Kidnapped by the Taliban (23 page)
Special thanks to Farzad and, especially, Rafiq, who took the time to sit down and share some of the most difficult memories imaginable. My new brother, I so admire your courage and your commitment to the people of Afghanistan.
Joel Kneedler, I’ve enjoyed every minute of our work together and wish you and the family all the best in the years ahead. I need to figure out a way to get you back to central Oregon.
Debbie Wickwire and the team at Thomas Nelson, your enthusiasm and dedication continue to be a joy. Let’s do many more of these.
My thanks to other contributors to this project, including Gary and Julie Williams, Angela Lund, Bob Green, David Lund, Paulmer Soderberg, and Debi Cummings.
Last but not least, my deepest appreciation for the continuing support of my family: Angela, Erik, Sonja, Peter, Dad, and Dave.
—James Lund
CHAPTER 2: AFGHANISTAN
1
. “Population (Total),” The World Bank, accessed July 8, 2014, http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?page=1.
2
. “Afghanistan Population 2013,” World Population Statistics, accessed July 8, 2014, http://www.worldpopulationstatistics.com/afghanistan-population-2013/.
3
. “Afghan authorities tackle country’s high illiteracy rate,” United Nations Missions Assistance in Afghanistan, September 8, 2013, http://unama.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?ctl=Details&tabid=12254&mid=15756&ItemID=37242.
4
. “Afghan life expectancy has risen by 17 years since 2001,” Progressive Economy, February 13, 2014, http://progressive-economy.org/2014/02/13/afghan-life-expectancy-has-risen-by-17-years-since-2001/.
5
. “Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births),” The World Bank, http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.DYN.MORT?page=1.
6
. “Afghanistan’s poppy farmers plant record opium crop, UN report says,”
The Guardian
, November 13, 2013, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/13/afghanistan-record-opium-crop-poppies-un.
CHAPTER 3: ANGUISH AND PEACE
1
. “Afghanistan’s ethnic diversity,” CNN.com/asia, August 19, 2009, http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/08/17/afghanistan.ethnic.groups/index.html?iref=24hours.
2
. Daniel 3:17–18.
CHAPTER 9: THE CONVERSATION
1
. “The World Factbook,” Central Intelligence Agency, accessed July 8, 2014, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html.
2
. Steve Coll, “Looking for Mullah Omar,”
The New Yorker
, January 23, 2012, http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/01/23/120123fa_fact_coll.
3
. Ahmed Rashid,
Taliban: Islam, Oil, and the New Great Game in Central Asia
(New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2000), 87.
CHAPTER 13: “PAPA’S IN TROUBLE”
1
. Matthew 10:28–31.
CHAPTER 19: HOME
1
. Isaiah 6:8.
burqa: a long, loose garment covering the whole body from head to feet, worn in public by many Muslim women
chadri
: veil
Dari
:
one of two official languages of Afghanistan
ferengi
: foreigner
Hazara: Persian-speaking Shiites living in Afghanistan, with populations largely concentrated in the central part of the country
ISAF: International Security Assistance Force, a NATO-sponsored military presence in Afghanistan made up of troops from the United States and other nations
Jirga
: tribal council
Kuchis
: nomads who earn a living by herding and selling sheep, goats, donkeys, and camels
madrassa: Islamic religious school
mujahideen: Muslim freedom fighters
mullah: local Muslim religious leader
naan: leavened, oven-baked flatbread popular in west, central, and south Asia
namaz
: ritual Islamic worship or prayer
NGO: non-governmental organization
pakol
: soft, round-topped men’s hat, typically wool, worn by ethnic groups living in or near the Hindu Kush mountain range
pani
: water
Pashto: language spoken by Pashtuns; one of two official languages of Afghanistan
Pashtun: most common ethnic group in Afghanistan
Pashtunwali
: a tribal honor code that governs the Pashtun way of life
salwar kameez
: traditional Afghan attire consisting of long, loose shirt with pajama-like pants
shamshoby
: a short, green shrub common in eastern Afghanistan
surma
: an ore sometimes ground into a black powder and applied around the eyes
Taliban: plural of
Talib
, or “student, seeker of knowledge”; fundamentalist Muslim movement
taqiyah
: a short, round skullcap
tashakor
: thank you
Urdu: official language of Pakistan
Zakah
: in Islamic tradition, the practice of giving from what Allah has already provided to others in need
SEE THE FOLLOWING LIST OF LINKS AND OTHER RESOURCES:
AFGHANISTAN
www.afghan-web.com
an overview of Afghanistan and its people and culture
THE TALIBAN
Ahmed Rashid,
Taliban: Islam, Oil, and the New Great Game in Central Asia
(New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2000) account of the origins and rise of the Taliban and their impact on the region and the world
U.S. NAVY SEALS
Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson,
Lone Survivor
(New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2007) describes 2005 U.S. Navy SEALs mission and Taliban attack in Afghanistan
Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer,
No Easy Day
(New York: Dutton, 2012)
account of the 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden compound in Abbottobod, Pakistan
Eric Blehm,
Fearless
(Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook, 2012) the life and death of U.S. SEAL Team Six operator Adam Brown
U.S. VETERANS SUPPORT
www.udtseal.org
home page of nonprofit organization devoted to assisting those who have served or are serving in naval special warfare
www.woundedwarriorproject.org
home page of nonprofit organization committed to honoring and supporting injured service members
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
www.chalmers.org
website of nonprofit community development organization dedicated to helping the church alleviate poverty
DILIP JOSEPH, MD
, SERVES AS MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF MORNING Star Development. He oversees public health, preventive health, and clinical projects in rural medical clinics in Afghanistan, providing access to those without health care options. Dr. Joseph’s medical work spans both developing and developed countries, and he has experience in public health and clinical medicine. He lives with his family in Colorado.
JAMES LUND
IS AN AWARD-WINNING COLLABORATOR AND EDITOR and the coauthor of
A Dangerous Faith
and
Danger Calling
. He works with best-selling authors and public figures such as George Foreman, Kathy Ireland, Max Lucado, Tim Brown, Randy Alcorn, and Jim Daly. He lives with his family in Oregon. Visit his website at
jameslundbooks.com
.
I meet these two brothers during a visit to eastern Afghanistan. Their family and others want us to establish a community center for their villages.
My work includes teaching Afghan medical staff about communicable diseases.
Moms wait with their children for their turns to see the doctor at one of our rural health clinics.
Miriam, the midwife, uses this display board as she talks with young mothers in Pul-i-assim about nutrition, family planning, pregnancy, and vaccinations.
One of our doctors sees patients at this Pul-i-assim medical clinic.
