Afghans Fear for their Future

Asifa Bibi, a graduate student at Kabul University, is worried by the rising influence of the Taliban, with the armed group claiming new grounds as the US-led forces prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan.

Bibi, 24, told Al Jazeera: “We don’t want the Taliban to take over. We don’t want them at all. Once they [Taliban] take over, they will shut down all our offices and ask us to stay home. If this happens, how will young girls go to school and get an education?”

During the Taliban rule, women were almost nearly banned from public life, including offices and schools.

The Western-backed government has since promoted pro-women policies, and as a result, many women have stepped out of their homes and joined the workforce.

Bibi, who also works for a local non-profit organisation in Kabul, says her dream to promote education among young girls will collapse if the Taliban take over.

Her concerns are echoed by other Afghans who fear the return of the Taliban movement will lead to more violence and adversely affect education.

Mullahdad, a 30-year-old Kunduz resident told Al-Jazeera: “Only poor people are suffering and dying. I had to take out a loan to feed my family. I don’t care who takes over Afghanistan and who leaves. I want to feed my children.”

Ghafoor Obadi, a resident of Helmand province, said that he did not care about who was in the control of the country.

“I want peace whether the country is under the Afghan government or the Taliban. We don’t want to be victims of this conflict. We don’t want to fight. We should be living in peace and not in fear,” Obadi said.

“We are all scared as the future of Afghanistan doesn’t look promising at the moment.”

• Pray for Afghanistan, for peace on the streets, and for an end to the power struggle that threatens the lives and livelihoods of so many people.
• Pray for the hearts of those in government and in the Taliban to be changed, to have compassion on the people and to seek the best for Afghanistan, not just for themselves.
• Pray that Afghans will come to know the peace of God in their hearts, and His great love that casts our all fear.
• Pray for Afghan Christians, to be able to reflect the hope they have in Christi for their future without fear, and for many in Afghanistan to have life changing encounters with the risen Christ.

Proverbs 23 vs 18: “There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”

Source: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015