Afghani Member of Parliament: "Execute Afghan Christian Converts."

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

AFGHANISTAN (ANS) -- Quds Online news website, affiliated with Astan Quds Razavi Foundation, reported that an Afghani news service, Ava, is saying the number of Christians is increasing in Afghanistan.

According to Mohabat News Service, Ava quoted Nazir Ahmad Hanafi, Afghani Parliament Member, as saying, "Afghani citizens continue to convert to Christianity in India. Numerous Afghanis have become Christians in India. This is an offense to Islamic Laws and according to the Quran they need to be executed."

Earlier, another Member of Afghanistan's Parliament had acknowledged that an Afghani church had been built in India. He said, "A church has been built in India called Afghani's Church. Any Afghani citizen who travels to India would be officially invited to the church."

However, Mohabat News said, some other Afghani MPs, however, blame the U.S. for the increasing number of Christian conversions.

Abdul Latif Pedram, who represents Badakhshan province in the Afghani Parliament, stated, "The presence of the U.S. in Afghanistan results in the conversion of Afghans to Christianity. The United States' long term plan is to attack Afghani culture. Converting Afghan citizens serves that purpose."

Mohabat News said he a lso claimed, "If you want to stop people from converting to Christianity, and are afraid that more people will convert, then why did you sign the Bilateral Security Agreement with the U.S?"

Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, Speaker of the Parliament, has a long record of anti-Christian activities. Condemning all evangelical activities in Afghanistan, Mohabat News said he ordered the National Security Committee in parliament to follow up on the issue through "authoritative organizations."

Of course, Mohabat News commented, such harsh statements against Christianity are made while a number of members of the Parliament of Afghanistan have converted to Christianity, despite all the risks involved.

Islamic leaders of Afghanistan consider the growth of Christianity to be a threat. This phenomenon has reached the point where Mohabat News said they received reports that some Afghani Islamic clerics warned the government against the influence of Christianity in the country.

Some time ago, Mohabat News reported, the Islamic Counc il of Afghanistan notified President Karzai about more Christian aid workers and missionaries coming to Afghanistan and the likelihood of more conversions across the country.