Taliban holds 23 Christians hostage; threatens to cut off their heads

ballz2wallz · 07-24-2007, 09:17 PM

Has anyone heard of this story? I haven't until I found it on a blog.

Apparently 23 Christians from South Korea have gone to Afghanistan to work in hospitals and help the people there. The Taliban kidnapped them at gunpoint and have threatened several times to cut off their heads unless certain demands are met, at this point I believe it's money. At the moment South Korean negotiators are meeting with the Taliban, while Afghanis are protesting in the streets against the Taliban.

So why haven't we heard about this story in the US at ALL when it's such a huge story all over the rest of the world?

Bryan makes an interesting note:

It’s hard to find a more stark contrast than that between the way members of two of the world’s great religions are behaving in this ordeal. The South Koreans left their safe country and traveled to Afghanistan to work in hospitals among the country’s outcasts; the Taliban captured them at gunpoint and are threatening to behead them in order to gain concessions from the Afghan government en route to recapturing power in that country.

These Koreans are living out the Christian faith in ways most of us can’t and won’t live up to. The Talibanis are unfortunately living up to their faith in a way that’s become all too common.

Keep them in your prayers.

motivez · 07-24-2007, 09:33 PM

I hope they get out safe for sure, situations like this are always horrible

I'm not sure why we haven't heard about this, it's like something I posted awhile back where the cover for Newsweek for the rest of the world was about Afghanistan and the resurgence of the Taliban, and we got something about home makeovers or some nonsense here in the US..

I think our eye (as a nation, including the media, etc) has been off Afghanistan for a long while, and it's a shame.

Thorgrim · 07-24-2007, 09:37 PM

I've actually heard of the story multiple times?

They've delayed the execution several times, so I keep hearing about it...maybe you guys just don't check enough news sites?

DosEquis · 07-24-2007, 10:29 PM

It is to bad and really unfortunate we do not have the resources to confront our real enemy in afghanistan.

SpicyMcVoodoo · 07-24-2007, 10:30 PM

While I hope they get home safe, you have to admit these people are asking for it. They are missionaries, who deliberately go into places where Christianity is not allowed, under the auspices of doing aid work and such, knowing their ulterior motive is to proselytize, and then they get into these predicaments and play martyr.

It's like those two women who were taken prisoner by the Taliban when the US invaded. They admitted they were trying to proselytize under the guise of relief work. Christian missionaries do this all the time.

If these people want to get into a war of religions, this is what they get.

thomez · 07-24-2007, 10:37 PM

Let's all jump in the ocean and bitch about the sharks!

6SpeedTA95 · 07-24-2007, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by thomez

Let's all jump in the ocean and bitch about the sharks!

You're not seriously suggesting that this justifies their actions are you?

thomez · 07-24-2007, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

You're not seriously suggesting that this justifies their actions are you?

Nothing justifies their actions, but obviously this isn't the best position to put yourself in... it's like staying in New Orleans and waiting on Katrina to get there, then bitching about the flood. Uhhh... duh.

SpicyMcVoodoo · 07-24-2007, 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

You're not seriously suggesting that this justifies their actions are you?

Without resorting to "blame the victim" hysterics, would you please acknowledge the monumental stupidity of the people who keep putting themselves in these deadly situations?

Stylerod · 07-24-2007, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by SpicyMcVoodoo

Without resorting to "blame the victim" hysterics, would you please acknowledge the monumental stupidity of the people who keep putting themselves in these deadly situations?

Some peoples faith is strong enough that they think they can make a difference someplace that needs it. Seems like a little Christianity might do those people good.

6SpeedTA95 · 07-24-2007, 11:20 PM

Originally Posted by thomez

Nothing justifies their actions, but obviously this isn't the best position to put yourself in... it's like staying in New Orleans and waiting on Katrina to get there, then bitching about the flood. Uhhh... duh.

Wait wait wait, you're comparing a bunch of thugs who kidnap and kill people to a natural disaster? These people were over there helping in hospitals and trying to do some good...thats completely different than the lazy assholes who sat in NO with a cat5 storm bearing down on them.

thomez · 07-24-2007, 11:26 PM

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

Wait wait wait, you're comparing a bunch of thugs who kidnap and kill people to a natural disaster? These people were over there helping in hospitals and trying to do some good...thats completely different than the lazy assholes who sat in NO with a cat5 storm bearing down on them.

both of them put themselves in a situation of obvious pending harm no matter their intentions

SpicyMcVoodoo · 07-24-2007, 11:29 PM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

Some peoples faith is strong enough that they think they can make a difference someplace that needs it. Seems like a little Christianity might do those people good.

A little Christianity might do those people some good? After that comment, I don't know what is the point of continuing this conversation...I'm sure they think a little Islam might do you some good. How do we resolve this? Hint: you can't, and your line of thinking has led to thousands of years of fighting and millions of deaths.

Anyway, they are free to do secular aid all they want. There's nothing wrong, illegal or dangerous about that. Good for them. However, they don't just do that. They purposefully disobey the laws of the lands they're visitors in by insisting on pimping their religion where it's illegal to do so.

