Christians in Afghanistan face routine torture, persecution from family members: watchdog groups

Christians who remain in Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban's takeover face routine torture and persecution from both the government and their own friends, families and communities, according to humanitarian and watchdog groups.

"There are still Christians in Afghanistan," said Todd Nettleton, an author and radio host who works for the international humanitarian nonprofit Voice of the Martyrs. "I think during the time of the Taliban takeover a year ago, there was a lot of coverage that kind of suggested that all the Christians had fled the country."

Nettleton explained to Fox News Digital that as the Afghan government crumbled last year, many Christians did flee because they knew the Taliban's hard-line theology and intolerance toward Christians, especially those who had converted from Islam. Many who were widely known to have renounced Islam for Christianity escaped to other countries, he said, but the potentially thousands of Christians who remain face profound challenges.

"Those are the people who made the incredible bold decision to stay in the country," Nettleton said. "And their attitude was, 'Listen, if all the Christians flee the country, who's going to be here to share the gospel, who's going to be here to be the church?' And so they made that courageous decision to stay, even knowing that the Taliban would be taking over; knowing it was a very risky thing."

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Voice of the Martyrs, which aims to defend the human rights of persecuted Christians around the world, was founded in 1967 by Richard Wurmbrand, a Lutheran priest of Jewish descent who was imprisoned and tortured by the communist regime of Romania for 14 years because of his faith. In the prayer guide the organization releases each year, Voice of the Martyrs labeled Afghanistan a "restricted" country, where "beatings, torture and kidnappings are routine" for Christians.

Christians are also forbidden to openly worship or evangelize in the country, where the population is 99.8% Muslim and both local and national governments are "highly antagonistic" toward Christian believers. The number of Christians who are martyred there, though small, generally die "without public knowledge," the guide further explains, and "converts from Islam are often killed by family members or other radicalized Muslims before any legal proceedings can begin."

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Nettleton pointed out that while conditions for religious liberty have "certainly worsened" because of the Taliban, "the first line of persecution is your family members, it's your neighbors." Former Muslims who convert and then fail to show up for prayers at the local mosque often face suspicion from their tight-knit communities. He recalled one Afghan man his organization is in contact with who was forced to move his family three times for such reasons during the first eight months of the Taliban's restored regime.

Nettleton, however, is hopeful that Christian revival is possible in Afghanistan as its people see how poorly the Taliban is treating them. Noting how the Taliban claims to be following in the footsteps of Muhammad and adhering to the purest interpretation of the Koran, he said their oppression might lead some to question the merits of Islam.

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"They see an economy in shambles, they see people going hungry," he said. "And they will start to wonder, ‘If this is how the best Muslims run a country, do I really want to be the best Muslim? Do I want to pursue Islam? Does Islam have the answers that I want?’ And so that's what I hope will happen."

He added that the persecuted Afghan Christians who speak to his organization ask that their fellow Christians around the world would pray for them.

David Curry, a commissioner on the federal U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) who also serves as CEO of the non-denominational Christian mission Open Doors USA, echoed Nettleton's assertions, relaying to Fox News Digital the story of an Afghan Christian his organization knows named Saad, who confirmed that the Taliban had a list of Christians they distributed last year in an attempt to hunt them down.

"Many Christians did flee Afghanistan when the Taliban took over," Curry said. "Some did stay because they want to be ‘salt and light’ in a theological sense in that country, even though it became more hostile." The phrase "salt and light" traces back to the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus commanded his followers to live righteously as witnesses among nonbelievers.

"So, they want to be part of the community," he added. "They love their country. It's totally understandable why many fled, but there is an embattled Christian community there in Afghanistan still today."

USCIRF warned at the time of the U.S. withdrawal last year that the Taliban were going door-to-door looking for Christian converts, U.S. allies, former government workers and human rights activists. In a report released last Tuesday, the commission reiterated that religious freedom in Afghanistan has "drastically deteriorated" since the Taliban resumed power.

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United Nations nuclear agency will visit besieged Ukrainian power plant in the 'next few days'

The United Nations' nuclear agency said a team of experts will visit Ukraine's besieged Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in the "next few days" to assess damage and try to stave off a potential nuclear disaster. 

The plant, located in southern Ukraine, has been hit by a barrage of shelling in recent days, with Moscow and Kyiv trading blame for the attacks. 

