Religion news 27 August 2021

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Deadly rivalry in pursuit of an Islamic state

The Islamic State group ISIS-K has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Kabul airport which left 60 Afghans and twelve American servicemen dead. 140 people were injured. The explosions were detonated at a gate where US personnel were reviewing papers for the thousands of people trying to get into the airfield for a flight out of the country, and at a nearby hotel staging point for evacuations. ISIS-K and the Taliban share the goal of creating an Islamic state but they are rivals in pursuit of their aim. The deadline for foreign troops to get out of Afghanistan is Tuesday 31 August, but thousands of Afghans with relevant papers and foreign nationals are stuck in Kabul and still waiting to leave. American and British troops are continuing the evacuation process.

Response to the plight of Afghan refugees:

Bishops call on the government to create safe passage

Four bishops are pleading with the government to create safe passage so that Afghan people can find sanctuary without resorting to dangerous journeys. In a letter to the Guardian, Roman Catholic Bishop Paul McAleenan and three CofE bishops – Durham, Southwark and Bradwell – say the nation’s response should be led by pain and need, not restricted to quotas.  

Bishop of Chelmsford in vanguard of support

Hours before the devastating attack at Kabul airport, the Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, described the situation in Afghanistan as catastrophic: “the human cost in lives devastated seems too much to comprehend”. She goes on to say that the diocese stands ready to care for refugees in East London and Essex and its Refugee Engagement Team is ready to to support parishes in welcoming and supporting Afghan refugees over the coming months and years.

UK overwhelming response to Afghan resettlement

Care4Calais, a charity working with refugees in the UK, France and Belgium, is receiving donations for essential supplies for Afghans being housed in the UK. Bags of clothes and boxes of household goods are being sorted out by volunteers at collection points across the UK, and in Manchester the local storage facilities are full. Airbnb has worked with resettlement agencies to offer free temporary accommodation for 20,000 Afghan refugees fleeing the crisis. It says the response from hosts has been “overwhelming”

Valuing the dignity of refugees in the UK

As the UK prepares to resettle 20,000 Afghans, people working with existing refugees and asylum seekers are emphasising their dignity. Hagir Ahmed, the Refugees and Asylum Seekers Officer for the United Nations Association, based in London,  says: “The narrative about refugees I would like to change is that they are sub-human and just looking to take advantage of the benefits system. Many are educated professionals and talented hard-working people, driven out of their countries due to war, natural disasters and persecution, often lucky to escape with their lives.”  Aware of depression and mental  health issues as refugees rebuild their lives, she is backing the London interfaith fun run this bank holiday Monday, organised by The Faith and Belief Forum and Maccabi GB, believing  faith and belief can support friendship and community regardless of difference and division. 

Religious origin of the Taliban

The Religion News Service carries an explainer from The Conversation on the religious origin of the Taliban, written by two academics, Sumit Ganguly and Sohel Rana. They explain it is rooted in Deobandi Islam, which emerged in India 10 years after an uprising against the rule of the British East India Company. They say that the Taliban insists on adherence to Sunni Islamic law, or sharia, as the path of salvation. It wants the revival of practices from the time of the Prophet Muhammad and upholds the notion of global jihad as a sacred duty. Full article here

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