Kinder, gentler Taliban detain 18, including 1 American, for preaching Christianity in Afghanistan

AP Photo/Rahmat Gul

The International Assistance Mission (IAM), a Swiss nonprofit group based in Afghanistan, reported Friday that its office in Ghor, about 400 miles outside of Kabul, was raided by the Taliban twice this month.

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On September 3 and September 13, Taliban took nearly 20 workers. Three members of the group were taken in the first raid, including an American, and 15 were taken in the second raid. They were taken to an unknow location in Kabul.

IAM helps improve healthcare and education in Afghanistan. In a statement the charity said it was “unaware of the circumstances that led to these incidents and have not been advised of the reason for the detention of our staff members.” “At this time, we have no information about the nature of allegations against our staff and are, therefore, unable or to comment or speculate about this ongoing situation.”

The reason given by Taliban officials for the raids is that they were “propagating and promoting Christianity” in Afghanistan, a largely Muslim country. The group of detainees includes several women, including the American. “The well-being and security of our colleagues are paramount to us, and we are doing everything possible to ensure their safety and secure their swift release,” the organization said.

IAM is registered as a non-government organization. Non-profits are under scrutiny from the Taliban. The Taliban banned women from working for NGOs as it levels harsher laws against women. Women are barred from public spaces now, among other draconian measures taken against them.

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The group sent a letter to the Ministry of Economy, where it is registered as a non-government organization, and is working with the UN and ACBAR to “deepen our understanding of the situation” and work for their release.

The nonprofit has operated in Afghanistan for nearly 60 years and is a Christian-based organization working to improve healthcare, education, and community development.

However, the non-profit follows the customs of the Middle Eastern country.

Thanks to Joe Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban rushed in to fill a vacuum created by all American troops pulling out of the country. Biden assured Americans that the Taliban would not do that but, as he always is, Biden was wrong about that. The Taliban promised that they would not rule as harshly as they did before 2001 but that, too, was a lie. Their brutal control of women and girls has come roaring back. This was all predicted by most reasonable people but Joe Biden didn’t care. He just wanted to be able to say that he got the American troops out of Afghanistan by 9/11/21. Two years later, the country is no place for women and children to live.

The Taliban have imposed their harsh interpretation of Islamic law, or Shariah, since seizing power from a U.S.-backed Afghan government in Kabul two years ago. They have barred teenage girls from schools beyond the sixth grade nationwide and ordered most female government employees to stay home.

The Taliban have also banned women from working for aid organizations in impoverished Afghanistan. Women are not allowed to visit public parks, gyms or bathhouses, and a close male relative must accompany them for long road trips.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters in New York this week that “the question of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan is absolutely central to all concerns and will be one of the issues that will be very much in the agenda” of the General Assembly session this month.

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Now the Taliban is brazenly snatching Americans in their pursuit of enforcing Islamic law. The excuse of the NGO promoting Christianity looks to be a farce. There is no indication on IAM’s website that indicates it does missionary work preaching the Gospel to Afghans. It looks like the Taliban wanted to send another message to women in the country that it will not tolerate them working with NGOs.

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