On April 30, Christianity Today published a report about an attack by Muslim extremists on an underground church near Bamiyan, Afghanistan. It also mentioned a second attack that killed Hazara converts to Christianity. After becoming aware of credible doubts about the accuracy of claims made by sources, we have removed the story from our website.
CT’s journalists initially investigated the alleged attacks, one of which was first reported by an international human rights organization, by speaking with a source in Pakistan who works closely with Christians in Afghanistan. The source provided CT with photographs purporting to show the aftermath of the attacks and a family he claimed were victims of the Bamiyan attack. A spokesperson from the human rights group confirmed the Bamiyan incident, noting that violence against Christian converts from the Hazara ethnic community, in central Afghanistan, is common.
After publication, multiple groups working with Christians in Afghanistan contacted CT to express skepticism that the attacks ever took place.
Following up on the concerns, CT journalists made unsuccessful attempts to corroborate the account of the attacks through additional independent sources. They requested copies of text messages that were said to document the attacks, but the source said the messages had been lost. Finally, CT traced some of the photographs provided as evidence to incidents that in fact took place earlier than the date given for the attacks. In one case, a photograph had been taken from a video recorded four years before the alleged incident.
We take seriously our commitment to factual accuracy in reporting. In particular, when reporting on a subject as sensitive and consequential as alleged acts of deadly religious violence, we bear an obligation to publish only what can be independently verified and, when details cannot be readily confirmed, to clearly disclose as much.
CT has reported on the persecuted church from our earliest days and remains committed to covering stories of Christians around the world who worship at risk of their lives. We recognize that such contexts often entail severe restrictions on communications and information sharing, posing extra challenges for reporting. Nonetheless, we believe the impact of a story is only proportional to its verity.
Christianity Today strives to make right any error in fact that appears in our journalism, and we welcome any correction from our readers.
Andy Olsen is Christianity Today’s editorial director for news.
The post Why We Retracted a Report About Violence in Afghanistan appeared first on Christianity Today.
