Afghanistan, the Taliban, and the Persecuted Church

On August 15, Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul fell to the Taliban. During the month of August, more than 100,000 people have been evacuated by military airlifts from US and coalition partners or commercial flights, and many thousands more desperately await evacuation. On August 26 there was a suicide bombing outside of the airport in Kabul that killed at least 60 Afghans and 13 US service members, and wounded more than 100 others (ISIS-K, Islamic State group’s Afghan affiliate claimed responsibility).

Afghanistan is now effectively under the rule of the Taliban- the ultra fundamentalist Islamic group that ruled the nation of Afghanistan with an iron fist for 5 years before U.S. led forces removed them from power in 2001.

The situation in Afghanistan is a horrifying nightmare. It’s Madness. Absolute Chaos. And now with the Taliban in power, the small population of Christians in Afghanistan are at risk for even more significant persecution than before.

How did all of this happen? Who are the Taliban and what do they want? And what it’s like to be a Christian in Afghanistan right now? How can we be praying for them, supporting them, and helping in any way? And is there any hope for Afghanistan?