As the Taliban quickly sweeps back into power in Afghanistan, an Afghan-Canadian is calling on the federal government to also help Christians escape the chaos.
Zobair Deen served as a Political Analyst and Strategic Advisor for the NATO-ISAF mission from 2004-2014 in Afghanistan. He also remained involved in research and analysis of Violent Extremism in Afghanistan until 2019.
Listen to the full conversation with Zobair Deen
Deen says that Christians are especially in danger in his home country and wants the Canadian government to ensure the immediate relocation of Afghan Christians from the country.
"Would you pray for the Taliban leadership that they see dreams and visions of God, you know and may they chang their hearts. May they come to know Christ."
The Canadian Government has announced that it will resettle 20,000 vulnerable Afghans threatened by the Taliban and forced to flee Afghanistan. "Canada will continue to implement the special immigration program for Afghans who contributed to Canada’s efforts in Afghanistan," the government says in a release. "In addition, we will introduce a special program to focus on particularly vulnerable groups that are already welcomed to Canada through existing resettlement streams, including women leaders, human rights defenders, journalists, persecuted religious minorities, LGBTI individuals, and family members of previously resettled interpreters. The program will welcome government-supported and privately sponsored refugees, along with those sponsored by family already in Canada."
Deen is worried that Christians won't fall under the definition of vulnerable people in the country and is hoping Canadians will contact their MP and urge them to help Christians as well. You can find and contact your MP here.
"The Afghan church is vibrant. You're either fully in or you're not."
Christianity has been growing in Afghanistan as people are introduced to the Jesus of the Bible. "The Afghan church is vibrant," Deen says, pointing out that choosing to publicly follow Jesus have never been a choice made lightly there. "You're either fully in or you're not. And they're not lukewarm.
"It's a relatively new church. I would say the past three or four decades God has been working within the country. We've had stories of people seeing the presence of Jesus, you know, Jesus appearing to them in dreams and visions. But also, the Word of God has been spreading under this relatively peaceful time."
Besides asking for help in getting people out of Afghanistan, Deen is also reminding others of the importance of prayer. And pray, he says, even for the Taliban.
"(Christians there) already trust God and they've already been through the hardship of persecution and difficulty and many challenges, but we pray for peace. Would you pray for peace for them? Would you pray for protection over them? Would you pray that God even used them in the midst of chaos? You know that they'd be the light and the salt. And would you pray for the Taliban leadership that they see dreams and visions of God, you know and may they chang their hearts. May they come to know Christ."
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