Elections in Afghanistan

Though shamefully under-reported, the elections in Afghanistan on Sunday were apparently a relative success. The first legislative elections there in 36 years were barely noticed here with all the focus on Katrina response and the Roberts nomination. While some here are complaining that hurricanes don’t practice affirmative action and Republicans don’t nominate liberals to the Supreme Court, the rights we take for granted are being exercised at great risk by others.

The New York Times reported on the less-than-expected violence:

Despite scattered reports of shootings and attempted sabotage that left five people dead during the day and two police officers dead on the eve of the election, the vast bulk of the voting went remarkably smoothly, election officials and international observers said.

* * *

The election-day violence included an attack using mortars and heavy artillery in Kunar Province that killed four people, Mr. Jalali said. An Afghan soldier died and four others were wounded in Nuristan, while two police officers were killed in an attack on a security post in Khost early Sunday before voting began, he said.

The police thwarted some violent sabotage, including an attempt by two men to enter a polling station with bombs hidden in pens. The police also defused a large amount of explosives in the northern town of Mazar-i-Sharif. Two rockets hit a United Nations warehouse in Kabul on Sunday, wounding an Afghan guard. In Helmand, to the west, an attack on a polling station led to a gun battle with the police that killed two men suspected of being members of the Taliban, the police said.

Still, with many provinces bracing for violence, officials expressed relief as polls closed. “There was no suicide attack, no bombings,” said Asadullah Khalid, the governor of Kandahar.

The voters in Afghanistan faced all this with inspiring bravery:

“I was afraid to come,” 38-year-old Lailoma told [Agence France-Presse (AFP) ]. “The rebels said they will attack those who take part in the election. They threatened to kill me. But I will sacrifice my life for the reconstruction of Afghanistan.”

* * *

AFP reported that despite of threats from Taliban insurgents, early estimates showed a turnout of just over 50 percent, out of the 12.5 million registered voters.

Amid the good news, there are concerns, of course:

The USCIRF noted that the right to religious freedom is now largely respected in the areas under government control, in contrast to the Taliban era, but also said that “some discrimination continues.”

Christian persecution watchdog groups such as Open Doors report that under the Sharia (Islamic law) legislation – which the current government of Afghanistan kept even after the Taliban was overthrown – Afghan Christians and other religious minorities are subjected to severe persecution.

* * *

Currently, Christian leaders are also urging for believers to pray for the Afghanistan government, which says the counting of ballots will begin on Tuesday, with final results due in late October.

To that prayer, don’t forget to add thanksgiving for your own freedom and protection for the victims of persecution.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 22nd, 2005 at 6:06 pm and is filed under The Media, Global War on Terror. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.