Texans on Mission responds to crisis in South Sudan

Crossing the border from Uganda to South Sudan reveals the difference between poverty and extreme poverty.

When Mitch Chapman first visited South Sudan a couple of years ago, he said God “showed me poverty that I’ve not seen anywhere else.” And as director of Texans on Mission Water Impact, Chapman has spent much time in Africa.

“Even in comparison to the places we’re working in Uganda, South Sudan is so much poorer and in so much worse shape,” he said.

In April, Texans on Mission created a nonprofit in South Sudan to address the extreme water needs. The Texas-based ministry is the primary funder, and Chapman is on the board of directors.

Mitch Chapman (2nd from right), director of Texans on Mission Water Impact, is pictured with some members of the South Sudanese on Mission team. (Texans on Mission Photo)

The nonprofit’s eight-person staff is made up of people with South Sudan roots who have worked with Texans and Ugandans on Mission. The new entity, South Sudanese on Mission, is headquartered in Nyamliell. It is basically a one-year project to determine longer term viability, Chapman said.

“Our goal this year is to try to do 35 well rehabs with four or five new wells, depending on what can be negotiated,” he said. “And that would mean 40 new Bible studies and 40 hygiene classes.”

Rehabilitation of existing but nonworking wells is a priority. In Aweil West County, Chapman said there are 684 water wells and 285 are nonoperational. Texans on Mission did not drill those wells.

Before the beginning of a civil war in 2013, “organizations went and drilled a lot of wells over there, but we found out a lot of them weren’t deep enough, and they didn’t use good quality materials,” Chapman said.

Following the model established in Uganda

South Sudanese on Mission will refit those nonfunctioning wells and start Bible studies and hygiene classes in each village, following the model established in neighboring Uganda.

Chapman and local leaders spent the first week in April on staff training and administration. “But by Week 2, we’d already started to meet [for] Bible studies at four of the rehab sites.”

The Bible studies are started “independent of how many churches there are in an area,” he said. “We start a Bible study, and the people take it upon themselves to pick the church they want to go to. We don’t dictate whether it’s a Baptist church, a Methodist church or Pentecostal.

“We just teach the word [of God], and our lessons are very much about discipleship and spiritual growth. When we determine there’s not a church in the area, then we go to local church associations and encourage them to sponsor a church around the well site.”

The South Sudanese team also includes a hygiene specialist who makes sure the people “know how to wash their hands, how to clean the wellhead, how important it is not to let the goats drink from the water spigot itself,” he said. “It’s a critical component of the holistic effort.”

The work is now in an implementation phase. “We haven’t rehabbed or drilled the first well, but we’re already at work teaching the Bible, making disciples and teaching good hygiene practices.”

The biggest challenge facing the ministry is political instability, so Chapman asked Christians to pray for the South Sudanese on Mission staff and more generally for the people of the country.

“We have no involvement with either side in the political dispute,” he said. “But the political situation does impact the lives of the people and the effectiveness of our work.

“Pray that we can help meet the water needs in South Sudan, lead people to faith in Christ, and develop believers for service to God and their neighbors.”




Commission exposes blasphemy law in Russia

Since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has increased its enforcement of a law that criminalizes “insulting the religious feelings of believers” as part of the government’s campaign to present itself as the defender of “traditional values.”

“Authorities have subjected those accused of blasphemy to fines, pretrial detention, imprisonment, mandatory community service, deportation, compulsory psychological treatment, and other forms of ill treatment,” a report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom states.

Russia has cracked down on perceived offensive expression toward religion, religious texts and religious leaders, the commission reports in “Prosecuting Blasphemy in Russia,” released April 14.

In doing so, Russia violates basic principles of religious freedom, Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the commission report states.

In 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill that amended Article 148 of Russia’s Criminal Code to criminalize “insulting the religious feelings of believers.” Between 2013 and 2020, arrests for violations of that law produced only 32 convictions, the report notes, but that changed after Russia’s assault on Ukraine in 2022.

“The war refocused the efforts of Russia’s domestic security apparatus to aggressively suppress independent civil society and dissent, especially on the internet,” the report states.

“Authorities began expending considerable time and resources to surveil online content and investigate complaints from ordinary citizens, including about perceived blasphemous content.

“Combating perceived religiously offensive expression served a special role in Russia’s wartime policy objectives of protecting so-called ‘traditional values’ and bolstering anti-Western sentiments.”

Flying the ‘traditional values’ flag to rally support

Putin has used defense of “traditional values” as a way to unify Russia’s ethnically and religiously diverse population and to justify his authoritarian practices, including “systemic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom,” the report asserts.

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, “protecting so-called ‘traditional values’ became a matter of national security, taking on new ideological and policy significance for the Russian government,” the report states.

“President Putin has used the protection of so-called ‘traditional values’ to justify his country’s 2022 invasion and occupation of Ukraine” and has directed Russia’s domestic security services to defend “traditional values” as a national security priority, the report notes.

“Overall, Russia’s prioritization of protecting ‘traditional values’—coupled with the state’s broader crackdown on opposition to the government, especially online—has resulted in law enforcement more rigorously investigating and prosecuting alleged incidents of blasphemy.”

In addition to the law in the Criminal Code against “insulting the religious feelings of believers,” Russia also has a provision in its Administrative Code to punish the “intentional public desecration, damage, or destruction of religious or liturgical literature, items of religious worship, signs, or emblems of belief symbolism or attributes.”

Authorities also use provisions in the Criminal Code criminalizing “hooliganism” and in the Administrative Code calling for the punishment of “incitement of hatred or enmity” to prosecute perceived religiously offensive speech or actions.

“While states have a duty to combat hate speech and incitement to discrimination, hostility, and violence against individuals or groups, international law sets a high standard for restricting freedom of expression—including on the basis of religion—which Russia does not consistently meet when prosecuting religiously motivated cases through its hate speech laws,” the report states.

Rebuke, maybe; prosecution, no

The commission cites examples of blasphemy law enforcement involving individuals accused of burning a copy of the Qur’an or the New Testament, displaying religious symbols in irreverent ways, posting nude photos taken against the backdrop of a house of worship or a cemetery, or desecrating symbols of Russian military glory.

“While certain offensive statements and actions may warrant public rebuke, prosecuting perceived offensive expression toward religion violates the right to freedom of religion or belief and the right to freedom of opinion and expression under international human rights law,” the report states.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has recommended every year since 2017 the U.S. Department of State designate the Russian Federation as a Country of Particular Concern.

