Heather Marie Mercer (born 1976) is an American who was one of 24 aid workers arrested in August 2001 by the Taliban in Afghanistan in connection with the Antioch International Movement of Churches and Germany-based Christian aid organization Shelter Now International.[1] She, along with seven other Western aid workers and their sixteen Afghan coworkers, was arrested on August 3, 2001, and put on trial for violating the Taliban prohibition against proselytism.[1][2] She was held captive in Kabul until anti-Taliban forces freed her in November 2001.[3] She co-authored a book with her fellow captive, Dayna Curry, published in 2002 and entitled Prisoners of hope: the story of our captivity and freedom in Afghanistan.[4]
On August 3, 2001, the Taliban arrested the two women.[7] After their arrest, the Taliban raided the group's offices and arrested the six other aid workers that Mercer and Curry were teamed up with.
Their trial began on September 1, 2001. On September 13, the trial was suspended and relatives of the detained aid workers were ordered to leave the country. The trial resumed on September 30. On October 6, the Taliban made an offer to release Mercer and Curry if the United States stopped its military action in Afghanistan. During her captivity, she met the British journalist Yvonne Ridley, who was arrested near the Pakistan border and brought to the same prison in Kabul. Ridley informed her about the September 11 attacks and the subsequent military actions against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. On November 15, the women, along with the six other imprisoned aid workers, were freed from prison by anti-Taliban forces and flown to safety in Islamabad, Pakistan.[8]
^ ab"International Religious Freedom Report 2002". U.S. State Dept. – Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
^Arnold, Henry O.; Pearson, Ben (2009). Kabul 24: the story of the Taliban's capture and imprisonment of eight western aid workers in Afghanistan six weeks before September 11, 2001. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. ISBN9781595550224.
^. Baptist Press. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
heather, mercer, heather, marie, mercer, born, 1976, american, workers, arrested, august, 2001, taliban, afghanistan, connection, with, antioch, international, movement, churches, germany, based, christian, organization, shelter, international, along, with, se. Heather Marie Mercer born 1976 is an American who was one of 24 aid workers arrested in August 2001 by the Taliban in Afghanistan in connection with the Antioch International Movement of Churches and Germany based Christian aid organization Shelter Now International 1 She along with seven other Western aid workers and their sixteen Afghan coworkers was arrested on August 3 2001 and put on trial for violating the Taliban prohibition against proselytism 1 2 She was held captive in Kabul until anti Taliban forces freed her in November 2001 3 She co authored a book with her fellow captive Dayna Curry published in 2002 and entitled Prisoners of hope the story of our captivity and freedom in Afghanistan 4 Afghan trial editMercer arrived in Afghanistan in March 2001 She and another American Dayna Curry were sent by Antioch Community Church and working for a Germany based aid group called Shelter Now International 5 6 On August 3 2001 the Taliban arrested the two women 7 After their arrest the Taliban raided the group s offices and arrested the six other aid workers that Mercer and Curry were teamed up with Their trial began on September 1 2001 On September 13 the trial was suspended and relatives of the detained aid workers were ordered to leave the country The trial resumed on September 30 On October 6 the Taliban made an offer to release Mercer and Curry if the United States stopped its military action in Afghanistan During her captivity she met the British journalist Yvonne Ridley who was arrested near the Pakistan border and brought to the same prison in Kabul Ridley informed her about the September 11 attacks and the subsequent military actions against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan On November 15 the women along with the six other imprisoned aid workers were freed from prison by anti Taliban forces and flown to safety in Islamabad Pakistan 8 After their release and upon their return to the U S Mercer and Curry met with President George W Bush at the White House on November 26 2001 9 References edit a b International Religious Freedom Report 2002 U S State Dept Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor Retrieved December 29 2018 Arnold Henry O Pearson Ben 2009 Kabul 24 the story of the Taliban s capture and imprisonment of eight western aid workers in Afghanistan six weeks before September 11 2001 Nashville TN Thomas Nelson ISBN 9781595550224 Uncertainty heightens for 2 U S women other aid workers held in Afghanistan Baptist Press Archived from the original on December 2 2013 Retrieved November 4 2014 Dayna Curry Heather Mercer Stacy Mattingly 2003 Prisoners of Hope New York WaterBrook Press ISBN 1578566460 Americans in Trouble Abroad Rolling Stone June 23 2011 Retrieved January 30 2024 CNN Programs People in the News www cnn com Retrieved January 30 2024 Bearak Barry August 28 2001 2 Americans Allowed to See Their Jailed Daughters in Kabul The New York Times Retrieved November 4 2014 Afghan prison ordeal ends happily for U S aid workers CNN Retrieved November 4 2014 Two rescued aid workers meet Bush USA Today AP November 25 2001 Retrieved November 4 2014 Further reading editDayna Curry Heather Mercer Stacy Mattingly 2003 Prisoners of Hope New York WaterBrook Press ISBN 1578566460 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Heather Mercer amp oldid 1215240965, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
