While it is very fortunate that the eight so called “foreign aid workers” were released ,without harm, from Afghanistan, their presense and activities there was highly irresponsible. Among the eight were two American missionaries, Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer, along with four Germans and two Australians who were in Afghanistan with Shelter Now International. SNI describes itself as a Christian relief and development organization.
On August 3rd, this group of eight, along with sixteen Afghanis, that they apparently had managed to convert, were arrested by the Taliban’s Ministry of Vice and Virtue and charged with proselytizing. Seized also was a large cache of Christian themed books, tapes, and CD’s that the group had smuggled into Afghanistan. Some of this material had been translated in the local Dari and Pashto languages. While the group’s mission has been reported in the Western media as “helping the destitute”, their illegal activities has quite possibly led to the death of the sixteen Afghanis who were with them when they were arrested. And, without a doubt, dire consequences have fallen on anyone else possessing the material the group of eight was distributing. Our military personnel were forced to divert their attention from their dangerous war with the Taliban regime, and, put in harm’s way, to retrieve these folks once the Taliban had abandoned them.
There are many countries in the world, including Islamic, that welcome foreign aid, and organizations such as the Peace Corps and USAID that supply this aid without the volitile hidden agenda of groups like Shelter Now International. And there are many countries throughout the world who welcome Westerners,but it is illegal to proselytize while there. When visitors ignore this mandate,not only do they risk expulsion, but their actions also demonstrate an arrogance and a supreme lack of respect for the culture and traditions of their host country. name: Randy Thompson 64 Colony Park Drive Savannah Ga. 31406 tel.912 3541214
Randy Thompson
Thank you for expressing your opinion. Aren’t you glad you live in a country founded by Christians who brought their Bibles and other religious books to this land to establish a culture where freedom of religion and expression is the norm?
I do not respect a culture that treats its women like chattel, that inflicts their religious views with violence and death, whose religious book speaks of holy wars against infidels, and that would put someone as outspoken as you to death. You are barking up the wrong tree with your politically correct views. It carries no weight with me.
The Bible commands that we Christians go into all nations and preach the gospel. These brave women, who WERE working to bring aid and relief to Afghanistan, were also bringing a message of hope to an oppressed people — oppressed by the very culture you pay such homage to. They were not preaching, they were certainly not forcing it on anyone, but they did have material for those who wished to learn more about Christianity… as many Islamic people do. You yourself said, “SNI describes itself as a Christian relief and development organization.” Christianity is a religion based upon sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. What part of “Christian relief and development organization” do you not understand? There was no hidden agenda here!
I applaud the courage of those who took aid and a religion of hope for men AND women — not prostitutes in heaven for the men as the Koran teaches. I applaud any Afghani workers who chose to become Christians although from everything I have read no workers WERE Christians and were all released by the Taliban.
Yes, you are truly blessed to live in America where brave Christians founded a culture that allows people like you to spout off freely whenever you feel like it. How fortunate you are to live here and not in one of those other cultures you wax so almost eloquently about. And… what a supreme lack of respect YOU show for the culture and traditions of YOUR host country – a TRADITIONALLY Christian nation which has TRADITIONALLY and histrically sent missionaries into countries such as Afghanistan.
Kathryn Darden