Under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the Country of Particular Concern designation is reserved for nations engaged in systemic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.

The State Department designated Russia as a Country of Particular Concern in 2021, 2022 and 2023 for violations of religious freedom both in Russia and Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.




Explainer: The changing landscape of global aid

An expert on global development urged anti-hunger advocates to understand what U.S. foreign aid looked like before and after President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Baptists and other evangelicals have spoken out on the effects federal cuts to foreign aid are having on global ministries and their inability to make up for overwhelming needs, exacerbated by abrupt loss of funding.

“There’s a huge amount of hunger in the world, and in today’s political environment, there are lot of things going on that are going to exacerbate global food insecurity and hunger and necessitate that we all take action,” Kate Weaver, advocate board member for Baylor University’s Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, told participants of the collaborative’s annual summit.

Even before the presidential inauguration, acute food insecurity was high, explained Weaver, associate professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas in Austin, who co-directs innovations for peace and development.

To understand the current situation better, Weaver set the “lay of the land” of U.S. international development aid by asking questions about what U.S. foreign aid looked like before Jan. 20, when the U.S. Agency for International Development became the target of big federal government cuts.

How much aid does the United States give?

  • Less than 1 percent of the United States’ total annual budget was spent on all foreign aid—development, humanitarian and military. Foreign aid is not only development aid and humanitarian assistance. Foreign aid also includes military spending, which accounts for about 20 to 30 percent of total foreign aid. Excluding miliary aid, the U.S. spent about $69 billion on development and humanitarian aid, 0.72 percent of foreign aid dollars in 2024. That sounds like a lot, Weaver acknowledged, until viewed alongside the amount spent on defense—more than $900 billion.
  • Yet, surveys show the average citizen believes allocation to foreign aid falls between 10 and 25 percent of the federal budget. When they understand such a small piece of the budget is going to alleviate global poverty and underdevelopment—“two factors we know that drive” violence and unrest—individuals often approve of the spending, Weaver said, noting the importance of accurate, contextual messaging.
  • Additionally, only about 0.24 percent of gross national income was spent on foreign aid in 2024, even though in the 1970s the U.S. signed a treaty with several other major donor countries who all agreed to spend 0.7 percent of GNI on foreign aid in order to “have any chance” of alleviating international poverty. Few countries ever met or exceeded that goal, Weaver noted, though several Scandinavian countries have, at times, met the threshold.

Who controls aid?

  • Congress controls foreign aid allocations.

Who does the United States give aid to?

  • The United States has given global aid to countries (over 150); farmers—with about 20 percent of international aid dollars coming back to U.S. farmers for surplus sent to suffering international locations; multilateral organizations—“global institutions that have at least three member states,” such as the World Health Organization; “hundreds of thousands” of nongovernmental aid organizations and nonprofits, which often are religiously affiliated. Prior to recent actions, USAID was at the center of this network, providing 60 percent of the country’s global development spending.
  • In 2024, the United States provided 41 percent of all international humanitarian aid and 40 percent of all global health aid. “Think about what happens when you suddenly take away 41 percent of all the global humanitarian aid, and relatively quickly,” Weaver urged.
  • Almost all USAID aid went to nongovernmental organizations, so concerns of corrupt governments exploiting the aid largely are unsupported.

A flawed system points back to ‘us’

The United States does not always give without strings attached. In fact, 40 percent of aid is “tied aid,” with conditions attached.

This aid—required to be spent back on goods, such as seeds, contractors and services provided by the donor country—might have stretched further, had recipients been free to identify cheaper goods available locally or to hire local extension agents with local expertise.

“If we want to take a look at waste, corruption and fraud,” Weaver suggested, “let’s take a little look in the mirror.”

She noted aid isn’t perfect. In fact, she said: “Aid is highly, highly flawed. But not all of that waste, fraud or corruption comes from other countries. Sometimes that comes from our own practices. And we need to face that reality, if we’re going to fix the system.”

Additionally, Weaver explained, giving often aligns with national interests, so much of the funding goes to middle-income countries, like Israel or Ukraine, rather than to countries with the highest rates of poverty and the greatest need.

What has happened in the last 70 days?

“What’s happening in the aid world today is a near complete dismantling of the entire system,” Weaver said. “On inauguration day, President Trump surprised everyone by saying that he wasn’t just going to ask for a cut to foreign aid, he was going to try to eliminate it.”

She noted one of his first acts was an executive order placing a 90-day freeze on all foreign aid “and promising a comprehensive review of USAID and the entire aid system.”

“DOGE immediately entered the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. USAID workers were furloughed or fired, and it became clear the intention was not a comprehensive review to create efficiencies, but to demolish USAID,” she said.

It seemed like USAID should be low on the list of problems President Trump would take on, Weaver said. Few Americans had foreign aid as top-of-mind before the executive action.

So in many ways, USAID was “low-hanging fruit” to test the power of executive mandate—“how much an executive can go in and demolish an agency that was created by Congress, that Congress is the only entity that has the power to create a federal agency, and to suspend contracts which means basically using executive authority to overhaul appropriated funds from Congress,” she suggested.

The U.S. Constitution does not give the executive branch that authority. But Trump went ahead, reneging on contracts Congress already had signed, virtually eliminating foreign aid.

“And because Congress didn’t do anything, he got away with it.” Now “the experiment” of how far executive power could be pushed is playing out in the courts.

Between Jan. 20 and April 8, more than 10,000 USAID jobs were eliminated, Weaver noted, through a difficult, erratic process.

The promise was to take 90 days to review foreign aid, but within 24 hours, the cuts to thousands of programs were initiated, not by careful review, but through the use of a 220-word wordlist, eliminating anything with those particular words, like “women,” she explained.

“All women’s health programs were gone with the stroke of a pen.”

Then there was an announcement that USAID would be downsized, moved to the Department of State, and as of a couple of weeks ago, “they pretty much announced that USAID is going away, in everything but name,” Weaver noted.

Key bureaus were eliminated, including everything related to democracy assistance, governance, most health programs and others. The sectors that remain relate to infrastructure, finance and private sector development.

“That’s where we are today” with U.S. aid, Weaver explained.

Unfortunately, she continued, other countries around the world also are facing similar situations at home and are reducing foreign aid, exacerbating the loss of USAID and creating “a shock to the (global aid) system.”

She acknowledged some countries with the capacity to begin providing for some of these needs have become highly dependent on aid. They can take agency and make changes to account for these cuts, but not overnight.

That these changes happened so quickly as the result of a one-and-a-half-page executive action “boggles the mind.”

