Tajikistan is the poorest country in Central Asia. A slew of internal and external armed conflicts prevented any economic growth since the formation of the republic in 1991. While half of the 9 million people are under 25, Tajikistan hosts the largest Muslim population in Central Asia. A prominent saying in Tajikistan states that Only a Muslim is a True Tajik. Consequentially, Christian converts from Islam face the severest of persecution. Only state-authorized Russian Orthodox churches operate without persecution. Classified as “Extremist” in nature, all protestant churches face different levels of extreme persecution against them.

On October 7, 2023, more than 3,000 rockets fired by Hamas (a militant group in the Palestinian territory) rained on southern Israeli towns. In a subsequent assault by land and sea, Hamas killed over 1000 Israelis, 22 American citizens, and several other foreign tourists. In addition, several hundred Israeli citizens and tourists are held hostage by Hamas to try and soften an Israeli response. As in the past, the terrorist organization badly underestimated the resolve of their Jewish opponent. After a fierce missile and aerial attack that killed nearly a thousand Palestinians in Gaza and more than 50 casualties in the West Bank, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) mobilized thousands of reserves for a ground war. With a Unified Government for the War on Hamas leading the charge, Israel aims to erase the terrorist organization from existence. The attack caught Israeli intelligence agencies by surprise. Ironically, the attacks happened because Israeli troops relocated from the south to protect settlements in the West Bank in recent months.