When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in late 2021, Zabi knew exactly what it meant for her and other Christians. Her father and brother had both found Jesus in Afghanistan. But when the Taliban—who have effectively controlled parts of Afghanistan for years—found out the men were believers, the Taliban took both Zabi’s father and brother away.
The two were never heard from again.
Zabi worked for international aid organizations in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban the first time in the early 2000s. Her work was important and she was able to save a little money. But it also made her a target when the Taliban took over full control.
“She’s single, quite young and well-educated,” says an Open Doors partner in the region. “She was active in the area of human rights, and therefore a target for the Taliban. They may know that she’s a Christian already.”
She knew that when the Taliban were in charge, her life would be in danger. And so, with her mother, she fled the country to the place where she now lives as a refugee. “When the Taliban took over in August [2021], [the international organizations] departed and I was left behind. My mother and I managed to cross the border into another country.”
But that doesn’t mean she’s safe. Far from it.