07-20-2023 GEORGE THOMAS
A United Nations monitoring team has cautioned in a recent report that terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda and its affiliates, are growing in strength in Afghanistan.
Despite promises that Afghanistan would not again become a haven for terrorists, the 27-page report says such as Al Qaeda “have greater freedom of maneuver under the Taliban” than before and that “the threat of terrorism is rising in both Afghanistan and the region.”
Bill Roggio, editor of the Foundation for Defense of Democracy’s Long War Journal, told CBN News, “The Taliban have been cooperating with Al Qaeda – has been supporting and sheltering Al Qaeda. It did it during the U.S. presence in Afghanistan and it continues to this day.”
Two years after the U.S. withdrawal, Al Qaeda-linked officials are reportedly now helping the Taliban lead in three provincial governments and have five new terror training camps around the country, including one in Nuristan.
“The camp in Nuristan, United Nations notes, that Al Qaeda is training terrorists to conduct suicide operations,” Roggio said.
Al Qaeda has also opened safe houses in Kabul and three other provinces.
“All of the locations that the U.N. notes where Al Qaeda is running training camps, safe houses, and its media operations, I’ve tracked over the last decade and a half, Al Qaeda having a presence there. Senior Al Qaeda leaders, operatives and low-level fighters have been killed in all these provinces.” Roggio explained.
Meanwhile, the U.N. says the ISIS threat is also growing, leaving many Afghans – especially those who are non-Muslim – uncertain about their personal safety.
Dr. Martin Parsons is with The Lindisfarne Centre for the Study of Christian Persecution. He told us, “Afghan Christians are literally moving from house to house. They’ve switched off their phones.”
Dr. Parsons has worked in Afghanistan for years, and says even though life for Christians is dangerous right now, it will only get worse as Al Qaeda’s strength and footprint grows.
“The Taliban follow a code of Islam called the ‘Hanahfi Code,’ which basically says any adult male who is deemed to be a convert, who’ve left Islam, gets three days to repent and if not, then executed. Under Al Qaeda, it’s simple execution on the spot for Christians.”
No one knows for sure, but Parsons estimates are that there are between 5,000 and 20,000 thousand Afghan Christians in the country.
Former Muslim and native Afghan, Hussain Andaryas, hosts a Christian television program, “Afghan TV Voice for Christ,” that’s seen inside the country. He’s in regular contact with secret believers who tell him they are undeterred by the growing threats.
Andaryas claimed, “The Gospel is not going to be stopped by Al Qaeda, Taliban or ISIS.”
He added, “Yesterday I spoke with one man from Badakhshan. He said, ‘No matter what, I will follow Jesus even if I have to be killed, even if my entire fellowship here is threatened (he’s a church pastor), we will go on trusting the Lord Jesus Christ’. They are very strong.”
A recent State Department report blamed both the Trump and Biden administrations for not adequately planning for the withdrawal and failing to anticipate the collapse of the Afghan government.
Please pray for Afghanistan Christians.