Two Baylor graduates awaiting
verdict from Taliban high court
___By John Hall
___Staff Writer
___Two Baylor University alumnae arrested Aug. 3 in connection with apparent charges of attempting to convert Muslims to Christianity in Afghanistan are awaiting the verdict of the Supreme Court of the Taliban government.
___This summer, Taliban officials arrested Dayna Curry, 29, and Heather Mercer, 24, with eight other foreigners who worked for Shelter Now International, a German-based aid organization. Sixteen Afghans also were arrested.
___The Americans' attorney, Atif Ali Khan, presented a response to the charges against his clients Oct. 13 to a Taliban Supreme Court justice.
___While some said they expected a verdict within three days of the hearing, the women's pastor, Jimmy Seibert of Antioch Community Church in Waco, said the fact that one justice heard the case rather than several may have changed that.
___"Their culture is different than ours, so we don't have a specific timeline," Seibert said. "They had originally said that once the charges were answered, a judgment would be handed down within one to three days."
___An U.S. State Department official said the attorney returned to Pakistan after the hearing and did not plan on returning to Kabul until Oct. 19, the earliest he told the State Department he expects a verdict. The official said if a judgment was returned before that, the attorney would return to Kabul earlier.
___Neither Seibert nor the State Department official said they knew all the charges the women faced. Seibert did say the group of workers did not deny all the charges.
___They did deny one charge, however, according to Seibert. "I can say that we know one charge accused them of providing food, health care and money in exchange for converts to Christianity," he said. "They have definitely denied that accusation. It is absolutely false and contrary to who they are. At the same time, they are unashamed of their faith and would share that with anyone. However, their 8 to 5 job on a daily basis was as an aid worker for Shelter Now."
___Though Taliban Supreme Court justices have not discussed the punishment phase of the trial, many people involved in the case believe the maximum punishment the internationals could receive would be jail time and expulsion from the country. The Afghans, however, face death.?
___The State Department official and Seibert said the Baylor alumnae remain in good health and have remained in contact with family members in Islamabad, Pakistan, by faxing letters to each other. Though the women's parents informed them of the terrorist attacks during their detainment, Seibert said he does not believe they truly understand what is going on in the world around them.
___"Obviously they know about the bombs--they have felt the building shake and hear the bombs," he said. "But the bombs have not been in the area where they are being detained. They have heard of some of the events from their attorney, but they really have no idea of the worldwide scale of events."
___Seibert also said the Afghan nationals remain alive, though they have rougher living conditions than the internationals. He said they are sustained largely through the "minimal" contact with their families, which bring them food and personal items.
___
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