Kyrgyzstan (MNN) — New religion laws in Kyrgyzstan are taking effect this month, signed into law by President Sadyr Japarov in January. The regulations, which affect both Christians and Muslims, include a ban on door-to-door witnessing and increased registration requirements for religious organizations. In an effort to curb a trend toward radical Islam, the government is also banning face coverings and requiring national oversight of Muslim communities.
Since the late nineties, all religious organizations in Kyrgyzstan have had to officially register with the Ministry of Justice in order to operate. While the national mandate originally required groups to submit proof of 200 founding members, the new law increases that number to 500. These members must be current, adult residents of the region where the religious group operates.
But Greg Musselman with VOM Canada says the number is unrealistic. Even if a group had that many initial members, some may have passed away or moved out of the area since the group’s founding.
“The government in Kyrgyzstan obviously has realized that by putting on more of these oppressive measures toward the churches, it’s going to cause the churches to stop meeting. And that’s ultimately what their goal is,” Musselman says.
He has seen this play out in other countries.
“It basically causes the churches to have to go underground because they will not be able to meet publicly,” he explains.
Government restrictions are often a first step toward tighter national clampdown on Christianity. Thus, Musselman isn’t surprised to see these kinds of laws coming from Islamic countries. The question, he says, is how will believers react? In his experience, persecution can embolden believers.
“It can actually cause the church to become stronger and more committed.”
Matthew 16:18 reminds us that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. But while some believers are firmed up by resistance:
“There will be others that will be very timid. They will stop meeting, and we know that when there’s not a community of believers gathering together, it can really cause a lot of problems for individual Christians,” Musselman points out.
Rural Kyrgyzstan. Courtesy of EJ Wolfson via Unsplash.
Muslim-background believers face constant pressures from family and society, which are often more persuasive than those coming from the government. Because Islam is so woven into society’s fabric, any conversion to Christianity is seen as a threat.
“That disrupts, in their mind, the culture,” Musselman says. Fear of Christianity prevails even when Christians practice good citizenship while carrying out their faith. “When you have a government that doesn’t see it that way or a society that doesn’t see it that way, that’s where you’ll see more of the opposition.”
Muslim-background believers have much to overcome, and their future is uncertain.
“It gets back to: how strong are some of them?” says Musselman. “For them, leaving Islam is a big step in itself.”
This is a tremendous prayer opportunity. Please pray not only for the salvation of citizens in Kyrgyzstan, but also for ongoing courage and growth amidst ostracization from family and society. Pray also for ministries in Kyrgyzstan. Musselman and several of his VOM Canada colleagues are focused on teaching a theology of persecution, especially to leaders who can spiritually equip their own flocks.
“The key thing is discipleship,” he says, “and also to encourage them, saying ‘You’re not alone. What kind of resources do you need?’”
Please pray that Christians in Kyrgyzstan won’t compromise. Pray that church leaders would have wisdom and words before government officials. Pray that believers would have clarity about how to proceed as congregations under new restrictions, and pray that they would love those persecuting them.
Featured image courtesy of Jacqueline Macou from Pixabay