PEPFAR, established by President George W. Bush to address the AIDS crisis in Africa, has been eliminated, which will lead to many babies being born with HIV who otherwise wouldn’t have been, she said. Many other agencies and initiatives are at risk.

“The ripple effects are huge,” Weaver said.

Hundreds of thousands of individuals related to the distribution of foreign aid in the countries and in Washington, D.C., have lost their jobs, beyond the 10,000 jobs cut from USAID directly.

Data and resources for communicating data used to plan how best to address humanitarian needs have been defunded. Websites formerly used to access the data are locked down. Information and data are disappearing.

Aid organizations have been scrambling to compile and preserve what they can access, but research that has been relied upon to formulate predictions and create efficient plans to address hunger and poverty for more than 40 years is now scarce or inaccessible, Weaver explained.

Food security

Even before the cuts since Jan. 20, global food security already was slipping. Acute food insecurity has remained “very high,” Weaver said, noting the World Health Organization announced in 2024, 1 in 11 people worldwide faced hunger in 2023. In Africa it was 1 in 5. In Austin it’s about 30 percent who face food insecurity.

If these cuts remain in effect, hundreds of thousands of people will starve.

There’s an indelible tie between hunger and poverty and regional instability. Aid was designed to keep the donor nation more secure by helping to prevent regional conflicts that might broaden and pull in the donor country and to build global goodwill, establishing “soft power.”

If these cuts remain in effect, hundreds of thousands of people may starve, and the U.S. might be less secure.

In the “whiplash” of rapidly changing orders, “it’s imperative that we … stay engaged on it,” and work to get Congress to act, Weaver said.




Palm Sunday airstrikes hit Ukraine, Myanmar and Gaza

Separate military airstrikes on Palm Sunday in Ukraine, Myanmar and Gaza claimed dozens of lives, destroyed a church building and severely damaged a hospital.

A Russian airstrike killed at least 34 people in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy in the deadliest attack of the conflict so far this year.

The Tatmadaw Burmese military bombed the Mindat Baptist Church in Myanmar, totally destroying the building.

An Israeli airstrike on Gaza City partially destroyed the Al-Ashli Hospital, also known as the Ahli Arab Hospital.

The Gaza City hospital was founded by the Anglican Church Missionary Society and currently is owned by the Episcopal Church Diocese of Jerusalem, but it was owned and operated from 1954 until the early 1980s by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Foreign Mission Board.

“On this Palm Sunday, we mourn as Jesus mourned as he entered Jerusalem—weeping as children are dashed to the ground as separate aerial strikes destroy the Mindat Baptist Church in Myanmar, families headed to worship in Sumy, Ukraine, and the further destruction of the Al-Ahli hospital which remains an important Baptist legacy center of care in Gaza City,” Elijah Brown, general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance, wrote in an April 13 text message.

“As we decry that which brings violence, in resurrection hope we hear again Jesus’ call to live as active peacemakers who believe the wounds of Jesus are deep enough to heal the wounds of this world.”

‘Act of terrorism against the Christian community’

The Tatmadaw Burmese military bombed the Mindat Baptist Church in Myanmar, totally destroying the building. (Courtesy Photo)

Roy Medley, executive director of the Burma Advocacy Group and general secretary emeritus of the American Baptist Churches USA, called the bombing of Mindat Baptist Church in Myanmar by the Burmese military a “war crime” and “yet another act of terrorism against the Christian community in Burma.”

“Their choice of Palm Sunday—the beginning of the holiest week of the year for Christians—was purposeful and part of their ongoing attempt to destroy the Christian faith in Burma,” Medley said.

“Our current administration, which prides itself in its defense of religious freedom, needs to speak and act forcefully against the State Administration Council and the Tatmadaw for this war crime.

“We again call for increasing sanctions that stop the flow of funds and materiel that allow them to pursue war against the people of Burma. And we urge that relief funds for the recent earthquake not to be channeled further through the junta.”

‘A faith that bombs cannot destroy’

Merritt Johnston, executive director of BWA Women, said she received a video from a BWA Women leader showing a church service in Sumy, Ukraine, interrupted by a nearby bomb blast and shattering glass.

“We are heartbroken by this violence and continue to pray for just peace,” said Johnston, director of communications for BWA.

“On this Holy Week, when we turn our hearts to the peace we have through Christ’s resurrection, we grieve for those who live daily with the tyranny of violence, even in places that should be sanctuaries.

“We call upon our global Baptist family to stand in prayer with our sisters and brothers who are suffering as they continue to serve their communities with a faith that bombs cannot destroy.”

The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations issued a statement condemning the attack at the beginning of the seasons when Jews observe Passover and Christians celebrate Easter.

“Such actions demonstrate that nothing is sacred for the state that declares itself to be ‘Holy Rus.’ Basic respect for the value of human life is absent, not to mention respect for the holidays of Christianity and Judaism,” the council statement reads.

The statement notes Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Christians all are observing Easter on the same day this year.

“We, heads of Ukrainian Churches and Religious Organizations, strongly condemn the terrorist attacks by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian cities and villages and call on the world’s leading nations to take all possible measures to stop Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine and to strengthen Ukraine’s capabilities to defend itself and protect life,” the council statement reads.

“We call on all people of goodwill to pray for the victory of truth and a just peace for Ukraine.

“Our condolences go to the victims of Russian state terror and we beseech the Almighty for just retribution against the perpetrators of this and all other acts of Russian terror against the people of Ukraine.”

Attack on Gaza hospital condemned

The Episcopal Church Diocese of Jerusalem issued a statement condemning “in the strongest terms” the Israeli military’s missile attacks on the hospital in Gaza City.

The outpatient and laboratory wards of the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist hospital are seen after being hit by an Israeli army strike, following a warning issued by the army to evacuate patients, in Gaza City. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

“The twin strikes demolished the two-story Genetic Laboratory and damaged the Pharmacy and the Emergency Department buildings,” the statement reads. “It also resulted in other collateral damage to the surrounding buildings, including the church building of St. Philip’s.”

The Israeli military gave the hospital 20 minutes notice, ordering all patients, employees and displaced people to evacuate the hospital premises prior to the bombing, the diocese reported.

“We thank God that there were no injuries or deaths as a result of the bombing. However, one child who previously suffered a head injury tragically died as a result of the rushed evacuation process,” the diocese statement reads.

“The diocese of Jerusalem is appalled at the bombing of the hospital now for the fifth time since the beginning of the war in 2023—and this time on the morning of Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week.

