“The Taliban authorities began celebrating the third anniversary of their takeover of Afghanistan on Wednesday with a military parade at a former US base outside of Kabul and celebrations at cities important to the movement. Over the past three years, the Taliban government has consolidated its grip on the country and imposed strict restrictions on women, a policy the United Nations describes as ‘gender apartheid.’” — France 24
“The third anniversary of the Taliban’s takeover is a grim reminder of Afghanistan’s human rights crisis, but it should also be a call for action.” — Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher for HRW
15 August 2021 — The Taliban march into Kabul as internationally backed President Ashraf Ghani flees the country.
On 15 August 2021, as Western forces were withdrawing from their posts in Afghanistan after a 20-year occupation, the Taliban gained enough power, influence, and territory to retake control of the country. As the Western-backed government collapsed and its leaders fled into exile, both celebrations and laments filled the country’s streets. Prior to a military parade on Wednesday, 13 August, marking the third anniversary of the takeover, Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund addressed the nation. “On this date, Allah granted the Mujahid nation of Afghanistan a decisive victory over an international, arrogant, and occupying force.” While the Taliban are not internationally recognised as a formal government, they are arguably in total control of the lives of the Afghan people. Despite their efforts to show the world that they are effective leaders and are providing necessary services to the people, harsh criticism remains from most of the outside world.
23 March 2022 — On the day high schools are opening, the Taliban abruptly reverse a promise to allow girls above the sixth grade to attend school.
From 1996 to 2001, prior to the Western invasion, the Taliban ruled over approximately 95% of Afghanistan. Their harsh treatment of women and anyone they saw as dishonouring Islam was part of the reason the West, particularly America, decided to intervene. As they marched into Kabul in 2021, many feared the country would once again fall into these harsh conditions. The Taliban assured both their own people and foreign players that they would respect the rights of all Afghans. However, three years on, women in the country are once again facing extreme restrictions on their daily lives. On 23 March 2022, the Taliban announced that girls’ education from grade six onwards was prohibited. As time went on, they further restricted female education by forbidding women to study in universities. With each step that caused more intense international condemnation, the Taliban continued restricting the ability of women and girls to participate in civil society. As it stands today, women in Afghanistan are no longer allowed to be educated, to work for international aid organisations, to leave their homes without a male relative, and are required to wear full body and face coverings outside their homes. All beauty salons have been closed, and women can no longer use public parks and recreational areas. Failure to adhere to these rules can result in public flogging, societal and familial shame, or even death.
Restricting women in these ways not only causes personal distress but has also cut the country’s working population almost in half, further exacerbating the country’s extreme economic crisis. The United Nations envoy for Afghanistan warned that the legitimisation of the Taliban government would “remain nearly impossible” unless these restrictions on women are lifted.
October 2021 — The Taliban resume the practice of public punishment, in the first public flogging since their return to rule.
The Taliban’s international reputation declined further after the resumption of public punishments in October 2021. In the first instance of public punishment since their return to power, a man and a woman accused of adultery were sentenced to 100 lashes each in Kapisa province. Since then, hundreds of people have received public punishments, most stemming from accusations of adultery, running away from home, theft, homosexuality, fraud, consuming alcohol, and drug trafficking. In the first six months of 2023, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported that 274 men, 58 women, and two young boys were publicly flogged. Many times these punishments are carried out in sports stadiums or on busy street corners, with some attracting thousands of spectators.
8 December 2022 — The Taliban execute a convicted killer before hundreds of spectators in the first public execution since the takeover.
The first public execution took place on 8 December 2022, when a man was executed after being convicted of murder. The victim’s father shot and killed the man, whose execution was approved by the country’s highest courts and Taliban officials. The Taliban’s foreign ministry has defended these public punishments by stating that all of their actions are in accordance with Islamic rules and that “an overwhelming majority of Afghans follow those rules.” According to the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic law, the families of crime victims can decide whether to exact revenge on or forgive the perpetrators. The death penalty as a whole draws widespread international criticism, but the way Taliban executions are carried out contrasts with widely accepted international law. In response to these criticisms, Afghanistan’s foreign ministry states that “In the event of a conflict between international human rights law and Islamic law, the government is obliged to follow Islamic law.”
