"Getting Rahman out of the country will not solve the larger issue, though. Rahman is not the only Afghan to embrace Jesus Christ, and the thousands of other Christians in Afghanistan are praying that his case will open a window onto their plight.

ABC News got a glimpse into their secret world, where Christians meet quietly in small prayer groups. Some estimates put the number of Afghan converts at 10,000 or more.

Yet more than four years since the United States ousted the Taliban, Christians still have to meet in secret, unmarked churches. They run small publishing houses and secret cultural centers, quietly receiving funding from Christian groups abroad.

One man, who serves as a local pastor, says converts in Afghanistan know they face the gravest consequences if caught.

'We live in constant fear,' he said. 'Everyone is afraid.'

Many even have to hide their adopted faith from their families. That was what got Rahman in trouble, say other Christians who knew him. His relatives turned him in after he read the Bible to his two daughters."

Labels: David C. Price