Afghanistan: Christians facing extreme persecution, need international support
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – One year on from the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the International Christian Concern (ICC) advocacy group has published a report urging the International community to support Afghan Christians who are facing extreme human rights abuses.
Titled Afghanistan Humanitarian Brief: Situational Overview for Christian Minorities, the ICC report attests that the Taliban have not changed their ways and they continue to persecute those who do not follow their extreme interpretation of Islam. “Early on the Taliban attempted to signal to the world how they have reformed. Nothing could be further from the truth,” ICC Director of Advocacy Matias Perttula said in a statement.
The ICC report urges the International community to apply consistent pressure on the Taliban to change their domestic policy and stop the human rights abuses. “The international community, led by the United States, must monitor human rights in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and ensure that the regime receives due international pressure through various sanctioning authorities and international monitoring agencies,” the report recommends.
“The international community must not, under any circumstance, offer diplomatic recognition of the Taliban until the Taliban guarantees human rights for all Afghans regardless of their religious disposition,” the report asserts.
In particular, the report specified that the Afghan church needs international support: Afghan Christians are all former Muslims and are especially to severe human rights abuses through punishment under Shariah law for leaving Islam. “The underground church in Afghanistan needs support from the international community as targeted killings and other forms of persecution are rising,” the ICC report says.
Afghanistan ranks number one on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2022 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
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