38 in Christian persecution Kazakhstan

38Kazakhstan​

In Kazakhstan, religious freedom is heavily restricted by the country’s Religion Law, dating back to 2011. The government continually tightens its control over society, leading to increased surveillance, raids on meetings and arrests. They use the threat of militant Islam to justify these restrictions.
Russian Orthodox churches face fewer issues since they typically don’t engage with the Kazakhstani population. Indigenous Christians with a Muslim background suffer the most. They face persecution from both the state and their own families, friends and communities. Some converts are locked up by their families, beaten and eventually expelled from their communities. Local imams also preach against them, further isolating these converts.

Meet Zaida​

“[My son] threatens me, saying that when I die, he will not bury me but will just dump me. And no relative or neighbour will judge him because I’m a traitor of my faith.”
Zaida (name changed), a Christian from Central Asia.

What does Open Doors do to help?​

Open Doors strengthens the Church in Central Asia by providing relief aid, Bibles, ministry training, prayer support, vocational training and business microloans, as well as projects such as rehabilitation centres.

Please pray​

• Pray for protection for Christians targeted for violations of Kazakhstan’s Religion Law.
• Ask God to protect church leaders who are regularly monitored by the government.
• Pray that God’s Word will find its way to every believer in the country, despite limited access.