British Aid worker shot in Afghanistan

[Panzerbear]

Aid worker Gayle Williams, from the Christian charity Serve Afghanistan, was killed in the capital Kabul.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said she was shot because she was teaching her religion.
"This woman came to Afghanistan to teach Christianity to the people of Afghanistan," he said.
"Our (leaders) issued a decree to kill this woman. This morning our people killed her in Kabul."
Two gunmen on a motorbike targeted the 34-year-old as she walked to work alone at about 8am local time.
"She was a person who always loved the Afghans and was dedicated to serving those who are disabled," Serve Afghanistan said in a statement.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Wor..._Dead_In_Kabul

I actually never even thought about the international workers background. could it be that there are a lot of chirstian missionaries among them?

obviously, Talibs are a bunch of brainwashed morons, but now that I think about this, do they have a point? are Western aid organizations viewed by the locals as merely those priest figures we all know from M2:TW series? what do you guys think? is it ethically acceptable?

[Thanatos]

This reminds me of the Catholic nun, some 65 year old lady, who was shot to death in Somalia a few years ago while helping in a charity organization.

Regardless, it does not make their actions acceptable by any means. The only ones who would see us as a threat are people who dislike seeing their power base disrupted. Murder is murder, and nothing will ever change it otherwise.

[Heinz Guderian]

shooting civillian women, missonairies or not, is unacceptable.

[Thanatos]

shooting civilians, missonairies or not, is unacceptable.

Fixed.

[Heinz Guderian]

Fixed.

how dare you.

[Panzerbear]

yes, nobody claims that shooting this person was acceptable.

my question was the following. is it ethically acceptable for Western powers to send these kind of chrisitan missionaries / aid workers to middle east?
isnt it obvious that together with conventional help and aid those organizations bring "Crusade" stigma to the occupying forces?

[Heinz Guderian]

my question was the following. is it ethically acceptable for Western powers to send these kind of chrisitan missionaries / aid workers to middle east?
isnt it obvious that together with conventional help and aid those organizations bring "Crusade" stigma to the occupying forces?

oh i see sorry. i think ethically it is acceptable, so long as no one forces ideas on anyone. Practically, sending in missionaries alongside a military force, especially if sharing the same background/religion/nationality as the military force is kinda problematic and somewhate dangerous. For the missionaries at least.

[Hansa]

oh i see sorry. i think ethically it is acceptable, so long as no one forces ideas on anyone. Practically, sending in missionaries alongside a military force, especially if sharing the same background/religion/nationality as the military force is kinda problematic and somewhate dangerous. For the missionaries at least.

I agree, but the military is not my major concern here, they are very capable of defending themselves. Doing Christian missionary work in Afghanistan is in my opinion; madness. It shouldn't be that way, the Afghans should be allowed to chose what, or what not to believe, but in a country were a student is on death row for copying an article portraying parts of Islamic culture as hostile to women, and much of the country ruled by militant religious fundamentalists who apparently want to kill everyone who even slightly disagree with their interpretation of Islam, one needs to step carefully.

My main concern here is that other aid workers will be percieved as Christian agents and that this could result in mass killings of personnel from the likes of CARE, the Red Cross/Crescent, Doctors Without Borders etc. Doing missionary work does not only put ones own life at risk, but tons of others as well. As for the soldiers, they are already percieved as ''evil crusaders hellbent on destroying Islam'' by the extreme segments of the Taleban insurgents. Aid workers on the other hand is a much easier target.

[Gauvin]

yes, nobody claims that shooting this person was acceptable.

my question was the following. is it ethically acceptable for Western powers to send these kind of chrisitan missionaries / aid workers to middle east?
isnt it obvious that together with conventional help and aid those organizations bring "Crusade" stigma to the occupying forces?

The spokespeople for the organization stated that they did not proselytize. Proselytizing any religion other than Islam is illegal in Afghanistan.

I don't think they're sent by Western powers either, they're NGOs. I reckon that they're instructed to not proselytize. So, with this new evidence, the question should be rephrased, is it ethical for Western powers to allow aid workers in the Mid-East?

Btw, the taliban are going to call anyone who is non-Muslim, or that comes from a majority Christian country a Crusader, no matter whether they belong to a Christian chairty group or not.

[Каие]

The spokespeople for the organization stated that they did not proselytize. Proselytizing any religion other than Islam is illegal in Afghanistan.

