The Jesuit Refugee Service has called for the British government to provide safe asylum routes for refugees fleeing Afghanistan.
Pope Francis, after today’s Angelus, called for dialogue.
“I ask all of you to pray with me to the God of peace so that the clamour of weapons might cease and solutions can be found at the table of dialogue. Only thus can the battered population of that country – men, women, elderly and children – return to their own homes, and live in peace and security, in total mutual respect.”
Bishop Declan Lang, chair of the bishops’ conference department of international affairs, has urged Catholics to pray for the people of Afghanistan, while pointing to the work of humanitarian organisations, and efforts to welcome refugees, as signs of hope.
“As Christians, we are called to be people of hope, even when a situation may appear hopeless,” he said. “Today our hope can be placed in those who are working tirelessly for dialogue, justice, and peace in their country. Our hope can be placed in the humanitarian organisations that are continuing to offer their assistance, and the efforts to welcome and protect refugees fleeing their homes. Above all we place our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom we pray in the knowledge that he will never abandon the people of Afghanistan.”
The Jesuit Refugee Service UK urged the British government to protect Afghans forced to flee their home by providing safe routes to asylum in the UK.
Director Sarah Teather said: “As we grieve with the people of Afghanistan and watch with horror, there are practical things the British Government must do to protect Afghans forced to flee their home now.”
Referencing those who are so desperate they attempt to cling to departing planes, she said: “The chaotic scenes remind us that in an emergency, refugees have little freedom on how they travel to safety or where they go, and that the journey to flee is fraught with danger. We have, as yet, made no commitments on resettlement. We must do so, and look to provide other ways for people to enter the UK safely to claim asylum and reunite with family members.
“We must also act now to provide safety to asylum seekers already in the UK and to guarantee safety for those who will arrive in coming weeks and months. The government must urgently abandon attempts to penalise refugees for how they are able to travel to seek safety, and for asylum seekers who are already here, it must recognise the terrible change in circumstances in Afghanistan and grant them immediate humanitarian protection, at the very least.”
Release International, which supports persecuted Christians, warned that attacks on Christians are likely to rise across the region.
Chief executive Paul Robinson said: “The Taliban’s swift advance can only embolden extremists. Pakistan especially may be impacted by the new mood of militancy – which will be bad news for Christians across the region.”
One church leader in Afghanistan said Christians were living in great fear. Some who worked for the government now face reprisals, and any identified as Christians could be killed. Christians risk betrayal, even from their own family members.
A Christian contact of one Release International partner described the situation as “dire”. He said: “Our brothers and sisters in Christ are telling us how afraid they are. In the areas that the Taliban now control girls are not allowed to go to school and women are not allowed to leave their homes without a male companion.”
The church in Afghanistan already faced sharp persecution, even before the Taliban advance. That church is invisible and must operate underground in this land where Muslims who change their faith are breaking the law and considered to have betrayed their communities, said Release International.
“To be exposed as a Christian risks being charged with apostasy, which is punishable by death or imprisonment. There have also been honour killings of Christians by their families.”
In the past, foreign Christian workers have been murdered and many have long since left the country. Many secret believers are now fleeing the Taliban, whose version of Islam is even more violent and extreme. But many Christians are poor and cannot afford to leave. They will be left behind.
One of the communities worst affected by the Taliban is the Shia Hazara minority, which has been especially responsive to the Christian message.
In May 2021, the Taliban bombed the Sayed Ul-Shuhada High School in Kabul, killing at least 85, mainly schoolgirls. The previous year the Taliban staged a shooting at a maternity clinic, killing women, children and babies.
The chairman of the German bishops’s conference, Dr Georg Bätzing, said: “For a few days now, images of triumphant Taliban warriors and countless shocked Afghans have been going around the world. Many people have pure fear written on their faces. The scenes at Kabul airport besieged by people whose only hope is to be able to leave their homeland quickly enough. I too am outraged by the widespread suffering and helplessness of those from whom the future is being snatched.
“The takeover of power by the Taliban in Afghanistan represents a disastrous defeat for the United States and the countries that until recently were committed to its side. This also applies to Germany. The situation that has now arisen is draining the political trust capital of Western countries and is understood by many around the world as moral bankruptcy.”
