A former Muslim Afghan who converted to Christianity after coming to the UK is fearing the worst for Christians trapped in his former homeland.
The convert, named only as Jay, told the British Asian Christian Association (BACA) that the West had effectively "abandoned" Afghans and "left them in the middle of real devastation".
Britain's evacuation mission is now in its final hours following a devastating terrorist attack outside Kabul airport on Thursday which killed over 100 people, including 13 US troops.
The so-called Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which targeted desperate Afghans trying to get on one of the last flights out of the country before the August 31 deadline.
Jay fears that with Western troops pulling out, Christians and other minorities are in real danger.
"Twenty per cent of the Afghan population are Shias and the Taliban Islamic ideology is the Wahabi Salafist's version, which treats Shias as infidel," he said.
"They detest the LGBTQ+ community, will be harsh on women and I fear the worst for Christians and other non-Muslims.
"The prognosis is dire."
Jay has lived in the UK for nearly 20 years since fleeing Afghanistan after the US-led invasion in 2001.
After his conversion, he occasionally returned to Afghanistan to preach the Gospel.
He says he was able to do this "with little trouble" because Afghan society had become "democratic" and was "more tolerant" than under the Taliban regime.
Now that they are back in power, he is not persuaded by their claims of leniency.
"In the last few weeks the Taliban have shattered the dreams of millions of Afghans," he said.
He added, "In my opinion the Taliban, IS, Boko Haram, Al Qaeda are all the same."
