Afghanistan (MNN) — The Taliban has performed its first public execution since taking power in August 2021. The father of a murder victim shot and killed the murderer. Several officials attended the execution. The Taliban approached the murder victim’s mother about the punishment. She asked for an execution.
The Taliban recently told Afghan judges to enforce their interpretation of sharia law throughout the country.
Fourteen people also suffered floggings in front of a filled soccer stadium. The victims sustained between 21 and 39 lashes and had been accused of crimes like adultery and theft. The group included three women.
Greg Kelly with World Mission says, “We’re naive to think that the Taliban was going to behave any differently than they have for decades and decades. The truth is that the day after the pull-out, the Taliban immediately began behaving the same way they had: persecuting Christians, targeting Christians.”
Persecution
Due to a recent census, The Taliban knew where Christians lived. They immediately started threatening them, demanding they return to Islam. Kelley says, “From September 1, 2021, until today, we have horror stories every single week. If you’re a follower of Jesus, you have two options. One is you serve Jesus in an underground church, totally off the radar. Or you try to leave the country.”
“We know many Christians who have tried to leave Afghanistan into neighboring countries, including Iran.”
In recent months, the Taliban has especially targeted Christian leaders.
World Mission focuses on training leaders for the Afghan Church. Ask God to give these leaders wisdom and boldness to proclaim Jesus. Kelley says, “People who love Jesus in neighboring countries are willing to risk their lives, go into Afghanistan, and proclaim the Gospel. We need to invest in leadership training, and that’s what World Mission is doing.”
World Mission also provides audio Bibles in Dari and Pashto, commonly spoken languages in the country. Learn more here.
(Header photo courtesy of bluuurgh, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
