Accusation: Christianity is spreading
Taliban arrest 21 Swiss NGO employees
September 16, 2023, 2:29 p.m
The work of the Swiss aid organization International Assistance Mission (IAM) in Afghanistan has been observed by the Taliban for some time. The group is said to be trying to convert Afghans to Christianity. Now 21 employees have to be taken into custody.
The radical Islamic Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have arrested numerous employees of a Swiss aid organization. A Taliban government official said a total of 21 International Assistance Mission (IAM) employees were taken into custody, including a US citizen.
The Swiss-registered aid organization had previously said that 18 employees had been removed from its office in Ghor province in central Afghanistan and taken to the capital Kabul. IAM said it had no information about what its staff was accused of.
IAM has been active in Afghanistan since 1966 and works in the areas of health and education. The group had been under surveillance for some time because it tried to convert Afghans to Christianity. The aid organization states on its website that it is based on Christian values, but states that it does not provide aid based on political or religious criteria. “We value and respect local customs and cultures,” the group said.
Ten IAM medics killed
Two years ago, international troops withdrew from Afghanistan after almost 20 years. After a rapid advance across the country, the Taliban took control again in August 2021 and declared an “Islamic Emirate”. Since then, the Taliban have used draconian laws to enforce their strict interpretation of Islam and, in particular, have massively restricted women’s rights. They banned Afghan women from working in aid organizations or for the United Nations.
In 2010, ten IAM medics were killed in an attack in a remote region of northern Afghanistan. Both the Taliban and another militant group claimed responsibility for the attack at the time. Even then, the Taliban accused the group of being Christian missionaries.