of empires because great political powers have failed to colonize and/or govern it. In the last three centuries this would include the British Empire, the Soviet Union (1979–1989), and the United States of America (2001–2021).
Afghanistan is one of the most Islamic countries in the world, with over 99% of the population being Muslim. The government of the country rules according to a strict version of the Shari’a, which is understood in Islam as the civil and religious law (there is no separation in Islam) revealed for all times y Allah through Muhammad. Since these laws are divinely revealed and eternal, they are not subject to change or alteration or contextualization.
Afghanistan has one of the most fertile populations in the world. The population is estimated at around 43 million, or some four million more than Canada or the state of California. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of the Afghan woman is 4.4, one of the highest fertility rates in the world outside of Sub-Saharan Africa and about twice the world average.
Afghanistan has various ethnic groups and languages, none of which have substantial numbers of Christians of any church or denomination. The largest ethnic group is the Pashtun at about 42% , the Tajiks at about 27%, with the Hazaras and Uzbeks at about 9% each. The main languages are Pashto and Dari, a near relate of Farsi—the language of Iran. Other tribal or local languages exist.
Christians in Afghanistan generally must keep their faith a secret and meetings with other Christians are risky. The government does enforce orthodox shari’a law, meaning that apostates from Islam must be executed. Despite being rich in natural resources like minerals, Afghanistan’s economy remains poor. This is due to a combination of factors including a lack of education for women, tribalism, lack of security, and difficult terrain which makes transportation challenging.
When you talk with your Afghan friends here are some questions you might ask:
- Ask to see photos of the part of the country they come from. Some of natural scenes are quite stunning.
- Ask if they had friends from the other ethnic groups growing up. How were they similar or different?
- If you have developed a trusting and respectful relationship, you may want to ask about shari’a. If shari’a is Allah’s law and Afghanistan is following shari’a so closely, why is the country not more prosperous and just?
- Impress your friend with some trivia: did they know that the city of Kandahar is named after its founder, Alexander (Iskandar) the Great?