7 October 2023 — A 6.3 magnitude earthquake in western Herat province kills thousands of people. More quakes follow, bringing further devastation to the area.
Since the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan has faced a myriad of crises, including multiple natural disasters. Due to its geographical location, Afghanistan is prone to earthquakes and flooding. In 2023, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake killed thousands of people, and the slow and widely ineffective relief efforts deepened the country’s economic and social crises. Since the Taliban is not an officially recognised government, its international banking abilities are severely limited, and the Taliban’s policies have caused millions of foreign assets to be frozen, as well as the withdrawal of many foreign aid agencies. The UN has provided almost four billion in aid money since 2021; however, the needs on the ground are so severe that the UN money is nowhere near able to solve the issue.
According to Disaster Philanthropy, the main needs of the Afghan people are food, healthcare, education, sanitation, clean water, and daily livelihood support. Over one-third of Afghanistan’s population is experiencing acute food insecurity, and funding cuts and shortfalls mean only 20% of the population is receiving adequate humanitarian support.
From a Christian Perspective
According to the Taliban, there are no Christians in the country. Heavy persecution has driven the Afghan Church almost completely ‘underground’ as a necessity for their safety. Even under the Western-backed government, being a Christian in Afghanistan was not easy. Strong Islamic influence and cultural norms made it very dangerous to follow Christ. Since 2021, the situation has further deteriorated for believers in the country. Minority groups have arguably suffered more since the Taliban’s return to power, as they face threats of raids and increased scrutiny. Many Christians fled Afghanistan after the Taliban’s takeover in fear for their lives. If one’s faith is discovered, he/she can be arrested, detained, tortured, killed, or forced to give information on other believers or churches. Due to these tight restrictions, almost all of Afghanistan’s small Christian community are converts from Islam. This leads to further familial and societal persecution if one’s faith is discovered. Afghanistan is consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous places for Christians by both the Open Doors World Watch List and the International Christian Concern Persecutor of the Year report. International Christian Concern (ICC) reported that the Taliban offers financial compensation to those who report on the whereabouts and activities of Christians, and in the harsh economic reality faced by many, unfortunately, this has led to many Christians being discovered.
However, despite all of these harsh realities Christians face, it is encouraging to know that there is a Christian presence in Afghanistan and that the Gospel is advancing. ICC reported that in Afghanistan’s more rural areas, there is a hunger for the hope provided through a relationship with Jesus. Despite the danger, many are offering testimonies of the Lord’s work in their lives and are truly living out what it means to be ‘salt and light’ in the darkness surrounding them. The harsh treatment by the Taliban has left many dissatisfied and confused concerning Islam, leading to an openness to other religious ideologies that might not have been there otherwise. The ICC report included a testimony from someone familiar with the activities within the country: “There are secret prayer meetings and teaching sessions; people are giving each other encouragement and hope. They are reaching out and evangelising the lost around them, which is incredibly courageous considering the implications.”
As many Afghans fled the Taliban regime, many ended up in Pakistan, where, despite also being under heavy Islamic influence, the Christian Church has a bit more freedom. This allowed many to be introduced to the Gospel. Recent developments in Pakistan have led to many Afghans being forced to return home, but now with a new hope found in Christ. This influx of returnees could be a catalyst for church growth in Afghanistan. The global Church community can pray that those who have met Jesus would stand firm as they re-enter a harsher environment, and for those Christians who stayed to remain steadfast in their hope of an eternity with Christ.
Please join us in prayer for the following:
- For the Lord to provide for and sustain the Afghan people as they deal with a myriad of crises.
- For Taliban leaders and those who do not know Christ to come to a saving knowledge of God and to transform the country into a place where the testimony of the Lord’s goodness is known.
- For the Afghan Church to continue to grow, prosper, and bear good fruit
