Taliban Say Cut Throat of Afghan Christian

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's Taliban guerrillas say they cut the throat of a Muslim cleric after they discovered him propagating Christianity and warned foreign aid workers they would face similar treatment if they did the same. Taliban spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi telephoned Reuters on Thursday to say that the guerrillas killed Maulawi Assadullah in the remote Awdand district of Ghazni province the previous day.

"A group of Taliban dragged out Maulawi Assadullah and slit his throat with a knife because he was propagating Christianity," he said.

"We have enough evidence and local accounts to prove that he was involved in the conversion of Muslims to Christianity."

Hakimi charged that a number of foreign aid agencies were also involved in spreading Christianity in Afghanistan, where the adherents to the religion are in a tiny minority.

"We warn them that they face the same destiny as Assadullah if they continue to seduce people," he said.

The fundamentalist Taliban, which was overthrown by U.S.-led forces in late 2001, has declared a holy war against the continuing foreign troop presence in the country and views aid workers as legitimate targets in this battle.

The Taliban has killed at least 33 foreign aid workers since the start of last year, including Frenchwoman Bettina Goislard of the U.N. refugee agency, who was gunned down in the town of Ghazni, the provincial capital, in November.