secular.help

Secular Afghanistan

Introduction

Afghanistan (a Wikipedia link) is basically a 100% Islamic country, which means that there is close to a zero percent chance that any part of the country is secular. Certainly nothing to do with government or education is secular. It is estimated to have between 35 and 50 million people.

To give the country its full name: the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

This page is, unfortunately, going to be brief.

History

Afghanistan has a rich and complex history (a Wikipedia link) that is shaped by its central location as a crossroads between Asia and the Middle East, marked by conquest, empire-building, and prolonged conflict.

Ancient and Medieval Eras

  • 330 BCE: Conquered by Alexander the Great, introducing Greek culture and establishing local Hellenistic kingdoms.
  • 7th Century: Arrival of Islam as Arab armies swept through the region, transforming local culture and society.
  • 13th Century: Overrun by Mongol forces led by Genghis Khan, causing massive devastation.
  • 16th Century: Babur, a descendant of Genghis Khan, established the Mughal Empire with its capital at Kabul before expanding into India.

Foundation and British Rivalry

  • 1747: Ahmad Shah Durrani united local tribes and founded the Durrani Empire, marking the origin of the modern Afghan nation.
  • 19th Century: Fought three Anglo-Afghan Wars against the British Empire as part of the strategic imperial rivalry known as the “Great Game” with Tsarist Russia.
  • 1919: Emir Amanullah Khan declared full independence from British control over foreign affairs following the Third Anglo-Afghan War.

Modern Conflicts and Regime Changes

  • 1978: A communist coup d’état overthrew the government, plunging the country into internal turmoil and a nationalist uprising.
  • 1979–1989: The Soviet Union invaded to prop up the communist regime, battling U.S.-backed Mujahideen resistance fighters until a costly Soviet withdrawal.
  • 1992–1996: Collapse of the communist government led to a brutal civil war among rival Mujahideen factions.
  • 1996: The ultraconservative Islamist group known as the Taliban seized control of Kabul and imposed strict rule.
  • 2001: A U.S.-led military coalition invaded following the September 11 attacks, swiftly toppling the Taliban for harboring al-Qaeda.
  • 2004–2021: Establishment of a Western-backed Islamic Republic and a prolonged insurgency by the Taliban.
  • 2021: U.S. and NATO forces completely withdrew, leading to a rapid Taliban offensive that retook Kabul and re-established the Islamic Emirate.

Current day

Religion in Afghanistan (a Wikipedia link) is comprised as follows:

  • Sunni: 88.4%
  • Shia: 11.5%
  • Other: about 0.1%

The “Other” group comprises of people who have to practice their religion in secret (if at all). Religious minorities such as Sikhs, Hindus, and Christians have reportedly faced persecution.

Afghanistan is one of the seven countries in the world (the other six being Iran, the Maldives, Mauritania, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Sudan) where being an atheist or a convert can lead to a death sentence.

Since apostasy is a crime under the sharia of Afghanistan, apostates are not treated kindly. Apostates, including atheists, are considered safe-ish if they were brought up as Muslim and do not make their beliefs (or lack thereof) public. Apostates are usually disowned by their families. Apostasy and conversion from Islam carry death sentences in Afghanistan’s Islamic legal system. Mob lynchings have also been known to happen.

Issues

The primary issue for the non-religious is that it is a crime that is punishable by death to not support Islam in Afghanistan. That is great for those who do well from such a society, but is a tragedy for anyone who is not convinced that Islam is the way to go.

There is also the issue of whether someone is the right sort of Muslim, e.g. problems based on the differences between Sunni and Shia. The Taliban enforces an ultra-conservative interpretation of Sunni Islam. While they do not officially ban Shia religious practices outright, their strict social codes, erasure of Shia jurisprudence from official legal frameworks, and systemic exclusion marginalize the Shia community.

Women are pretty much forced to wear full-body coverings in public.

Homosexuality is taboo in Afghan society; according to the penal code, homosexual intimacy is punished by up to a year in prison. Under Sharia law offenders can be punished by death.

In May 2022, the Taliban dissolved Afghanistan’s Human Rights Commission.

In January 2025, the International Criminal Court issued two warrants against the Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and the Chief judge, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, for committing crimes against humanity with the oppression and persecution of Afghan women and girls.

There are of course many consequences for having a brutally controlled country and society, especially based on the religion of Islam. Here are some:

  • Afghanistan remains one of the world’s least developed countries.
  • It’s nominal GDP per capita is comfortably the second lowest in the world (only ahead of Yemen).
  • Female teachers and female students are forbidden in secondary schools.
  • As of 2018 the literacy rate of the population age 15 and older is 43.02% (males 55.48% and females 29.81%). Yep, over 55% of the population can’t read.
  • Afghanistan ranks near the bottom globally in science, technology, and innovation.
  • The average life expectancy is estimated to be around 60 years.
  • The country’s maternal mortality rate is 396 deaths per 100,000 live births and its infant mortality rate is 66 to 112.8 deaths in every 1,000 live births. Yep, about 1 in 10 infants die.
  • The internet is heavily controlled and restricted in Afghanistan by the Taliban government, which implements targeted filtering, regional fiber-optic cuts, and occasional nationwide blackouts under the stated goal of preventing “immoral activities” and vice.
  • Dissent is punishable by death.

In terms of secular considerations, the country of Afghanistan is a tragedy and every sympathy goes out to those who suffer under its horrific structure.

To anyone in authority in Afghanistan who might read this: why the need for such brutal and murderous control? Don’t your ideas and practices stand without violence and oppression?

Back