A basic tenant of visiting another's home or country is to respect their laws. These people think they're above the law because they just have to market their invisible man. There's nothing admirable or good about that. And if you think strongly held beliefs entitle a person to disobey laws of a foreign country, then you're implicitly justifying Muslims disobeying American laws.

6SpeedTA95 · 07-24-2007, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by thomez

both of them put themselves in a situation of obvious pending harm no matter their intentions

Wow, so if something is dangerous no one should do it? Dude give me a break, by that standard we shouldn't have cops, firefighters, military personell, nothing because it is "risky". These people did nothing provacative. They wnet over there to HELP people, to make a difference in our world. Then they were kidnapped and the only thing you can say is "They shouldn't have put themselves in a dangerous situation"

Stylerod · 07-24-2007, 11:57 PM

Originally Posted by SpicyMcVoodoo

A little Christianity might do those people some good? After that comment, I don't know what is the point of continuing this conversation...I'm sure they think a little Islam might do you some good. How do we resolve this? Hint: you can't, and your line of thinking has led to thousands of years of fighting and millions of deaths.

Anyway, they are free to do secular aid all they want. There's nothing wrong, illegal or dangerous about that. Good for them. However, they don't just do that. They purposefully disobey the laws of the lands they're visitors in by insisting on pimping their religion where it's illegal to do so.

A basic tenant of visiting another's home or country is to respect their laws. These people think they're above the law because they just have to market their invisible man. There's nothing admirable or good about that. And if you think strongly held beliefs entitle a person to disobey laws of a foreign country, then you're implicitly justifying Muslims disobeying American laws.

If it's against the law why didn't they get arrested by the government? Do you KNOW they were trying to convert people?

Absolutely a little Christianity would do great. If they were mostly Christian people of other religions wouldn't be getting kidnapped and being threatened to have their heads cut off.

thomez · 07-25-2007, 12:02 AM

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

Wow, so if something is dangerous no one should do it? Dude give me a break, by that standard we shouldn't have cops, firefighters, military personell, nothing because it is "risky". These people did nothing provacative. They wnet over there to HELP people, to make a difference in our world. Then they were kidnapped and the only thing you can say is "They shouldn't have put themselves in a dangerous situation"

I think a logical argument could be made that going to Afghanistan specifically as a "Christian aide worker" is a provocative thing to do in the minds of Afghani Muslims.... especially when they go over with the b2w mindset...

Originally Posted by b2w

I'm not only going to Africa to set up relationships for medical work, but to also reach out to the people and do the Kingdom's work. Their main religion is Christianity, but they don't have a grasp on what it is. They are a very spiritual people, but they leave the spiritual part out of Christianity, filling it with the ritualistic and spiritual beliefs of their other religions, still turning to witchdoctors and such. I'll be going there to help them run their churches and train the leaders of those churches. I'll be teaching kids Bible lessons. I'll be teaching adults Bible lessons.

when they have in their mind that they are there to reach out to Muslims and help them spiritually blah blah blah... it pisses them off ... and they are surely breaking laws as I've never heard of groups like this doing aide work when they do not also work to spread the faith as well.... so yes, they, in my opinion, have probably done something that would be considered 'provocative' in Afghanistan

SpicyMcVoodoo · 07-25-2007, 12:18 AM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

If it's against the law why didn't they get arrested by the government? Do you KNOW they were trying to convert people?

No, I don't know that for sure, but Christians proselytizing in countries where Christianity is illegal under the guise of humanitarian aid is nothing new. It's the same strategy of fighting a religious war they've been using for years.

As to why they weren't arrested, I have no idea how the US puppet government in Kabul handles things like this. But I can guarantee you the Taliban and the majority of locals would have arrested them, just like they did with these two. I saw an interview with one and she was proudly talking about how she would slip in Christian references and try to convert the kids.
Laws aside, preaching Chrsitianity is simply not acceptable in that part of the world, and it's the height of arrogance and recklessness to go there to do it anyway.

Originally Posted by Stylerod

Absolutely a little Christianity would do great. If they were mostly Christian people of other religions wouldn't be getting kidnapped and being threatened to have their heads cut off.

And if the USA were mostly Muslim we wouldn't be in the "war on terror" now. So what?

Thorgrim · 07-25-2007, 12:27 AM

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

Wait wait wait, you're comparing a bunch of thugs who kidnap and kill people to a natural disaster? These people were over there helping in hospitals and trying to do some good...thats completely different than the lazy assholes who sat in NO with a cat5 storm bearing down on them.

you're not winning any points calling the poor of NO "lazy assholes" when even the entire ruling body of the US thought the storm was going to miss doing any major damage

thomez · 07-25-2007, 06:48 AM

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

you're not winning any points calling the poor of NO "lazy assholes" when even the entire ruling body of the US thought the storm was going to miss doing any major damage

I thought it was pretty obvious... Cat 5 storm going towards New Orleans... get the fuck out. Now.