“We call upon all governments and people of goodwill to intervene to stop all kinds of attacks on medical and humanitarian institutions. We pray and call for the end of this horrific war and the suffering of so many.”




Russian Palm Sunday attack on Ukraine condemned

A Russian airstrike on Palm Sunday killed at least 34 people in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy in the deadliest attack of the conflict so far this year.

Merritt Johnston, executive director of Baptist World Alliance Women, said she received a video from a BWA Women leader showing a church service in Sumy interrupted by a bomb blast and shattering glass.

“We are heartbroken by this violence and continue to pray for just peace,” said Johnston, director of communications for BWA.

“On this Holy Week, when we turn our hearts to the peace we have through Christ’s resurrection, we grieve for those who live daily with the tyranny of violence, even in places that should be sanctuaries.

“We call upon our global Baptist family to stand in prayer with our sisters and brothers who are suffering as they continue to serve their communities with a faith that bombs cannot destroy.”

The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations issued a statement condemning the attack at the beginning of the seasons when Jews observe Passover and Christians celebrate Easter.

“Such actions demonstrate that nothing is sacred for the state that declares itself to be ‘Holy Rus.’ Basic respect for the value of human life is absent, not to mention respect for the holidays of Christianity and Judaism,” the council statement reads.

The statement notes Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Christians all are observing Easter on the same day this year.

“We, heads of Ukrainian Churches and Religious Organizations, strongly condemn the terrorist attacks by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian cities and villages and call on the world’s leading nations to take all possible measures to stop Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine and to strengthen Ukraine’s capabilities to defend itself and protect life,” the council statement reads.

“We call on all people of goodwill to pray for the victory of truth and a just peace for Ukraine.

“Our condolences go to the victims of Russian state terror and we beseech the Almighty for just retribution against the perpetrators of this and all other acts of Russian terror against the people of Ukraine.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the attack “horrifying.”

“The United States extends our deepest condolences to the victims of today’s horrifying Russian missile attack on Sumy,” a statement Rubio issued from the U.S. Department of State reads.

“This is a tragic reminder of why President Trump and his Administration are putting so much time and effort into trying to end this war and achieve a just and durable peace.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Baptist Standard also has learned about Palm Sunday airstrikes in Gaza and Myanmar. This article will be updated as more complete information is available.




Letter urges return of Ukrainian children

Texas Baptists’ Christian Life Commission Director Katie Frugé added her name to a letter from other Christian leaders calling for President Donald Trump and his administration to require abducted Ukrainian children’s return in negotiating peace between Russia and Ukraine.

In a public Facebook post about the letter Frugé noted: “As a mother, my heart breaks at the thought that almost 20,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly taken by Russia, their identities erased, & families separated.”

Last year her team at Texas Baptists hosted Ukrainian leaders at their Dallas office, she explained.

The meeting allowed her team “to hear their stories, pray with them, and offer our support.”

In her post, Frugé said the group from Ukraine gave her a book she still treasures, “cowritten by the children of Ukraine detailing their horrific experiences during the war.”

“I wept reading their stories,” she noted.

She said she was “honored to join other faith leaders urging President Trump and Secretary Rubio to prioritize the missing children and their safe return as the US works towards peace between Russia and Ukraine,” and expressed gratitude that momentum for the children’s return is building.

According to her post and the letter, “President Trump included the importance of their safe return on a March 19 phone call with President Zelenskyy.”

The letter, signed April 3, was addressed to President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The letter

Letter writers cited their Christian faith as the motivation for their concern for vulnerable children and why they advocate for the children’s safe return, noting “since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin has intentionally targeted the most vulnerable—children.”

“President Putin has ordered the systematic forced transfer of nearly twenty thousand Ukrainian children to Russia and Russian-controlled territories,” the letter reads, including the links.

“These children, ranging in age from four months to 17 years old, have been subjected to political re-education, military training, and forced assimilation into Russian society.”

The letter also notes: “Many have been placed in Russian families, illegally adopted, and had their birth certificates altered to erase their Ukrainian identities. The Russian government has denied Ukrainian children access to their families, subjected them to physical abuse, and failed to provide them with adequate food and care.”

The letter points out the abduction of 20,000 Ukrainian children isn’t just a “tragedy” but a “deliberate and systemic act of injustice,” made all the more atrocious by Russia deliberately targeting for deportation, “orphans, children with disabilities, and those from low-income families, knowing they are least able to resist.”

Fewer than 6 percent (1,256 children) of the more than 19,000 children deported to Russia since 2022 have been returned to Ukraine, the letter credits Save Ukraine with reporting.

As faith leaders, the signatories pointed to Scripture as the ultimate guide for their actions, specifically highlighting Genesis 1:27—every child is made in God’s image; Zechariah 17:10—defend the poor, the widow, the orphan and the foreigner; Matthew 22:39—love your neighbor as yourself; and Isaiah 1:17—seek justice for the oppressed.

In bold print, the letter writers proclaimed: “No peace deal should be finalized until Ukraine’s children are returned home.” They backed up the imperative with the Geneva Convention, which “explicitly protects children during wartime, and the deportation or forced transfer of a population is a violation of international law, potentially constituting crimes against humanity.”

They urged the administration, “as leaders of the free world, to ensure that Ukraine’s children are returned home without precondition in advance of peace talks.”

“Now is the time to lead with courage and moral clarity,” by ensuring the children are returned before a peace deal is finalized, the authors concluded.

The letter was signed by Myal Green, president and CEO of World Relief; Brent Leatherwood, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission; Daniel Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals; Frugé and 35 other Christian leaders.




Religious leaders minister amid violence in DR Congo

GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (RNS)—Pastor Allan Ngwaba has been offering daily counseling sessions, both in churches and homes, to people affected by the violent conflict in the Congo.

The professional counselor and pastor at Rivers Pentecostal Church in Goma said many civilians he has met with are experiencing severe post-traumatic stress disorder since the violence and killings in the country escalated earlier this year.

Their suffering, he said, is often a result of losing multiple loved ones, exposure to horrific images, witnessing human cruelty, the constant threat of death and a lack of basic necessities, such as food and shelter.

“You need to listen to them during counseling sessions as they express their anger and cry uncontrollably about what has happened to them,” Ngwaba said.

“Once they have been able to express themselves, you can begin discussing how to accept their situation, understand why the conflict occurred and explore the best ways to move forward and overcome their circumstances.”

