One of the countries along the Silk Road is Tajikistan. It is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordering Afghanistan, China, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is one of the nations where Back to Jerusalem missionaries work. Recently, we were able to interview a missionary who is working in this country.
How many Christians are there in Tajikistan?
According to Open Doors, it is 0.6% of the population. But personally, I think that is an over-estimate. The Christian population in Tajikistan is very small. Especially among ethnic Tajiks.
How about Islam in Tajikistan?
The vast majority of Tajiks are Muslim, about 98%. However, it is not constitutionally an Islamic country. All forms of religion are carefully controlled by the government, an legacy from many decades of Communist rule. You do not see many mosques or hear the call to prayer in public places. Both mosques and churches have to register to be considered legal, but the process is very difficult. This is because of a fear or religious extremism, particularly Islamic extremism. Islamic religious groups fuelled a civil war in the nineties, after the country broke away from the Sovejet Union.
What does this fear of religion mean for Christians in Tajikistan?
Constitutionally, the country has freedom of religion. The freedom the government allows to practice that religion publicly is very limited, and churches face many restrictions. However, real persecution comes from the local community, particularly from the families of believers who have a Muslim background.
Can you give examples of that?
Families who believe in Jesus are often driven from their land and villages. They become destitute with no way of providing for themselves. When a girl or a woman from a Muslim family becomes a Christian, her situation is particularly dangerous. We have seen girls severely beaten by their parents or brothers. Others are locked up, have their phones taken away and are no longer allowed to contact anyone outside their direct family. If they are found to have a Bible or other Christian material, they are in serious trouble. Baptisms must be done in secret. Those who become believers are not even allowed to be buried in their villages when they die. They are seen as unclean.
How can Chinese missionaries work in Tajikistan?
There are tens of thousands of Chinese in Tajikistan, working in business and construction. Belt and Road projects have opened many doors for Chinese to work here, so Chinese missionaries can enter relatively easily. They witness in their contact with locals. They work in all kinds of government approved businesses and projects, and maintain good relationships with the communities they live in.
What are their challenges?
Language is a main struggle. The Tajik language closely resembles Persian, and is hard to learn for the Chinese workers. But they also have to learn Russian as that is the language which is used as the language between minorities who speak different languages. A lot of public communication is in Russian. It can also be hard for them to work in a nation where there are very few believers to have fellowship with. They may feel lonely. We visit other missionaries to encourage them and help them with their businesses. And sometimes we get people together for a time of encouragement. But the people are spread out and the roads are bad.
What is your prayer for this nation?
So far, we see only the beginnings of people turning to Jesus. We pray for a much bigger harvest. Not only of believers, but of faithful disciples who will witness to their own people, in their own language and in ways fitting to their culture. So, we support new believers as much as we can to help them grow and become strong.
Praying for this country and for the missionaries there!