Russian forces took the plant over in March, but have allowed the Ukrainian staff to continue operating the plant. 

The United States and dozens of other countries have urged Russia to allow the experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect the plant. 

"The planned mission would assess the physical damage to the ZNPP’s facilities, determine whether the main and back-up safety and security systems were functional and evaluate the staff’s working conditions, in addition to performing urgent safeguards activities on the site," the IAEA said Sunday. 

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Russia accused Ukrainian forces of shelling the plant over the weekend, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Sunday that Russia has turned the plant into "a military base." 

"Russian military must get out of the plant — they have nothing to do there!" Kuleba tweeted Sunday. 

Despite the shelling, radiation levels were normal on Sunday and there was no evidence of any hydrogen leakage, the IAEA said. 

The State Department, meanwhile, accused Russia of "cynical obstructionism" for blocking a nuclear non-proliferation treaty that had been in the works for a month. 

"Russia did so in order to block language that merely acknowledged the grave radiological risk at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, the very kind of challenge the conference is called upon to address," the State Department said Sunday. 

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NATO flagship 'breaks down' shortly after leaving port: report

The Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, a NATO flagship, reportedly broke down after setting sail for a four-month deployment to the United States.

As of Sunday, the $3.5 billion vessel remains anchored near the Isle of Wight while officials address a mechanical issue. 

The HMS Prince of Wales, which was first launched in 2017, broke down shortly after setting sail from Portsmouth Saturday afternoon. 

"HMS Prince of Wales remains in the South Coast Exercise Area while conducting investigations into an emerging mechanical issue," a Royal Navy spokesperson told UK Defense Journal, which was the first to report the breakdown.

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Sources told the outlet that divers were sent down to examine the issue and reported damage to the propellor shaft. 

The aircraft is expected to stay anchored for a few days while it undergoes repairs. It will then resume traveling to North America where the ship’s crew will train alongside their counterparts in the U.S. and Canada.

"Taking the HMS Prince of Wales task group across the Atlantic for the rest of this year will not only push the boundaries of UK carrier operations, but will reinforce our close working relationship with our closest Ally," Commanding Officer, Captain Richard Hewitt said in a statement. 

He added: "From operating the F35 Lightnings and drones to hosting the Atlantic Future Forum, none of this would be possible without the efforts of the amazing sailors on board, many of which are on their first deployment with the Royal Navy."

Fox News has reached out to the Royal Air Force for updates. 

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UK police arrest two men in connection with murder of 9-year-old girl, release them on bail

Two men were arrested on Thursday and Friday in connection with the murder of 9-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel this week, who was shot to death at her family's home in northwestern England on Monday evening, police said. 

A 33-year-old man and a 36-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of murder, as well as two counts of attempted murder, but were both were released on bail. The 36-year-old, however, was later returned to prison for violating the terms of his license, which is similar to probation. 

The incident began around 10:00 p.m. on Monday when a gunman opened fire at two men near the home of the 9-year-old girl's family. 

Her mother opened the front door to see what was going on and one of the targets of the attack forced his way into their home. The gunman pursued and fired multiple shots, fatally striking the little girl and wounding her mother and the target. 

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The target who was shot, a 35-year-old man, was taken to a hospital in a black Audi Q3, police said. 

"This is a shocking and appalling attack which will reverberate around our communities, and I want to take this opportunity again to appeal to anybody who knows who was responsible for this attack to please come forward and give us those names," Merseyside Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said at a news conference on Tuesday. 

The 9-year-old girl was pronounced dead shortly after the shooting at a children's hospital in Liverpool. 

Jordan Henderson, Liverpool FC's captain, paid tribute to Korbell following a game on Saturday by wearing an undershirt that read, "RIP OLIVIA YNWA," which stands for, "You'll never walk alone." 

 Her family described her a "unique, chatty, nosy little girl who broke the mold when she was born".

"Liv was adored by everyone who knew her and would instantly make friends with anyone and everyone. She was often seen going up and down the street on her new bike she had just got for her birthday," the little girl's family said. "Although her life was short, her personality certainly wasn’t and she lived it to the most she could, and would blow people away with her wit and kindness." 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Turkey arrests pop singer for joke about religious schools, calls it a 'hate crime'

A Turkish pop star has reportedly been arrested on charges of "inciting hatred" in response to a joke she told about religious schools in the country.

