Resistance to Missionaries in Afghanistan is 'Formidable'
"Being Muslim for a millennium," Afghanistan appears to some as "a God-given opportunity for missionary work," an American charity worker told the AP. But Islam's roots run deep in Afghanistan and resistance would be formidable. To many traditional Afghans, proselytizing threatens the (very) fiber of daily life where religion is an intrinsic part, the AP reported. Last fall, Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer, aid workers with Shelter Now International, were arrested and held for weeks by the ruling Taliban for allegedly proselytizing to win Afghan converts to Christianity. Islamic law prescribes death for Muslims who convert to other religions. However, a Baptist spokesman said, "We believe the Bible mandates that we look for any opportunity we have to share our faith." The interim government has shown no sign of liberalizing the Islamic law, and an interview with a prominent cleric, Mullah Sardar Agha Akhwanzada, disclosed, "Personally I don't think it matters whether people come and preach...but converts should not get the death penalty." Kandahar's Mullah Naeem stayed his ground, "likening missionaries to snakes, and endorsing capital punishment for converts." Submitted for your gospel preached to all files.