British woman aid worker gunned down by Taliban in Kabul for 'spreading Christianity'

A British woman working for a Christian charity helping disabled Afghans was shot dead by the Taliban in Kabul as she walked to work early this morning, officials said.

Gayle Williams worked for SERVE Afghanistan, which describes itself as a Christian charity. It confirmed the incident but would not give any details.

'Our people carried out this attack in District 3 of Kabul this morning at 7am,' the Taliban's spokesman Zabiullah Mujahed said.

A government spokesman, Zemarai Bashary, said: 'Two armed men sitting on a motorbike shot her dead. Some bullets hit her body and some hit her leg and when police got there she was dead.'

A witness said he had seen the woman walk along the same route to work in the upmarket western Kart-e-Char suburb for about two years.

A builder, who gave his name as Daulad, said he had heard seven shots and when he looked into the street he saw a woman lying on a footpath.

It is rare that foreign nationals are killed in the Afghan capital, although there have been several kidnappings.

There have been three assassinations in the southern city of Kandahar in recent weeks, also carried out by men on motorbikes.

The insurgent Taliban - in government between 1996 and 2001 - claimed responsibility for two of the killings involving the city's most senior policewoman and a government official.

The third was of a top tribal elder shot dead with his son, a former bodyguard of President Hamid Karzai, as they left a mosque early in the morning.

55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.

59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
- Acts 7:55-59

Head of Thy Church Triumphant - Charles Wesley - 1745

Head of Thy Church triumphant,
We joyfully adore Thee;
Till Thou appear, Thy members here
Shall sing like those in glory.
We lift our hearts and voices
With blest anticipation,
And cry aloud, and give to God
The praise of our salvation.

While in affliction’s furnace,
And passing through the fire,
Thy love we praise, which knows our days,
And ever brings us nigher.
We clap our hands exulting
In Thine almighty favor;
The love divine which made us Thine
Shall keep us Thine for ever.

Thou dost conduct Thy people
Through torrents of temptation,
Nor will we fear, while Thou art near,
The fire of tribulation.
The world with sin and Satan
In vain our march opposes,
Through Thee we shall break through them all,
And sing the song of Moses.

By faith we see the glory
To which Thou shalt restore us,
The cross despise for that high prize
Which Thou hast set before us.
And if Thou count us worthy,
We each, as dying Stephen,
Shall see Thee stand at God’s right hand,
To take us up to Heaven.

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