About 7.3 million internally displaced people

The enduring conflict in Eastern Congo, which has devastated the region for decades, is rooted in the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the fierce competition for control over the nation’s mineral resources. The minerals are used for manufacturing batteries that power electric vehicles and other electronics.

Starting in January, the March 23 Movement known as M23—a Tutsi armed rebel group—began a new offensive against Congo government armies. M23 has gained control of new areas, including Eastern Congo’s two largest cities, Goma and Bukavu, along with several smaller localities.

The Congolese government said the ongoing fighting has killed at least 7,000 people since January. About 7.3 million are estimated to be displaced within the country—an all-time high—and 86,000 have fled to nearby countries, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency.

According to the UN, M23 is supported by up to 4,000 Rwandan troops. However, Rwanda denies that claim, saying its forces are in the region to defend against threats posed by the Congolese army and hostile militias.

Providing psychosocial support

Amid the violence, Ngwaba is among many local Christian leaders who are increasing their efforts to provide psychosocial support to those affected.

“These sessions are designed to heal the emotional and social wounds caused by armed conflict,” he said. “They aim to discourage victims from succumbing to depression, contemplating suicide or losing hope,” emphasizing psychological care is closely linked with physiotherapy.

His congregation and others in the area are also holding regular gatherings to pray for peace. Hundreds of Christians come to the daily gatherings in many areas of Eastern Congo.

“Our only hope is prayer, because rebel soldiers are everywhere, and everyone is threatened by their presence,” said Grace Nsimba after leading a prayer session.

Peace through prayers

Nsimba, a 35-year-old mother of three, lost her husband and a brother during a fight between the Congolese army and M23 on Jan. 27, during the takeover of Goma.

“People are devastated and dying because of this war. What we need now is peace, and this can only be achieved through prayers,” she said.

“We are praying for our lives and for those who have lost loved ones, those suffering because of the war and those who are traumatized by the horrifying things they have witnessed. We pray for an end to the conflict, hoping that the warring parties will stop the violence and save millions from death and suffering.”

In Bukavu, residents have been gathering for interfaith services to pray for peace following the capture of the city by M23 in mid-February.

Uniting in prayer

Monsignor Floribert Bashimbe, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Bukavu, said the interfaith services, led by local religious leaders and officials, aim to unite the community.

Worshippers pray for an end to the conflict, uplift each other spiritually and address critical humanitarian needs in areas where daily struggles for basic necessities are impacting residents, although the city did not see as much heavy fighting as Goma did.

“We have come together in prayer, asking God to grant our leaders the wisdom, strength and humility to make sound decisions that will reduce loss of life and alleviate the suffering of the people, ultimately leading to security in the region,” Bashimbe said.

Bashimbe also urged young people and fighting factions to cease destroying property, including looting and burning houses, schools, government buildings and health centers. He encouraged trained counselors and religious leaders to assist those recovering from traumatic experiences and noted the importance of helping people rebuild their lives.

Seeking to negotiate peace deal

Some religious leaders also have engaged with rebels to attempt to facilitate a peace agreement.

In February, Monsignor Donatien Nshole, the secretary general of the Bishops’ Conference of the DRC, was involved in such discussions. He said M23 leaders told his delegation they were not seeking to divide the country and were not involved in the illegal exploitation of resources.

M23 has claimed its goal is to protect ethnic Tutsis in Congo, who have suffered from the long-standing tensions between Hutus and Tutsis that culminated in the 1994 Rwanda genocide, during which more than 800,000 Tutsis and others were killed. The rebel group also vowed to advance to the capital of Congo, Kinshasa, to overthrow the government.

During the meeting, the religious leaders urged the rebels to reopen infrastructure, like the airport and port, to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian supplies, he said.

“We still believe that the solution to this crisis is not military,” Nshole, a Catholic priest and political figure, said after the meeting.

However, residents are growing increasingly desperate for a resolution, grappling with the daily fear and uncertainty of life as rebels continue to advance.

“The longer these leaders remain in disagreement, the more lives are lost and suffering continues,” Nsimba said. “We must amplify our prayers for these leaders to come together and reach an agreement to end the conflict, so we can finally reclaim our peace.”




Baptists respond to growing needs in Myanmar

The 19 million people already displaced by violence and persecution in Myanmar have been joined by another 8 million internally displaced individuals since a deadly earthquake struck on March 28, Baptist World Aid Director Marsha Scipio said.

Of the 25 Baptist churches in cities most affected by the earthquake, 15 church buildings were destroyed and the remaining 10 received significant damage, Scipio said.

Many of those churches housed people who already were displaced, Scipio added. More than 100 people sought refuge in the sanctuary of Kachin Baptist Church in Mandalay until its top floor collapsed, she said. Those individuals now are sleeping on the ground outside the church building.

She quoted the pastor of Karen Baptist Church in Sagaing, one of the churches destroyed by the earthquake, as saying: “We urgently need drinking water and electricity. Our water sources are damaged and contaminated. We have no electricity. We didn’t have light and power to charge our phones to communicate with one another.”

The earthquake killed more than 3,000 people—including at least one Baptist pastor—and injured at least 4,500 others, she noted.

Suffering compounded

Scipio presented an update on the Baptist response in Myanmar and other areas in need as part of a Baptist World Alliance Global Impact Church online briefing April 3.

The earthquake—and the 11 military airstrikes on vulnerable areas that followed, until the government agreed to a temporary ceasefire on April 2—compounded suffering in a country already in dire straits, she reported.

The “severe and swift reduction” in U.S. Agency for International Development funding already was creating challenges among BWA partners, such as a Baptist convention that ministers at a camp on the Myanmar/Thailand border housing more than 30,000 refugees, Scipio said.

“Baptist World Aid has received over $250,000 in requests from our Baptist partners working along the border and inside Myanmar, for everything from food supplies to solar panels to provide power to water pumps to bring clean water into the camps,” she said.

Identifying priority needs

Baptists within the country are responding to their neighbors in need, Scipio said.

Churches in the Myanmar Baptist Convention collected an offering in response and has a disaster relief committee assessing needs. The Kachin Baptist Convention has delivered food and provided emergency medical assistance.

In consultation with Baptists in Myanmar, Baptist World Aid and its global partners identified emergency food distribution and temporary shelter as priority needs.

Specifically, Baptist World Aid hopes to provide $625,000 to supply emergency food kits Baptists can distribute to families at 25 church-based distribution centers and $465,000 for temporary shelter packages with blankets, mats, mosquito nets and cooking utensils for 5,000 families, Scipio said.

