Religion in Afghanistan

The earliest mention of Christianity in northern Afghanistan can be found in the Book of Laws and Countries by Vardesan (beginning of the 3rd century). Later, Christianity was distributed mainly in western Afghanistan. At the beginning of the V century, the first bishop appeared here. His chair was in the city of Herat. However, in the Middle Ages, Afghanistan turned into a predominantly Muslim country. Attempts by Christian missionaries to convert the local population into their faith were harshly suppressed by local Islamic radicals ^[3] .

To date, there are approx. 30 thousand Christians, mostly foreigners living in the country. For the transition from Islam to Christianity for local residents in Afghanistan, the death penalty is provided ^[4] . Most Afghan Christians are Protestants ; Pentecostals represent the largest denomination (124 communities in Afghanistan in 2000 ^[5] ).

In Afghanistan, cases of persecution of Christians are regularly recorded. According to the results of a study by the international charitable Christian organization “ Open Doors ” for 2014, Afghanistan is among the five countries where Christian rights are most often oppressed ^[6] .

Hinduism in Afghanistan began in the Vedic period , when the country's population shared a common culture with India . Hinduism was practiced along with Buddhism and Zoroastrianism . Mahabharata mentions King Shakuni who was the ruler of the Kandahar region in Afghanistan ^[7] . In the Kushan kingdom, Hindu gods were worshiped, as well as Buddha and local deities ^[8] .

The main ethnic groups in Afghanistan that practice Hinduism are the Punjabi and Sindhi who have come as traders over the past few centuries. Along with the Sikhs, they are collectively known in Afghanistan under the name Hindki ^[9] . Afghan Hindus live in the cities of Kabul and Kandahar . The Loya Jirga has two places reserved for Hindus ^[10] .

In 2010, 10 thousand Hindus lived in Afghanistan ^{[11] [12]} .

Believers of other religions also live in Afghanistan. According to the World Christian Database in 2005, the Bahá'í community numbered 15 thousand people in the country ^[13] . Among immigrants from India there is a community of Sikhs (4 thousand ^[11] ). Supporters of traditional beliefs have remained in the country (4 thousand ^[11] ), but their number is steadily decreasing. The community of Zoroastrians totals 3,5 thousand people ^[11] .

For the worship of various religious rites in Afghanistan, there are over 15 thousand mosques. In Kabul alone, more than 545 mosques function. In the country there are about one and a half thousand mazars (tombs) and “holy places” (ziyarat).

The most famous is the Ruzayi Sharif Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif , where, according to legend, one of the most revered in Islam , especially among Shiites , saints - Ali, cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad , as well as the sacred building of Sahi Jan in Kabul , are buried. he seemed to stop for the night. The mosque in Kandahar is widely known, where the clothes of supposedly the prophet Muhammad himself, the tomb of Akhund-zade near Jalalabad are exhibited.

• Blue Mosque (Mazar-e-Sharif)
• Juma Mosque (Herat)
• Lashkargah Cathedral Mosque
• Eid Gah Mosque
• Pul e Hishti

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