25Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is ruled by an authoritarian government that heavily monitors the population, especially religious groups. A country expert shared that in one part of Uzbekistan, “every pastor and his family were surveyed by about 30 people. Practically every step was watched.”

The historic Russian Orthodox churches experience the least persecution from the government, but they aren’t permitted to share their faith with the rest of the Uzbek population. All other Christian communities face some sort of monitoring and pressure. Churches that aren’t approved of and registered by the state are often raided by the police, with people arrested, threatened and fined for having an illegal meeting.

The vast majority of people in Uzbekistan are Muslim, and new Christian believers from Muslim families bear the brunt of persecution – from both the state and also from their own families and communities. It’s perceived as a betrayal to leave Islam and brings great shame on the family. These new believers may be threatened, locked away, divorced, disowned or physically abused.

Meet Anara

“[When my husband found my Bible], he assaulted me for hours, hitting and kicking my face, hands and legs while screaming distasteful names at me and saying that I betrayed him and the true god. He said that he provides for me and the kids, and only he has the right to decide which god I should believe. In my heart, I knew I wasn’t suffering for nothing. I’m suffering for the name of Jesus Christ.”

Anara (name changed), a woman in Central Asia who became a believer from a Muslim background. She was a secret believer, but one day her husband found out, and she was forced to flee. Church members found her a safe place to rent with her children.

What does Open Doors do to help?

Open Doors strengthens the Church in Central Asia by providing relief aid, Bibles, ministry training, prayer support, vocational training and business microloans, as well as projects such as rehabilitation centres.