(L) Cydney Mizell, 50, (R) Muhammad Hadi, driver (photo by Reuters)

Kidnapped church worker in Afghanistan feared dead

There are credible reports that indicate 50-year-old Cydney Mizell, kidnapped aid worker and Muhammad Hadi, her driver, are dead, reports MNN.

The overwhelmingly-Muslim country does not allow Christian missionaries, and several Christian aid workers have been murdered there in recent months.

Mizell, an aid worker with ties to the Southern Baptist International Mission Board, and Hadi were abducted on January 26 while working in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Mizell worked for the Asian Rural Life Development Foundation (ARLDF) as an English teacher at a local high school, and she taught embroidery lessons at a girls' school.

A statement from George and Peggy Mizell, Cyd Mizell's parents, said they were "heartbroken" to receive news of the apparent death of their daughter and Hadi. "While these reports remain unconfirmed, we are beginning to accept that the hoped-for outcome may no longer be possible."

No suspects have been named in the case. Of her work, George said, "Cyd knew before she went to Afghanistan that it could be a dangerous place, but she went because she loved the Afghan people and dedicated her life to serving them. We are trying to understand why someone would kill a gentle, caring person who came to their country to help the poor. Many of the people of Kandahar came to love her almost as much as we loved her, and all of us share her loss."

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[03/11/2008]

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