Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1943, The Near East and Africa, Volume IV

390H.1163/26: Airgram

The Minister in Afghanistan ( Engert ) to the Secretary of State

Kabul , January 24, 1943—11 a.m.
[Received February 23—4 p.m.]

A–2. Ever since my arrival⁶⁶ I have been giving a good deal of thought to the question raised in the Department’s mail instruction No. 2 of August 19, 1942,⁶⁷ as to the possibility of establishing American missionary activities in Afghanistan.

The following expresses my considered opinion, but without of course having consulted any Afghan officials on the subject:

(1) The Afghan Government has been very consistent in refusing the establishment of any Christian missions in Afghanistan, and I am not aware that any foreign power has ever seriously challenged either the right or the practice of the Afghan Government of refusing missionaries permission to reside in the country.

(2) The present would, in my opinion, not be a very favorable moment to broach the subject. The Afghan Government is preoccupied with many serious problems of a political and economic nature, and would be reluctant to reconsider its policy—even if it wished to do so—at a time when every step taken by it is closely scrutinized, both by the Afghan people and foreign powers, and might perhaps be misinterpreted as a departure from strict neutrality.

(3) I see, however, no reason why after the war the question could not be presented to the Afghans in a perfectly detached manner and as part of the spiritual reconstruction of the world in harmony with the ideals for which we are fighting. Liberty of conscience and of worship is undoubtedly among the freedoms which the civilized world cherishes and which we hope to see adopted by as many countries as possible, not so much on purely religious grounds as for ethical reasons, general enlightenment, and international good will.

(4) The present Afghan Government is reasonably enlightened, but it has to deal with an extremely backward population which is very much under the domination of fanatical mullahs. It is therefore entirely out of the question to expect it to permit “missionary activities” in the narrow technical sense of the word implying proselytizing, the distribution of tracts, etc. Any government suggesting such a thing would be immediately overthrown, and any missionaries admitted into the country would be in serious danger of their lives.

(5) But in view of the fact that the Afghan Government has for a number of years been most anxious to procure American teachers one could perhaps interest some such organization as the “Near East College Association” in selecting the teachers and in helping with the reform of the Afghan educational system. I believe the Afghan Government has, on the whole, been envious of the advantages offered to Persia by our missionary schools and hospitals, and it would undoubtedly welcome any schools and hospitals (along the lines of Robert College and the American University of Beirut) offered by American organizations, provided they are not called “missionary” and provided those connected with them do not attempt to convert Moslems to Christianity.

(6) The presence in Afghanistan of carefully selected American teachers and doctors would in itself constitute “missionary” work of the highest order. It is the kind of work which has made itself felt, slowly but surely, throughout the world by the example set by unselfish Christians whose personal integrity, clean lives, and intellectual honesty have “converted” thousands of men to the western (i. e. Christian) concept of life without outwardly changing their religion.

Engert

66. For correspondence relating to the opening in 1942 of the American Legation in Afghanistan, see Foreign Relations, 1942, vol. iv, pp. 44 ff.
67. Not printed. This instruction repeated to the Legation informal inquiries from the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America as to the possibility of conducting missionary activities in Afghanistan. (390H.1163/23a)