A group of evangelical leaders is asking the Biden administration to aid in the resettlement of Afghan civilians who were U.S. allies or may suffer persecution for their Christian beliefs. They argue that America has a moral responsibility to assist those in peril as a result of the Taliban's occupation of Afghanistan.
Christian Headlines reports that the coalition wrote to Biden on Tuesday, a day after he delivered a speech from the White House in which he justified his decision to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan.
According to the news source, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in 2001 because the Taliban refused to give up Osama bin Laden, the architect of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed thousands in America.
But prior to that, when the Taliban governed Afghanistan, it was already a harsh Islamic government that did not respect women's rights or the fundamental human rights of Christians and followers of other religions.
Seven evangelical leaders are named in the letter, including officials from "World Relief, Bethany Christian Services, and the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission."
The letter, dated August 17, states that "despite the deteriorating situation, it is of utmost moral urgency that the U.S. government keeps our commitment, ensuring that those who qualify for Special Immigrant Visas as a result of their service to the United States are safely evacuated from Afghanistan and to a safe location for processing, along with their immediate families."
The letter acknowledges the growing challenges of safely evacuating Afghan civilians, but maintains that giving up on them cannot be an option.
"As Christians, we believe that each person is made with intrinsic value in the image of God, and we cannot treat any person's life as expendable," the signatories reasoned. "Our government has a particular obligation to those who are now facing threats upon their lives due to their service to the United States, and to go back on our commitment to them would be a moral failing with reverberating consequences for decades to come."
It also pointed out that a number of other Afghans like Christians, other religious groups, women, and others who are not qualified to Special Immigrant Visas are likely to suffer persecution under Taliban rule.
"Specifically, we urgently request you increase P-2 processing of Afghan refugees to the United States. The current policy of only allowing those who are in a third country to qualify for P-2 status is untenable and does not honor their commitment and sacrifice," reads the appeal in the letter.
"We urge you not only to keep your commitment to set the annual refugee ceiling at 125,000 for the coming fiscal year but also to ensure that the United States actually hits that ceiling by repairing and rebuilding the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program," the letter added.
On the part of evangelical churches, the letter states that they are prepared to welcome persecuted civilians and their families who would be relocated to their areas. They said that they are willing to contribute to the resettlement of incoming Afghan refugees and that they would be praying for the government to maintain the United States' commitment to those who are at risk of persecution.
Empty promises
On the eve of their return to power in Afghanistan after 20 years, the Taliban pledged not to seek revenge against Afghan civilians who assisted U.S. forces or the Afghan government.
Those promises, however, proved hollow as the Islamic militants' horrific crimes are already being broadcast across the world via social media and a few mainstream sources, notes CBN News.
Despite the Taliban's declaration of universal amnesty for all Afghans and a promise to protect women's rights at a news conference on Tuesday, militants from the group murdered a woman in Takhar for leaving the house without a burqa, Fox News reports.
In the same way, a video from Kabul showed armed Taliban militants in cars near activists and government employees' homes.
Last week, terrifying images emerged from Afghanistan. Afghan journalist Bilal Sarwary tweeted photos of two men being dragged along a street with ropes around their necks.
Sarway claimed the Taliban accused these guys of stealing and had them displayed in Herat after Friday prayers.
Taliban accused these men of theft, their faces were colored with black color - to embarrass them and were paraded in Herat city after the Friday prayers. pic.twitter.com/crLpdK3kCV
"” BILAL SARWARY (@bsarwary) August 13, 2021
"Taliban style Justice often means hands of thieves are chopped off," Sarwary wrote in his tweet.
At a news conference Tuesday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that the Taliban had promised "safe passage" for people to the airport. As for Americans left in Afghanistan, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki gave no guarantees that they would all be evacuated.
