09/01/2021 Afghanistan (International Christian Concern) – In the wake of the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, officially completed on Monday, President Biden addressed the nation on Tuesday and once again asserted that the decision to end the war in Afghanistan was the correct one. Less than whether to end the war, the Biden administration has received a great deal of criticism over the manner of the withdrawal, which was marked by chaos and death. Thirteen U.S. service members and over 170 Afghan nationals were killed last week in a set of coordinated suicide bombings which created chaos and panic at the Kabul airport.
In his Tuesday address, President Biden also reiterated his administration’s commitment to the people of Afghanistan and to leveraging the power of the United States to deliver humanitarian aid. He emphasized a new era of diplomatic engagement and stressed the United States’ commitment to advancing human rights in Afghanistan. He did not specifically mention religious minorities in his comments, but those communities will likely be quickly targeted by the Taliban. Reports have already surfaced of the Taliban contacting and threatening known Christians.
The Taliban has a history of extreme violence before and during the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Since the U.S. left, the Taliban have made statements that they will honor women’s rights—within the bounds of Islam. They also offered a general amnesty for all at-risk communities, but these assurances have been met with skepticism in the international community as reports of extreme violence against Afghan nationals have already surfaced.
“At ICC, we are extremely concerned for the future of Afghanistan’s Christians and hope to see continued engagement from the United States and other allies. The international community must keep up the pressure on the Taliban to respect religious minorities and other at-risk communities throughout Afghanistan,” said Matias Perttula, Director of Advocacy for International Christian Concern.
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