Gulsen, a 46-year-old pop star in Turkey was taken away from her home in Istanbul for questioning and formally arrested late Thursday after she joked at a concert in April that one of her musicians’ "perversion" stemmed from attending an Islamic school. 

"He studied at an Imam Hatip (school) previously," the singer said. "That’s where his perversion comes from."

A video of the singer’s comment began circulating on social media recently, with a hashtag calling for her arrest.

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Gulsen was reportedly escorted to prison and is awaiting trial. 

The arrest sparked outrage on social media. Government critics said the move was an effort by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to consolidate support from his religious and conservative ahead of elections in 10 months.

Gulsen apologized for the offense the joke caused but said her comments were seized on by those wanting to deepen polarization in the country.

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During her questioning by court authorities, Gulsen rejected accusations that she incited hatred and enmity, and said she had "endless respect for the values and sensitivities of my country," the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Gulsen's request to be released from custody pending the outcome of a trial was rejected.

The spokesman for Erdogan’s Justice and Development party, known by its Turkish acronym AKP, appeared however, to defend the decision to arrest the singer, saying "inciting hatred is not an art form."

"Targeting a segment of society with the allegation of "perversion" and trying to polarize Turkey is a hate crime and a disgrace to humanity," AKP spokesman Omer Celik tweeted.

Associated Press contributed to this report
 

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US Coast Guard cutter denied entry into Solomon Islands port sparking concerns of China's growing influence

A United States Coast Guard cutter conducting patrols on an international mission in the Pacific Ocean was denied entry to a port in the Solomon Islands raising concerns about China's growing influence in the area.

The cutter Oliver Henry was taking part in Operation Island Chief monitoring fishing activities in the Pacific, which ended Friday, when it sought to make a scheduled stop at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, to refuel and re-provision, the Coast Guard office in Honolulu said.

There was no response from the Solomon Islands’ government for diplomatic clearance for the vessel to stop there, however, so the Oliver Henry diverted to Papua New Guinea, the Coast Guard said.

Additionally, it was reported that a British vessel was also denied entry but the British Royal Navy has not commented directly on those reports.

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During Operation Island Chief, the U.S., Australia, Britain and New Zealand provided support through aerial and surface surveillance for Pacific island nations participating in the operation, including the Solomon Islands.

China has been assertively trying to expand its presence and influence in the Pacific, and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare alarmed some neighbors, the U.S. and others after he signed a new security pact with China.

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The pact has raised fears of a Chinese naval base being established within 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of Australia’s northeast coast. A Chinese military presence in the Solomon Islands would put it not only on the doorstep of Australia and New Zealand but also in close proximity to Guam, the U.S. territory that hosts major military bases.

"China is gaining ground in its efforts to gain dominance in the Pacific," Former United States Department of Veterans Affairs Assistant Secretary James Hutton tweeted in response to the news. 

"China is now running the Solomon Islands," Gordon G. Chang, author of The Coming Collapse of China, posted on Twitter.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Biden admin creates Arctic region ambassador position to counter climate change, geopolitical threats

The Biden administration has announced plans to establish a new ambassador-at-large position to represent the Arctic region amid growing geopolitical tensions with two other large players in the area, China and Russia.

"To further American interests and cooperation with Allies and partners in the Arctic, and after extensive consultations with Members of Congress, local and federal government officials, and external stakeholders, the President plans to elevate the Arctic Coordinator position by appointing an Ambassador-at-Large for the Arctic Region, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate," the State Department wrote in a press release on Friday.

It explained that a "peaceful" and "prosperous" Arctic region is of "critical strategic importance" to the United States as well as a "priority" for Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The State Department said that "combating climate change" was also a contributing factor to establishing the new position. 

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The administration wrote that the duty of the new ambassador will be to "advance" U.S. policy in the region while engaging with counterparts in Arctic and non-Arctic nations as well as indigenous groups.

"We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the Congress to swiftly confirm the Ambassador-at-Large, once a nomination is sent to the Senate," the press release added.

The new position comes at a time when Russia is aggressively staking claims of new sea lanes that have opened in the Arctic due to receding ice while China has billed itself as a "near-Arctic state" as it expands its control in the region, New York Post reported.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

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