In the Afghanistan mountains of Badakhshan, 10 aid workers and medical volunteers associated with the Christian group International Assistance Mission (IAM), were murdered while helping people in need of care.  Both the Taliban and Hizb-i-Islami have reportedly claimed responsibility for the massacre of the aid workers, which included six Americans, one German, one Briton, and two Afghans.

The IAM aid group workers and volunteers killed were:

— Tom Little, New York optometrist, America
— IAM states: “Tom was affectionately known as ‘Mister Tom’ amongst the many staff at the National Organization for Ophthalmic Rehabilitation (NOOR). He arrived in 1976, with his family, and worked as an Optometrist and Manager at NOOR, setting up clinics and ophthalmic workshops. He was much loved by both foreigners and Afghans, and was the inspiration for other IAM team members coming to Afghanistan. Tom leaves behind his wife and 3 daughters.”
— Media reports:
— Tom Little, man of peace
— Danger part of daily work

— Dan Terry, Wisconsin aid worker, America
— IAM states: “Dan came to Afghanistan in 1971, he had a heart for the rural areas of Afghanistan and worked for many years in Lal-wa Sarjangal. Dan specialized in relating to local communities and liaising with aid organizations and the government to improve services in remote areas. Dan is survived by his wife, 3 daughters, and one granddaughter.”
— Media reports:
— Wisconsin Native Killed In Afghanistan
— Aide worker killed in Afghanistan has Janesville ties

— Cheryl Beckett, Knoxville, Tennessee interpreter (IAM lists Ohio), America
— IAM states: “Cheryl Beckett was working as an aid worker in Afghanistan since 2005 and had been involved in community development with a focus on nutritional gardening and mother-child health. She had been asked to assist the IAM medical team as a translator for women patients. Cheryl was a Pashto speaker who worked in a clinic in Pul-e Charkhi on the outskirts of Kabul. She is survived by her parents and 3 siblings.”
— Media reports:
— “Faith led daughter’s work in Afghanistan”
— “Afghan victim’s dad: group was not proselytizing”

— Brian Carderelli, Harrisonburg, Virginia videographer, America
— IAM states: “Brian Carderelli was a professional free-lance videographer.  Brian served a number of other organizations in Afghanistan active in development and humanitarian efforts throughout the nation.  Brian quickly fell in love with the Afghan people and culture and hoped to stay within the country for another year.”
— Media report:
— “Slain aid worker Brian Carderelli found beauty in daily Afghan life”

— Thomas Grams, Durango, Colorado dentist (Minnesota native), America
— IAM states: “Dr Tom Grams was a dentist and personal friend of Dr Tom Little and had come to Afghanistan specifically for this trip to Nuristan.”
— Media reports:
— Durango dentist died doing what he loved, friends and family say
— Minnesotan among aid workers slain in Afghanistan

— Glen Lapp, Lancaster, Pennsylvania nurse, America
— IAM states: “Glen trained as an intensive-care nurse and worked in Lancaster, New York City City and Supai, Arizona, and had previously worked in the responses to hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He came to Kabul in 2008, and initially worked in the IAM HQ. Then after 5 months of Dari language training he began his work with NOOR, he was responsible for organizing the mobile eye camps that reached the remote areas of Afghanistan.”
— Media report:
— “Mennonite worker slain in Afghanistan remembered”

— Karen Woo, surgeon, United Kingdom
— IAM states: “Karen was a General Surgeon who came on the Nuristan Eye Camp to be the team doctor and to bring maternal health care to the communities in Nuristan.”
— Media report:
— “UK medic may have been killed for working with Christian group”

— Daniela Beyer, Chemnitz, Germany
— IAM states: “Daniela was a linguist and a translator in German, English, and Russian. She also spoke Dari and was learning Pashto. She worked for IAM between 2007-2009 doing linguistic research and joined the eye camp so that she could translate for women patients. She is survived by her parents and 3 siblings.”
— Media reports:
— Bild (German): Das gefährliche Leben der Dolmetscherin aus Chemnitz

— Marham Ali, Wardak, Afghanistan
— IAM states: “Mahram Ali worked as a watchman at NOOR’s maintenance workshop since the end of 2007. He stayed guarding the vehicles in Nawa when the rest of the team walked over the pass into Nuristan. He leaves behind a wife and 3 children, at secondary school age and below.”