Hungarian Baptist Aid will send two team members to Myanmar to help guide the disaster response, she added.

Scipio also reported:

—In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, 1.2 million people have been displaced since the beginning of the year. Many of the Congolese Baptist churches have been “on the front lines,” offering shelter and meals to displaced people and serving victims of violence, she said.

Last month, Baptist World Aid sent $10,000 to Baptists in the DRC for food distribution and—with the help of another Baptist partner—sent another $30,000 last week, Scipio said. However, she added, another $33,000 still is needed to continue serving for the next month.

—In South Sudan—which recently experienced an upsurge of displaced people—USAID funding cuts are expected to affect 7.9 million people.

As NGOs that previously received aid from the United States have to lay off local workers, thousands of people in South Sudan will be left without jobs, Scipio said.

Last month, the Baptist World Alliance surveyed its global partner organizations to discover the anticipated impact of USAID cuts.

Key findings included:

  • Tens of thousands of people are affected.
  • Funding cuts mean the cessation of critical aid to internally displaced people and refugees.
  • Partner groups are experiencing job losses and staff dismissals.
  • Vulnerable people lose access to essential services, including health care, sanitation and clean water supplies.
  • A resurgence of diseases and increased mortality rates are expected.
  • Children, youth, the elderly and people with disabilities grow increasingly vulnerable.
  • Organizations are struggling to maintain operations and are forced to reduce the scope and scale of their programs.

Both Scipio and BWA General Secretary Elijah Brown encouraged Baptists globally to “Stand in the Gap” to meet needs at a time of “rapid deceleration of government-supported humanitarian assistance” around the world.

Churches cannot replace all the funds that have been cut, but Baptists “cannot sit on the sidelines” when people are suffering, Brown said.

As part of the Stand in the Gap emphasis, Brown and Scipio urged Baptist churches to take an offering to help Baptists globally respond to people in need, either on the fifth Sunday of an upcoming month or another appropriate time.




Burmese airstrikes add to suffering after earthquake

The humanitarian crisis caused by the earthquake in Myanmar that claimed at least 2,700 lives—and probably thousands more—is being compounded by military airstrikes on vulnerable, hard-hit communities populated by predominantly Christian Karen and Kachin ethnic groups.

Tera Kouba, who was born in Burma and grew up there, points to a map of her homeland. (Photo by Ken Camp)

The ruling military junta is “taking advantage” of the chaos and suffering caused by the natural disaster to continue its persecution of religious and ethnic minorities, said Tera Kouba, minister of international/Asian ministries at First Baptist Church in San Antonio.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide and other sources reported the military has increased airstrikes in civilian areas, including Kachin and Karen communities near the epicenter of the earthquake.

Kouba confirmed that information based on firsthand reports from trusted sources “on the ground” in Myanmar, also known as Burma. She grew up in Burma, where her father served five decades as a Karen pastor and Baptist denominational leader.

“The day the earthquake happened, they dropped bombs,” Kouba said. “Then on Sunday (March 30), it happened again.”

Tom Andrews, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar for the United Nations, told the BBC it was “nothing short of incredible” that the Burmese military continued to “drop bombs when you are trying to rescue people” after an earthquake.

“Anyone who has influence on the military needs to step up the pressure and make it very clear that this is not acceptable,” Andrews told the BBC. “I’m calling on the junta to just stop—stop any of its military operations.”

CSW Founder Mervyn Thomas echoed that call.

“The international community must demand that Myanmar’s military State Administrative Council cease its airstrikes against civilians immediately,” Thomas said.

“It is vital to support relief and recovery efforts in Myanmar and to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches all affected communities equitably.

“No effort must be spared to ensure that the rights and dignity of every community, regardless of faith, are upheld during this critical time, and the international community must also press the military regime to ensure that the systemic inequities that leave minority communities especially vulnerable are addressed.”

Attacks make intolerable situation worse

The attacks by the military made worse what already is an intolerable situation in much of Myanmar after the earthquake, Kouba noted.

Among others, she spoke with the director of the YMCA in Mandalay, where she worked 10 years, and with her sister, a minister who teaches at a Bible school in Mandalay.

While her sister reported being hit by some falling debris after a water tank on her roof broke, her house was declared structurally sound, and she was able to continue living there.

“Next door, her neighbor’s house is not in good condition at all,” she said.

Neither is the facility of the Mandalay Karen Baptist Church, where her father was longtime pastor. The two-story building “collapsed,” she said.

A girl walks past a building damaged in Friday’s earthquake in Sagaing, Myanmar, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Democratic Voice of Burma via AP)

Other houses of worship also were destroyed or severely damaged by the earthquake. CSW reported St. Michael’s Catholic Parish in Mandalay and St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Taunggyi sustained significant damage.

The military’s State Administrative Council stated more than 600 Buddhist monasteries and close to 300 pagodas were affected by the earthquake.

However, CSW noted, the government failed to report 50 mosques also were damaged, including some that collapsed during Friday prayers, killing many worshippers. In Sagaing, more than 200 Muslims reportedly were killed when three of the city’s five mosques were destroyed.

“The Christian community is helping and supporting [individuals and families affected by the earthquake] as much as they can,” Kouba said.

The people in the region desperately need food, water, shelter and mosquito nets, she said. And in the weeks and months ahead, they will need trauma counseling.

“I want to go back to help,” she said.

Merritt Johnston, director of communications and media for the Baptist World Alliance, wrote in an April 1 email: “BWAid Director Marsha Scipio facilitated a global response call this morning with more than 50 leaders across Baptist aid organizations within the Baptist Forum for Aid and Development, Asia Pacific Baptist Federation, Asia Baptist Women’s Union and Myanmar convention leadership.”

BWA already had included Myanmar as one of the focus areas in its Stand in the Gap initiative, a call for Baptists globally to give and pray for suffering people at a time when humanitarian aid is being cut.

Johnston said BWA plans to compile information from the global response call and provide an “update to the global family, hopefully within the next 48 hours.”




Sudanese Christians pray in secret amid violence

KHARTOUM, Sudan (RNS)—In the Al Jazirah state of central-southeast Sudan, dozens of Christians hold secret prayer services whenever they can.

They’ve had to hide their worship services amid the civil war in the country, especially after an attack by the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary organization formerly operated by the Sudanese government, on the Sudanese Church of Christ in Al Jazirah on Dec. 30, 2024. The attack left at least 14 people, including women and children, seriously injured.

