[Today's Prayer] Trying to avoid forced marriage with Taliban leader... Tragedy of 20-year-old Afghan woman

In Afghanistan, ruled by the Islamic extremist militant group Taliban, a 20-year-old woman set herself on fire to avoid being forced to marry a Taliban leader.

According to EFE and other sources on the 2nd, a 20-year-old woman named 'Abidah' made this choice at her home in Ghor Province, western Afghanistan, on the 27th of last month.

Her relative, who requested anonymity, told the American media outlet AmuTV that a Taliban commander named Mohammad Rahmani had been pressuring Abidah and her family for years to marry her.

The relative added that Taliban members recently raided Abidah’s home and detained her father and older brother, and that "Abidah set herself on fire because she thought she would soon be taken away." Abidah eventually died.

The relative added that 20 Taliban fighters were surrounding Abidah’s house at the time of the incident, adding that "Abidah had no exit."

The Taliban authorities have not made any public comments regarding the incident, and no action has been taken against Rahmani, who has been forcing to marry her, AmuTV reported.

In response, the local Afghan human rights group, the Afghanistan Human Rights Defenders Committee, raised its voice in a statement, saying that this incident is evidence of systematic violence against women in Afghanistan under the Taliban.

It also emphasized that this incident has exposed the widespread abuse of power by Taliban fighters, and in particular, that Taliban fighters are carrying out forced marriages in rural areas.

Local women's rights activists and civic groups have called for an independent investigation into this incident.

(Omitted)

In Afghanistan, after the Taliban regained power following the withdrawal of US troops in August 2021, they have taken measures such as banning female students from attending middle school and restricting women's employment by citing their religious law.

The international community does not officially recognize the Taliban government due to violations of women's human rights.

Source: Yonhap News

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. (Hebrews 8:12)

We hear about an incident where an Afghan woman set herself on fire to avoid a forced marriage with a Taliban leader.

It is heartbreaking to see the reality of Afghanistan where a woman had to set herself on fire to avoid forced marriage.

May you have mercy on the family who lost their daughter due to this unfortunate incident and comfort them in their sorrow. May you come to rescue so that women would no longer live in pain because of the Taliban.

We pray for mercy upon this people and proclaim over the land of Afghanistan God’s word that their sins will be remembered no more through Jesus' death on the cross!

May all sins caused by the false god Islam be cut off and let the Afghan people return to Jesus.

May more Afghan Christians testify the gospel with all their might so that all Afghan souls can see the revival of Persia and the nations!

May joy be proclaimed to the nations through the Afghan people and may we soon welcome the return of our Lord Jesus!