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Tear Fund, the relief agency of the Evangelical Alliance of Great Britain, provides water and shelter for Afghan refugees across the border in Pakistan. Published estimates put the number of Afghan Christians in the country at 1,000. Christian radio broadcasts from groups such as the Far East Broadcasting Association and IBRA Radio reportedly help nourish this handful of believers.

Christian observers of Islam say they see parallels with the situation in Iran, where a turn to radicalism prompted a new openness to Christ among people disillusioned with Islam.

"If Islam is so ingrained in their life … then it causes a numbing," Zwemer's Dretke says. "They really become dulled to religion and could open up fully to the gospel if someone were there to introduce it."

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Taliban officials have made it clear that the eight foreign workers will stand trial but the investigation is not over yet and no timetable has been released.

The Web site for the German-run Shelter Now is pretty much barren.

Although recently banning the Internet, the Taliban Government of Afghanistan still has an official site.

The BBC profiled Afghanistan's ruling militia in "Who are the Taliban?"

For continuing coverage, see Yahoo's full coverage and Christianity Today'sWeblog.

Previous Christianity Today stories about Afghanistan include:

Diplomats Receive Visas Into Afghanistan, but Will Only Meet with Officials | Over a week after raid on Shelter Germany, future for workers still unclear. (Aug. 13, 2001)

Taliban Threatens Death to Converts | Afghanistan's Islamic army also says it will kill any non-Muslim seeking converts. (Feb. 15, 2001)

Religious Freedom Report Rebukes China, Others | State Department finds many nations' religious freedoms deteriorating, but some are improved. (Sept. 7, 2000)

Religious Freedom Report Released | Afghanistan, China, Iran, and Iraq listed as some of most repressive countries. (Oct. 25, 1999)

New Unreached Group Targeted (Feb. 8, 1999)

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August (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45