The daily horror show in Afghanistan

2 mn read

While the horror story continues, the world has lost interest

On the day the Taliban took Kabul, my WhatsApp just kept buzzing. Panic, sadness, and anger competed for precedence. Ilham, who has fled to Turkey before, feared for the fate of his younger brothers. He imagined already seeing his sisters, still children, being taken away to satisfy the perverted pleasures of Taliban fighters. Omar, and others searched diligently for a safe haven, not trusting their family, friends, and roommates. Scenes that are reminiscent of the Second World War in Europe suddenly became reality.

Fortunately, all our clients are still safe and healthy. Only one of them has managed to cross the border into Pakistan, where his fate is uncertain. The UNHCR usually does not receive atheists very warmly in Muslim countries. Every week I receive the most horrific images of executions on the street. Young men hanged from trees and men with beards laughing around them. I hear stories of Taliban fighters going door to door dragging people out of their homes, then disappearing. And today, one client, a father of 7, texted me in a panic that gunmen had pressured his parents to reveal their son’s whereabouts.

While the worst predictions seem to be coming true, the world is already looking the other way. The worldwide Corona revival, the climate summit, and the fall in the share price of Tesla are of course also important. But let’s not forget Afghanistan and the people who now suffer from the misery that the West has contributed to.

Currently, SUN is helping a group of 27 Afghans to stay safe. Two families in hiding, a group of young liberal men and women that were forming a discussion group with fellow atheists, before the coup and some students. We are connecting them with trusted sources to find hiding places, and providing some of them with funding for food and living costs. When we are able to get them out of the country, funding for basic needs is often necessary.

We are looking for 100 sponsors that could donate for about $ 10,- per month for the time these people need our support and we can get them to a safe place outside Afghanistan.