State Department: Christian Churches in Afghanistan Have Vanished

According to the U.S. State Department, there is not a single public Christian church left in Afghanistan, CNS News reports. The last church was destroyed in March 2010, and there are no Christian schools remaining either. The State Department's annual report on religious freedom states: "The [Afghan] government's level of respect for religious freedom in law and in practice declined during the reporting period, particularly for Christian groups and individuals. Negative societal opinions and suspicion of Christian activities led to targeting of Christian groups and individuals, including Muslim converts to Christianity. The lack of government responsiveness and protection ... contributed to the deterioration of religious freedom."