“The soldiers destroyed our church and vowed to eliminate all Christians,” a Sudanese Christian—who asked not to be identified—said by phone. “They warned us against gathering for worship, so we have been doing it in secret to prevent their agents from reporting us.”

Rival factions pose a threat

Christians face threats from both rival factions of the military government currently at war. Both have vowed to eliminate all Christians in the northeastern African country, which has a population of more than 49 million.

About 5.4 percent of the population identifies as Christian, while 91 percent are Muslim, and a small percentage follow Indigenous religions.

Attacks on Christians’ and other faiths’ places of worship, including mosques, have escalated across the country. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom reported in April 2024 more than 150 churches have been damaged since the war began in 2023.

These attacks have prompted condemnation from the international community, faith-based organizations, human rights groups and religious leaders.

The Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who was previously al-Burhan’s deputy, are engaged in a fierce power struggle to control the country’s valuable resources, including gold and oil.

The conflict has claimed an estimated 150,000 lives and displaced over 13 million Sudanese, with 4 million fleeing the country. Civilians face a dire lack of food, health care and hope for peace.

On Aug. 16, 2024, the United States began peace talks in Geneva. Although representatives from the Rapid Support Forces participated, the Sudanese Armed Forces boycotted the talks—a decision that raised concerns about the possibility of achieving lasting peace and stability in the region.

Rapid Support Forces fighters began withdrawing from the capital of Khartoum on March 26, The New York Times reported, as Sudanese Armed Forces gained control of the city, marking an inflection point in the war. Rapid Support Forces is likely to withdraw forces in Darfur in western Sudan as well, the report said.

Soldiers have been preventing Christians from attending church, from holding weekly fellowship meetings in their homes, from openly expressing their faith and from converting from Islam to Christianity, Peter said.

Evangelical pastor Ibrahim Okot said the war has significantly impacted the Christian community in the country. The Khartoum-based pastor said soldiers have targeted Christians who had previously been protected by the constitution before the nation descended into civil war.

“We lived together as brothers and sisters, but the war has taken on a religious aspect with soldiers now targeting Christians and places of worship,” Okot said. “They do not want anything to do with God or spirituality, which is harmful for any country.

“We are praying for an end to the war to save Christianity and the lives of millions of innocent people. It’s now hard to be a Christian in this country. You can’t carry your Bible openly, pray, gather to worship or identify yourself as a Christian.”

Attacks on places of worship

Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a U.K.-based human rights organization, recently raised concerns about the daily threats faced by Christians in Sudan. Soldiers continue to attack areas where they live, posing a serious risk of violence and the potential elimination of their communities.

“The targeting of places of worship violates both domestic and international law, and, in the context of conflict, international humanitarian law,” said Mervyn Thomas, founder and president of CSW, earlier this year.

“We call on the international community, including the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan, to document these attacks thoroughly with a view towards ensuring accountability.”

A Sudan Armed Forces airstrike hit Al Ezba Baptist Church in Khartoum North on Dec. 20. It damaged the worship facility, the church’s nursery—which was occupied at the time—and several residential buildings, CSW reported (Photo courtesy of CSW)

Pastor Philemon Hassan of Al Ezba Baptist Church in Khartoum North—whose church was attacked by a Sudanese Armed Forces airstrike that killed 11 people on Dec. 20, 2024— aid many people are dying, suffering and lacking basic humanitarian necessities for survival.

He emphasized that lasting peace between the warring factions is essential to halt the continuous attacks on Christians and their places of worship.

“Our prayer to God is for this war to end as soon as possible,” Hassan said.

Simon Umar, a church elder at a Pentecostal church in Khartoum, also said without peace, Christians will continue to suffer from attacks and will live hiding in fear. He said the Christian communities in Khartoum and other areas have tried to gather in small congregations to worship and support one another during the war.

However, these efforts have not been successful as they have faced attacks that resulted in fatalities, he said.

“We attempted to gather, but it was impossible because nowhere is safe,” he said, urging both warring parties to consider the suffering of the people in Sudan and stop the war.

“Christianity can only thrive in an environment of peace and stable government that protects everyone’s rights, including the right to worship and gather.”

Thomas also urged “the warring parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire” and “the international community to increase efforts to ensure the protection of civilians in Sudan.”

Meanwhile, a Christian in Al Jazirah emphasized his neighbors’ commitment to gathering secretly as they seek spiritual nourishment and pray for a swift resolution to the conflict.

“We cannot stop praying, as that is the key to resolving the ongoing conflict,” he said. “I urge both RSF and SAF soldiers to refrain from targeting Christians and places of worship. Our prayers are crucial for achieving lasting peace.”

Ameen Auwalii contributed to this report from Khartoum, Sudan.




Report notes lack of progress in global religious liberty

WASHINGTON (RNS)—The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued its annual list of countries it considers to be the most egregious violators of religious liberty and urged the new Trump administration to appoint a new ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.

The commission’s 2025 report, released March 25, included a list of countries nearly identical to its 2024 list—a reflection, according to the report, that in most of those countries, things have not improved but often have worsened.

“The administration of President Donald J. Trump faces a complex international environment in which to build on its previous success of centering religious freedom as a cornerstone of foreign policy and global leadership,” the report states.

“Confirming this commitment to advancing freedom of religion or belief will require calibration and joint action with like-minded governments.”

The eight current commissioners of the bipartisan, independent agency asked Congress to halt the visits it receives from representatives of countries designated as the most egregious religious freedom violators.

“Lobbyists paid to represent the interests of governments that kill, torture, imprison, or otherwise persecute their populations because of what religion they practice or what beliefs they hold should not be welcome in the halls of Capitol Hill,” they stated.

The 2025 report also sought a successor to Rashad Hussain, whose ambassador-at-large post ended with the Biden administration. Hussain was recently announced as a distinguished senior fellow at the Institute for Global Engagement, a think tank that seeks to foster partnerships to build religious freedom.

“I think what’s critical here is an ambassador who has access, not only to Secretary (of State Marco) Rubio, but has access to the White House directly,” USCIRF Chair Stephen Schneck told RNS in an interview.

“It needs to be somebody, I think, of that level, given the surge of, the big uptick in violations of freedom of religion or belief around the world that we’re seeing right now.”

Recommended nations for CPC designation

The bipartisan, independent commission, reauthorized last year by Congress through September 2026, annually recommends to the State Department a list of countries to designate as “of particular concern” for committing “systematic, egregious, and ongoing” religious freedom violations.

The 2025 report seeks the redesignation of 12 countries: Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

It also seeks designation of four others: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Vietnam.