He warned: “No country is surrendered to a proven, brutal archaic radical Islamist movement if the civilian population has been encouraged for years to follow an opposing course of civilization. In this way the life and limb of thousands and thousands are endangered and the flame of hope that one has nourished oneself is extinguished. A renaissance of Islamist terrorism is not unlikely.”
Christian Aid called on the UK Government and wider international community to help the people of Afghanistan.
Subrata De, Christian Aid’s country manager in Afghanistan, said: “The situation is dire and more support will be required for poor and marginalised communities in the coming days. Christian Aid has been working in Afghanistan for 30 years and we will not desert now. We’re doing all we can to continue distributions of food and emergency supplies to the most affected communities. We hope that humanitarian access will remain, especially access to women and girls in the communities as we are very concerned about their safety.
“As an Indian national, I have been lucky enough to evacuate safely but our staff, their families and the thousands of people we support, are living with uncertainty and insecurity.”
Fionna Smyth, head of global advocacy and policy at Christian Aid, said: “We urge the UK Government to take action on four key areas; to work closely with the United Nations and wider donor community, to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided to those most in need in the face of a rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis, to immediately suspend all deportations from the UK of Afghan asylum seekers and refugees and open safe and legal routes for those fearing persecution.
“The UK government should use its influence to encourage and support neighbouring states including with funding to allow refugees to flee without fear of being sent back; and finally, to do everything in its power to protect Afghan women, including human rights defenders, and civil society actors who have been encouraged to take leadership positions and who are now at grave risk.
“The impact of decades of conflict and displacement has recently been compounded by increasing climate shocks, rising food insecurity and Covid-19, which has left almost half of Afghanistan’s population in need of emergency humanitarian assistance.”
To donate to the hunger appeal, please visit www.christianaid.org.uk.
As parliament is recalled tomorrow to debate the crisis, Quakers in Britain calledd on the UK government to recognise its moral obligations in Afghanistan.
“The military takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban forces is a tragic culmination of a long series of military conflicts that has afflicted the country for decades,” they said in a statement.
After almost two decades of military presence, Quakers said the UK has a moral responsibility to people displaced by the conflict. “The UK government should work urgently with others to expand safe and legal routes for migration and offer sanctuary to those who need it. The UK’s promise to provide visas for Afghan nationals working with British officials is a start, but the responsibility does not end there.”
‘‘Current UK policy means that many migrants have no choice but to risk their lives on dangerous journeys to Britain and face hardship and a hostile environment when they arrive,” said Paul Parker, recording clerk for Quakers in Britain. “This will be made worse by proposals in the Nationality and Borders Bill currently going through parliament. Now is not the time to harden our hearts to vulnerable people forced to flee their homes. Instead we need to change our approach to one that emphasises our common humanity.”
He added: “The chaotic scenes unfolding on our screens are bringing home the human tragedy of a long series of military conflicts. We urge all involved to work for peaceful solutions and to prioritise human rights, dignity and wellbeing.”
The Most Rev Timothy Broglio JCD, Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, said in a statement: “The fall of Afghanistan and the departure of its elected leaders are a cause for concern, because of the possible denial of human rights, particularly for women and girls. My two visits to the country confirmed my impression regarding the sacrifices, even including death, made by many members of the Armed Forces and civilians striving to bring stability and peace to the people there. At the moment, however, we can only pray for the Afghani people, support any humanitarian efforts that are in place there (especially through Catholic Relief Services), and give voice to local leadership on all sides. The human dignity of this people must be respected.”
Lindy Lowry, managing editor, Open Doors USA said: “If you’re like me, you’re heartbroken over what’s happening in Afghanistan. Over the weekend, I watched in horror as fighters from the Taliban took the reins of the Presidential Palace and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. Our field is closely monitoring the situation in Afghanistan and again is asking for urgent prayer for the country and the small group of secret believers there who follow Jesus in the country ranked Number Two on Open Doors’ 2021 World Watch List.
Brother Samuel, Open Doors Field Director for Asia, said: “It’s a heartbreaking day for the citizens of Afghanistan and an even more dangerous time to be a Christian.”
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