
Zebulon Simantov, officially the “Last Jew in Afghanistan,” has refused to leave his native Afghanistan, even as the Taliban are going door-to-door, torturing, killing, and raping Christians or anyone who has connections with the West. In April, Simantov had said he would move to Israel around the High Holy Days (in September-October). He says he also had an offer to go to America, but for now, Simantov is staying put, saying he cannot leave his synagogue.
“I will not leave my home. If I had left, there would have been no one to maintain the synagogue,” Simantov told WION news.
Afghanistan has the second-fastest-growing underground church movement (Iran has the first) in the world, according to Robby Dawkins, an evangelist who has done extensive work in the Middle East. Since the Taliban stormed through and took over Afghanistan over the last week, Dawkins has been working non-stop to aid his brothers and sisters there.
“The situation there is dire and urgent. The Taliban is going door-to-door looking for “‘persons of interest’—which is code for Christians or anyone who has ever worked for the West. The Taliban is not taking prisoners. They are executing people. One young pastor that I trained was tortured and then made to watch as the Taliban shot and killed three of the young men he was training. But then a miracle happened! Jesus came to this young man in a dream and showed him exactly how to escape. And he did.”
[We have set up a fund at God Tv, and 100% of proceeds will go to ministry in Afghanistan. Go to >> www.god.tv/Afghanistan]
Dawkins said that while the Christian men are tortured and killed, the women and children are often raped and then sold as “child brides” or “dancing boys” (male sex slaves). The believers in Afghanistan urgently want to get their families to safety, but Dawkins says the men are eager to return to share the truth and good news of Yeshua—or Isa, in Arabic. Dawkins noted the believers there are asking for prayers to remain strong in the faith no matter what comes their way. “One ‘elder’ (a man who has been a believer for three years) rallied his Afghan brothers on a call I was on recently saying no matter what the leaders of this world do or don’t do, Jesus is the King of kings!”
Pakistan and India have opened their borders to those who are fleeing the persecution in Afghanistan. Dawkins said Christians are “literally hiding in caves like it talks about in Hebrews.” He and his team are working to make sure they get to safety and to provide them with much-needed food and other humanitarian aid.
[We have set up a fund at God Tv, and 100% of proceeds will go to ministry in Afghanistan. Go to >> www.god.tv/Afghanistan]
Dawkins said too that it is crucial that the Church prays for the persecuted brothers and sisters in Afghanistan. “Pray that their faith does not fail. Pray that God confuses the Taliban when they are going door-to-door searching for Christians.” Dawkins also says that while things are unbelievably critical now, he sees Afghanistan becoming a Christian nation in eight years. Pray for revival!