The commission sought the same redesignations and designations last year, with a request to add Azerbaijan.

This year, it requested that Azerbaijan remain on the State Department’s second-tier special watch list, along with Algeria.

The commission also sought these countries to be added to the special watch list: Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

US Commission on International Religious Freedom recommendations. (Courtesy image via RNS)

‘It’s become much worse’

Schneck, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, said the repetition in its requests about Countries of Particular Concern reflects the troubled state of religious liberty across the globe.

“It’s become much worse in several places, including Iran, Nicaragua and, frankly, Russia,” he said, adding that key drivers are often authoritarian governments like those, and religious nationalism in countries such as Myanmar (also called Burma), India and Turkey.

“We’re not seeing progress. In fact, in most of the countries on this list, we’re seeing regress.”

For the second year in a row, the commission also requested that the presidential administration appoint an envoy for Nigeria and the Lake Chad region, as northern portions of Nigeria have seen violence against Christians as well as Muslims.

Schneck said he was disappointed the State Department did not, as expected, announce its latest designations for its lists of religious liberty violators before the conclusion of the Biden administration, nor since the start of the Trump administration.

Concerns about USAID and refugees

The report noted the Biden administration’s funding of hundreds of millions of dollars of humanitarian aid through the U.S. Agency for International Development for religious groups facing genocide and persecution, such as Muslim Rohingya refugees located in and around Bangladesh and for the people of Syria.

But Schneck said those programs are part of the pausing of USAID funds that has occurred since Trump took office.

“As I understand, all of the freezes are still in place that affect those USAID programs,” Schneck said.

“We’re very hopeful that the new administration will act quickly to resolve some of these situations, so that some really needed programs to protect religious freedom on the ground in different parts of the world can be funded appropriately.”

Likewise, Schneck said the commission is worried about the plight of refugees whose temporary status in the United States is in jeopardy due to recent administration decisions.

“We are concerned about anything that makes it more difficult for refugees to flee from religious persecution to find safe haven,” he said.

In its new report, the commission requested its own permanent reauthorization, as well as that of the bipartisan Lautenberg Amendment that provides a legal process to resettle religious minorities from Iran and countries in the former Soviet Union.

The commission’s report also includes examples of people who have held to their religious beliefs even amid antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of religious hostility.

“One of the most heartening things that we see around the world is the resilience of people to stand up for their faith or their lack of faith, for that matter, their principles,” Schneck said, pointing to young people in Iran and congregants in churches in authoritarian countries.

“But the larger picture doesn’t change. We are concerned about what looks like a decaying picture for freedom of religion.”




Human rights may worsen in Afghanistan, panel says

Human rights and religious freedom in Afghanistan have deteriorated since the Taliban regained control in 2021, and recent executive orders by President Donald Trump could make matters worse, expert panelists testified during a March 19 hearing.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom convened the virtual hearing on “Religious Freedom Conditions in Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan.” Commission Chair Stephen Schneck and Vice Chair Meir Soloveichik moderated the hearing.

In his introductory remarks, Schneck observed the Taliban intensified its “crackdown” on religious minorities last year, enacting edicts to severely limit the religious freedom of all people in Afghanistan—including Muslims who hold to less-restrictive interpretations of Sharia.

The edicts “disproportionately impacted Afghan women and girls,” subjecting them to arbitrary arrest, forced disappearance and harassment, he said.

At the same time, Islamic State-Khorasan Province targeted religious minorities, such as the Hazara Shi’a people, he added.

Several panelists noted the negative impact of executive orders cutting foreign aid and “a high level of uncertainty” regarding policies regarding the resettlement of refugees and asylum-seekers.

‘May constitute crimes against humanity’

Richard Bennett, United Nations Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, reported “systemic gender-based oppression” and repressive laws focused on ethnic and religious minorities—and noted “early warning signs” of worsening conditions.

He pointed to the Taliban’s law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which limits freedom of expression and religion and places even greater restriction on the rights of women and girls, as well as cultural and ethnic minorities.

“Expanding restrictions amount to institutionalized persecution, which may constitute crimes against humanity,” he said.

Bennett called for an “all-tools approach” to holding the Taliban accountable for its disregard for religious freedom and international human rights standards, rather than seeking a single “silver bullet” solution.

However, he said, cutting foreign aid “turns hope into despair.” Instead, he urged the United States to support those inside Afghanistan who are “speaking up and standing up for human rights” within an ever-shrinking civic space.

‘Worst situation in the world for women’

The Taliban “doubled down on extremist policies” in recent months, said Rina Amiri, former special envoy for Afghan women, girls and human rights at the U.S. Department of State.

Afghanistan remains “the worst situation in the world for women,” Amiri said. Any international engagement with the Taliban should prioritize human rights—particularly the rights of women and girls, she insisted.

Metra Mehran with Amnesty International similarly denounced the “draconian laws” the Taliban instituted to deprive women of their rights to education, employment, mobility and “to practice their faith freely.”

The Taliban has taken steps to “criminalize the voice of women” by barring them from reciting the Quran in front of other adult women, she noted.

Mehran called on the U.S. Department of State to renew the designation of the Taliban as an Entity of Particular Concern for its “systemic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.”

She also urged the United States not to “hinder lifesaving support for the persecuted” people of Afghanistan.

Fereshta Abbasi, researcher in the Asia division of Human Rights Watch, called for an independent and comprehensive mechanism to hold the Taliban accountable for its ongoing abuse and human rights violations in Afghanistan.

‘Practice their faith in secret or in isolation’

Joseph Azam, board chair of the Afghan-American Foundation, called Afghanistan “one of the most repressive countries in the world.”

Anyone who rejects the Talban’s extreme interpretation of Sharia is “left to live in constant fear” of being targeted by apostasy and blasphemy laws, Azam observed. Religious minorities must “practice their faith in secret or in isolation,” he said.

Azam emphasized the importance not only of continuing humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan, but also using non-state entities to “prevent the Taliban from interfering” with its delivery.

Kate Clark, senior analyst and co-director of the Afghanistan Analyst Network, pointed out the Taliban believe they are “ruling through divine grace,” and they inherited a functioning state structure that allows them to enforce their authoritarian rule.

The police have “unchecked power” to enforce the edicts in the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, she noted.

If and when positive change occurs in Afghanistan, it will “come from the inside”—from Afghan civic organizations and individuals who are standing for human rights and religious freedom, she asserted.

Those groups depend on “predictable funding” from outside sources—primarily the U.S. Agency for International Development, where funding was frozen by an executive order, Clark said.