Displaying items by tag: Taliban

Thursday, 14 September 2023 21:27

Afghanistan / Pakistan: Taliban Clashes with Taliban

The Taliban exists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but the two forces are not compatible. Recent clashes between them caused the closure of a significant connecting thoroughfare between the two countries. Trucks carrying fruits, vegetables, and other commodities were stranded at the Michni checkpoint border crossing. The two groups were firing at one another, and authorities from both governments are trying to determine the cause and how to de-escalate the conflict. The border between the two countries is 1,675 miles long, and for decades it has seen many conflicts between the security forces. Pray for the negotiating parties of both countries to reach an agreement about this critical border crossing that will keep the border open and flowing for aid supplies (1 Corinthians 1:10).

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 31 August 2023 20:03

Afghanistan: two years after US withdrawal

30 August was the two-year anniversary of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Despite promises of a more moderate rule, Taliban leaders have imposed harsh measures. ‘It’s not a very good time in Afghanistan because of the hopelessness, the fear. People are tired of Islam,’ says Mina, an Afghan Christian working with Global Catalytic Ministries. ‘At first, I was feeling sorry for myself. I cried for three weeks. Then God’s grace opened my eyes.’ In June, Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada described Afghanistan’s conditions as comfortable for women according to the Islamic Shariah: ‘The status of women as a free and dignified human being has been restored, and all institutions have been obliged to help women in securing marriage, inheritance and other rights.’ However the Taliban removed girls from school, barred women from public spaces, and cracked down on media freedoms. Earlier this year, officials banned women like Mina from the workplace.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 18 August 2022 23:53

Afghanistan: how to pray, one year on

In August 2021 Afghans dreading the return of the draconian Taliban regime risked their lives clinging to the outside of departing planes, desperate to escape. Afghanistan is now the most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian. Closing the ministry of women’s affairs demonstrated a return to the denigration of women that had previously characterised the Taliban rule. Except for healthcare workers, women must stay at home ‘to protect their safety’. Girls’ secondary schools stay closed ‘until a comprehensive plan is prepared according to Sharia and Afghan culture’. The Taliban have re-established the ‘Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue’ to enforce their strict interpretation of Sharia. Their drive for only the ‘purest’ form of Islam has left no room for Christians in Afghanistan. Please pray for the safety and protection of secret believers from being discovered, and for the families who have to leave everything behind as they flee to safety. See also

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 23 June 2022 22:19

Afghanistan: earthquake kills over 1,000

Pictures show landslides and ruined mud-built homes where rescuers scramble to find people buried under the ground and treat the injured in the deadliest earthquake in twenty years. On 22 June, people started to bury over 1,000 dead, and help over 1,500 injured. The Taliban leadership appealed to the international community to clear any barriers created by sanctions and come to their aid. Communication is difficult because mobile phone towers are damaged, and the death toll could rise still further where dwellings in rural areas are unstable or poorly built. Even before the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan's emergency services were stretched to deal with natural disasters. A doctor from Paktika province said medical workers were among the victims: ‘We didn't have enough people and facilities before the earthquake, and now it has ruined the little we had. I don't know how many of our colleagues are still alive.’  Some have expressed surprise because the Taliban have said their rescue operation is complete, less than 48 hours after the quake.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 17 February 2022 21:13

Afghanistan: Taliban arrest Westerners

At least eight Westerners have been arrested in Afghanistan during different incidents in the last two months, marking a sharp escalation of Taliban actions against Westerners living in the country. No formal charges have been lodged against the six British citizens, one of whom is an American legal resident, and one US citizen. Afghanistan’s former vice-president tweeted that nine Westerners had been ‘kidnapped’ by the Taliban, naming journalists Andrew North, formerly of the BBC who was working for the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), and Peter Jouvenal, who has worked with the BBC and CNN. The reason for each of the specific detentions is unclear, and they are not thought to be related. Peter's family believe he is detained in error. He was working openly, having frequent meetings with Taliban officials to discuss investments in Afghanistan's mining industry. Peter suffers from high blood pressure and needs medication.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 03 February 2022 20:48