It is?

Btw, the taliban are going to call anyone who is non-Muslim, or that comes from a majority Christian country a Crusader, no matter whether they belong to a Christian chairty group or not.

It seems, they also call anyone who doesn't follow their demented sect non-Muslim.

[Gauvin]

It is?

Yes, unfortunately. Apostasy is also illegal, that's why Abdul Rahman had to leave the country and live in Italy for converting from Islam to Christianity (it was his family who exposed his conversion and told the police, wonderful, eh? Islamic family values.). It was a compromise, since otherwise he would've been executed. Bismillah arahman araheem.

It seems, they also call anyone who doesn't follow their demented sect non-Muslim.

Exactly. So, I wouldn't bother trying not to offend them.

[Каие]

Yes, unfortunately. Apostasy is also illegal, that's why Abdul Rahman had to leave the country and live in Italy for converting from Islam to Christianity (it was his family who exposed his conversion and told the police, wonderful, eh? Islamic family values.). It was a compromise, since otherwise he would've been executed. Bismillah arahman araheem.

As in the current 'democracy'? ing American incompetence.

Exactly. So, I wouldn't bother trying not to offend them.

Please.... mate I intend to shoot at them from 30 yards. SOB's.

[Erik]

my question was the following. is it ethically acceptable for Western powers to send these kind of chrisitan missionaries / aid workers to middle east?
isnt it obvious that together with conventional help and aid those organizations bring "Crusade" stigma to the occupying forces?

I don't think Western powers send her.

But if you made the question: are these kind of Christian missions ethically acceptable? then IMO the answer would be no.

Having grown up in Africa, I have quite a lot of experience with Christian missionaries and the way they operate.
And I must say I think they are some of the most evil and corrupt people on earth.
They pretend to give aid, but in reality they just want money and power and they exploit the misfortunes of others to benefit themselves.

[Panzerbear]

Having grown up in Africa, I have quite a lot of experience with Christian missionaries and the way they operate.
And I must say I think they are some of the most evil and corrupt people on earth.
They pretend to give aid, but in reality they just want money and power and they exploit the misfortunes of others to benefit themselves.

by all means, please alaborate... what have you seen?

(a genuine question btw)

[Thanatos]

I don't think Western powers send her.

But if you made the question: are these kind of Christian missions ethically acceptable? then IMO the answer would be no.

Having grown up in Africa, I have quite a lot of experience with Christian missionaries and the way they operate.
And I must say I think they are some of the most evil and corrupt people on earth.
They pretend to give aid, but in reality they just want money and power and they exploit the misfortunes of others to benefit themselves.

Then blame the people, not the organization or the religion.

[Thanatos]

As long as it isn't forced (You must convert or you get no food), then it's ethically acceptable. Sorry .Czar, your original sentence was vague, so I thought you were discussing whether shooting civilian workers was ethically acceptable.

[Oklop]

Maybe off topic, but I read that if women is raped in Afghanistan she also serves a sentence in prison for extramarital sex.

[Primvs Sextvs Loverlord]

Maybe off topic, but I read that if women is raped in Afghanistan she also serves a sentence in prison for extramarital sex.

If a woman takes a man to court for rape without sufficient evidence, she does. Forensic evidence in Afghanistan is not at par with what you have in the rest of the world.

Christian missionaries in Afghanistan, Somalia and other starving, war-torn regions of the world take advantage of people's vulnerability and confusion and trick them into conversion. Similarly, Muslim missionaries in the West take advantage of people's lack of spirituality and sickness of materialism. The latter, I believe, is more ethical. Lastly, the woman didn't deserve to die but what can you say, it's Afghanistan. Afghan women and Children die in their dozens there due to NATO apathy every month so this particular casualty is just one of many there.

[boofhead]

"Taliban: '"There is no compulsion in religion", but if you even speak yours in our land we kill you."

Primitive, backwards, savage murdering dogs they are.

[Pious Agnost]

"Taliban: '"There is no compulsion in religion", but if you even speak yours in our land we kill you."

Primitive, backwards, savage murdering dogs they are.

"The Government of Ireland is full of fags and fag-enablers" "Burn in hell!" "5,000 soldiers have died in Iraq, WBC wishes for it to be 5,000,000" - Fred Phelps, a Christian, some people shouldn't be selected to represent a religion