Heather Mercer
Encyclopedia
Heather Mercer is an American
Christian
missionary
. She was one of eight aid workers on trial in Afghanistan
for preaching Christianity. She was held captive until anti-Taliban forces freed her in November, 2001.
, where she was a track captain and a leader of the school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes
.
After high school, Mercer attended Baylor University
, majored in German and became heavily involved at Antioch Community Church in Waco, Texas
.
, were working for a German
-based Christian
group called Shelter Now International.
Under the rule of the Taliban, foreigners who preach Christianity faced jail time and expulsion. Sixteen Afghans who were allegedly converted by Mercer and her associates faced the death penalty unless they renounced Christianity.
On August 3, 2001, the Taliban arrested the two women as they preached Christianity in a private home in Kabul. 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. Taliban officials said they found evidence of proselytizing, including Bible
s in local languages.
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 against 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. Yvonne Ridley informed her about 11 September 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.
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.
to serve Muslim
s. In 2008 she founded Global Hope—a nonprofit organization
that serves Muslims in Muslim countries. Global Hope provides customized services after it meets with individual families and local leaders to determine specific needs. This has included delivering necessities to building a community center. Global Hope was asked to establish a permanent presence in Iraq by a Kurdish
Governor. To fulfill this request, Global Hope built the Freedom Center, a 25000 square feet (2,322.6 m²) multipurpose facility that will include an Internet café
, playground
, coffee shop
and classrooms. The Freedom Center is scheduled to open in late 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
. She was one of eight aid workers on trial in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
for preaching Christianity. She was held captive until anti-Taliban forces freed her in November, 2001.
Early life
In 1995, Mercer graduated from James Madison High School in Vienna, VirginiaVienna, Virginia
Vienna is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 15,687. Significantly more people live in zip codes with the Vienna postal addresses bordered approximately by Interstate 66 on the south, Interstate 495 on the east, Route 7 to...
, where she was a track captain and a leader of the school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a non-profit interdenominational Christian organization founded in 1954 and that has been based in Kansas City, Missouri since 1956. It falls within the tradition of Muscular Christianity. Although established by evangelical Protestants, the concept has...
.
After high school, Mercer attended Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
, majored in German and became heavily involved at Antioch Community Church in Waco, Texas
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
.
Afghan trial
Mercer arrived in Afghanistan in March 2001. She and another American, Dayna CurryDayna Curry
Dayna Curry is an American citizen, who was held a prisoner by Taliban government of Afghanistan in 2001.Curry was raised in Tennessee. In 1989, she graduated from Brentwood High and went to Baylor University in Waco, Texas...
, were working for a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-based Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
group called Shelter Now International.
Under the rule of the Taliban, foreigners who preach Christianity faced jail time and expulsion. Sixteen Afghans who were allegedly converted by Mercer and her associates faced the death penalty unless they renounced Christianity.
On August 3, 2001, the Taliban arrested the two women as they preached Christianity in a private home in Kabul. 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. Taliban officials said they found evidence of proselytizing, including Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
s in local languages.
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 against Afghanistan. During her captivity, she met the British journalist Yvonne Ridley
Yvonne Ridley
Yvonne Ridley is a British journalist, war correspondent and Respect Party activist best known for her capture by the Taliban and subsequent conversion to Islam after release, her outspoken opposition to Zionism, and her criticism of Western media portrayals of the War on Terror...
, who was arrested near the Pakistan border and brought to the same prison in Kabul. Yvonne Ridley informed her about 11 September 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.
After their release, and upon their return to the U.S., Mercer and Curry met with President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
at the White House on November 26, 2001.
Career
In 2004 Mercer returned to Afghanistan and IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
to serve Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s. In 2008 she founded Global Hope—a nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that serves Muslims in Muslim countries. Global Hope provides customized services after it meets with individual families and local leaders to determine specific needs. This has included delivering necessities to building a community center. Global Hope was asked to establish a permanent presence in Iraq by a Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
Governor. To fulfill this request, Global Hope built the Freedom Center, a 25000 square feet (2,322.6 m²) multipurpose facility that will include an Internet café
Internet cafe
An Internet café or cybercafé is a place which provides internet access to the public, usually for a fee. These businesses usually provide snacks and drinks, hence the café in the name...
, playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
, coffee shop
Coffee shop
Coffee shop or coffeehouse can refer to:* Coffeehouse, a place where coffee is sold and consumed* Coffeehouse , an event designed to raise awareness for a cause* Kopi tiam, a version of the Coffeehouse common in Singapore and Malaysia...
and classrooms. The Freedom Center is scheduled to open in late 2011.
Books
- Prisoners of Hope: The Story of Our Captivity and Freedom in Afghanistan, WaterBrookRandom HouseRandom House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
–December, 2003
External links
- Video and audio recordings of the four sessions Heather Mercer spoke at Calvary Chapel Bible College EuropeCalvary Chapel Bible CollegeCalvary Chapel Bible College is a ministry of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa. Its main campus is in Murrieta, California, which has an average attendance of approximately 400 full-time students, 50 part-time students, and 150 distance learning students. The mission statement of Calvary Chapel Bible...
in November 2008, including a detailed recounting of her 2001 captivity by the Taliban and her recent missionary activities among the KurdKürdKürd or Kyurd or Kyurt may refer to:*Kürd Eldarbəyli, Azerbaijan*Kürd Mahrızlı, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Goychay, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Jalilabad, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Qabala, Azerbaijan*Qurdbayram, Azerbaijan...
s in Northern IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. - Freed from the Taliban, PEOPLE Magazine (2001)
- Freedom Center Iraq