— Jawed, Panjshir, Afghanistan
— IAM states: “Jawed was employed as cook at the Ministry of Public Health’s Eye Hospital in Kabul and had been released from there in order to attend the Eye Camp. He leaves behind a wife and three children below school age. Besides being the team’s cook, he also assisted with the dispensing of eyeglasses. Jawed had been on several eye camps into Nuristan in the past, and was well loved for his sense of humor.”

Despite this murderous attack on aid workers, the International Assistance Mission plans to continue supporting those in need in Afghanistan.  According to the IAM, “IAM works in Afghanistan as the guest of the people and the government. As long as we are welcome here, we will, God-willing, continue to stay and serve the Afghan people.”

The Independent has reported that the massacre of the IAM aid workers has made other charities “forced to rethink” their aid in Afghanistan.

The Baptist Press reports: “Ten workers affiliated with a Christian aid group were murdered in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan after providing eye care to people in a remote area of the country. International Assistance Mission, an openly Christian charity, has operated in Afghanistan for 44 years, negotiating with the Soviets, the mujahedeen government and then the Taliban for permission to continue its work assisting people in need of care. But on Aug. 5, only one member of a team survived an ambush by several men wielding guns. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the deaths of six Americans, one German, one Briton and two Afghans, though police have not ruled out an attack by thieves.”

According to the Washington Post, “The Taliban asserted responsibility for the attack, accusing the medical volunteers of being foreign spies and trying to convert Muslims to Christianity, accusations the group denies. Police in Badakhshan province have not ruled out that thieves unaffiliated with the Taliban could be responsible, as the victims’ belongings were ransacked after they were killed.”

The Washington Post also reports that “Dirk Frans, executive director of the International Assistance Mission, appeared at a news conference and confirmed the names of the 10 dead team members, whose mission to provide eye care for poor Afghans in dangerous and remote Badakhshan province ended in tragedy…. At the news conference, Frans repeatedly denied that the volunteers were proselytizing or working for the government.”

In the IAM public statement, the organization stated “IAM is a Christian organization — we have never hidden this.  Indeed, we are registered as such with the Afghan government. Our faith motivates and inspires us — but we do not proselytize.  We abide by the laws of Afghanistan.  We are signatures of the Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs Disaster Response Programmes, in other words, that, ‘aid will not be used to further a particular political or religious standpoint.’  But more than that, our record speaks for itself.  IAM would not be invited back to villages if we were using aid as a cover for preaching.  And in particular, this specific camp led by Tom Little, a man with four decades experience in Afghanistan, has led eye camps for many years to Nuristan — and was welcomed back every time.”

The FBI reportedly will be conducting autopsies on the bodies of the 6 slain Americans to determine the cause of death.

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Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) applauds the examples of real courage and commitment to our universal human rights, not just with words, but with deeds, of the volunteer aid workers of the International Assistance Mission (IAM), and we extend our sympathies to the families of the murdered aid workers.

To those who still fear to commit to our universal human rights with even words, we urge you to learn from the examples of selflessness and dedication to our fellow human beings of the IAM aid workers.  To the Taliban religious extremists, it remains a disgraceful definition of their ideological commitment to hate against those they perceive to be different that Taliban figures would readily claim responsibility for this act, regardless of who is ultimately found to be responsible.  In the perspective of such Taliban extremists, the life of a Christian has no value, even aid workers helping the Afghanistan people.  This demonstrates the ultimate corruption and cancer of hate and intolerance that extremistviews by people of any religious, race, or identity group can become.

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) unquestioningly supports our universal human rights for all.  supports our universal human rights of freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, and freedom of worship for ALL people, without qualification, whether it is in Kabul or New York City.

We urge all those who promote hate and intolerance to understand that the human rights of those you hate are also your human rights.  When you attack the human rights of others, you also attack your own human rights as well.

We urge all to Choose Love, Not Hate – Love Wins.