Afghanistan: Christians on precipice of disaster

Christians in Afghanistan are on the precipice of disaster. Women and children fear the utter brutality of Taliban rule. They are hiding in their homes for fear of what the Taliban will do to them. The Taliban have taken over Afghanistan in a catastrophe of epic proportions. The west is abandoning Afghan Christians, helpless women and children, and U.S. citizens. The Taliban are going door to door looking for Christians to kill and unmarried women to take captive. There are fears of the same genocidal persecution Christians suffered in Iraq and Syria. The American Centre for Law and Justice is mobilising to defend Christians' lives in Afghanistan. It is submitting reports for UN consideration and filing critical demands of the Biden administration (which will likely lead to a lawsuit). It wants international intervention to prevent needless bloodshed and human rights atrocities before it is too late.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 28 October 2021 21:25

Afghanistan: Taliban control - weekly bombings

A large explosion, claimed by IS, tore through a Shi’ite mosque in Kandahar during Friday prayers, killing at least 47 people. That bombing was the third in twelve days, and the deadliest since US forces left in August. It is also the first major IS attack in southern Afghanistan, raising concerns that the group is expanding its reach. Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) says Islamic militant groups do not always support each other; they are all seeking power. US and allied forces withdrew and created a power vacuum that the Taliban want to fill. However, IS wants to take control and plays on the fears of people by creating instability through terrorist attacks. Afghanistan will be unstable as long as there is a power struggle. VOM believes religious freedom underpins all other freedoms. Pray for religious freedom and for the churches to grow and be salt and light.

Published in Worldwide
Friday, 08 October 2021 09:15

Afghanistan: winter and fatigue threaten

Many Afghan Christians have fled from cities to remote regions to escape Taliban detection; others are hiding in communities. World Mission’s Greg Kelley learned of a Christian leader caught by the Taliban, who publicly tortured and executed him. Continue to pray for Afghan believers, in hiding and meeting in secret locations. Now, with the borders to neighbouring countries closed, they have nowhere to turn. With winter approaching they face extreme difficulties. It is exceedingly difficult to get aid into Afghanistan to meet their needs. Many want to leave because they are known to the Taliban or other extremists. Ask God to protect them and help mission agencies to arrange for their safe escape. Things are changing dramatically in Afghanistan, and those who suffer the most are the weak and vulnerable. Pray for wise short-term strategies to address the needs of elderly, sick and frail refugees.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 16 September 2021 21:27

Afghanistan: Taliban invite diplomats back

80% of Afghanistan's money comes from foreign donations or aid, and the Taliban cannot afford to be ostracised by the world. Their security commander appealed to diplomats, politicians and businesses: ‘Come. Start your work again. No one will hurt you. Diplomatic relations are the right of every country.’ But many are sceptical. Two newspaper journalists were tortured by the Taliban for covering women protesting for more freedom. The journalists were held in separate cells and whipped with cables. They both passed out from intense pain. There are huge weals and extensive bruising on their backs, shoulders, thighs and buttocks. Their editor-in-chief said, ‘These journalists were beaten and tortured for doing their job. We need the international community to stand with us and insist the Taliban are held to account because this will have a terrible impact on media freedom and everyone's freedoms.’

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 02 September 2021 22:03

Afghanistan: Illegal drug trafficking

As the Taliban secures its grip on Afghanistan, UN Security Council officials are warning that the militant group is reliant on drug trafficking as its primary sources of financing, and opium poppy production has increased significantly. They also said the problem of production of poppy-based drugs and methamphetamine was ‘unaddressed’ by the Afghan peace process, even though it remains the Taliban’s largest single source of income. Opium has a destabilising and corrupting effect within Afghanistan and contributes significantly to the narcotics challenges facing the wider international community. Taliban financing is also sourced by other criminal activities including extortion, kidnapping for ransom, mineral exploitation, and revenues from tax collection in areas under their control or influence. The UN office of drugs and crime estimates that taxes collected from drug farmers alone were about $14.5 million, while another $46 to $98 million comes in from heroin manufacturing and trafficking.

Published in Worldwide
Page 1 of 4