01/10/2002
EDITORIAL NUMBER=0-09637

TALEBAN RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION

The story of a young Afghan man gives dramatic evidence of the cruelty of the Taleban -- and others like them who deny religious freedom.

Sayed Abdullah, then twenty-six, was living a reasonably good life in Kabul until Taleban soldiers arrested him in late 1999. A husband and father of two little girls, Sayed worked for the Red Cross. He had learned English in school and owned some five-hundred books. He was especially interested in the history of Europe and the United States.

As Sayed told the Washington Post newspaper, after he was arrested, the Taleban authorities brought all of his books to the jail. Among them were two copies of the Bible, one in English and another in Dari, one of the Afghan languages. Sayed said he told his Taleban interrogators that he was "a good Muslim." He said he had the Bibles "for learning, not for changing religions. Everyone," he said, "should know about other religions and other parts of the world."

Sayed’s Taleban jailers did not believe him. They accused him of converting to Christianity. Contrary to the most fundamental human rights principles, this is a crime punishable by death in some Muslim countries, including Afghanistan under the Taleban. For months, Sayed was tortured and mistreated in jail. Sometimes when they beat him, Sayed said, his torturers would chant, "God is blessing us. God will reward us."

Sayed’s widowed mother pleaded with Taleban authorities to release her son. Eventually, an official said that Sayed could be released for a five-thousand-dollar bribe. She raised the money by selling the family house and most of its contents. After more than five months in jail, Sayed was released. He had to sign a paper saying that he had been treated well.

Upon his release, Sayed Abdullah could barely move or talk, according to his doctor. Today, more than a year and a half later, he still has serious medical problems but can do light work for the Red Cross, his old employer. As Sayed told the Washington Post, he is glad to be free and glad that the barbarous Taleban no longer rule Afghanistan. But so far, he has not tried to replace his books, which the Taleban burned.

The Taleban left a legacy of physical -- and spiritual -- devastation in Afghanistan. Perhaps with time, a climate of tolerance can be established that will make it possible for Afghans like Sayed Abdullah to recover their enthusiasm for learning.