Kidnapped by Taliban - Book review

The first time we meet, we are friends. 

The next time we meet, we are brothers.

                   - Afghan proverb

Kidnapped by Taliban is the story of an Indian American doctor who has a lot of similarities with myself.



Dr. Dilip Joseph, like myself is a malayali from the state of Kerala in India. He lived there for 15 years and moved to the US accompanying his father who came to the beautiful state of California to study theology. Later, Dilip's father returns to India to be the pastor of a church in Kerala. Like myself, Dilip had great academic grades and both of us went to Cambridge University for graduate studies. And, we both are doctors.The similarities end there.

Dilip embarks on a career of service, philanthropy and service to the less fortunate people. He is moved by his deep sense of compassion and a burden for people in a far away land who do not share his value system or his language. He begins a tenure as the medical director of an NGO which helps build education, primary schools and health care in rural Afghanistan. Amidst the toils of  the Taliban insurgency, he makes several long trips to Afghanistan. It is on one of these trips that he gets abducted by a group of Afghan tribesmen who intend to sell him to Pakistani Taliban, who instead wants to use him as a bargaining chip and for extortion.


The story would have been just like any other Hollywood blockbuster comprising of kidnap, rescue, tragedy, courage and the eventual triumph of the free soul, except that the author dwells into the details of his interaction with the captors. He constantly reminds us that the Afghan people are caring, compassionate people. He quotes the above Afghan proverb quite often to remind us that they are genuine human beings who treat a stranger as a brother.

But I cannot but wonder how he was able to pull himself up to say that, except for the fact that I understand what makes him believe it. Christ, who he considers his life's savior, wants us to love our enemies. Dilip lives it to the letter. He talks about his interaction with his captors, especially a young 19 year old man, who surprisingly asked him very personal questions. Towards the end of his interaction, this kidnapper, sincerely asks Dilip if he can come with him to the US so that he too can enjoy the freedom and the love. Such is Dilip's witnessing that a kidnapper is moved by his affection and compassion and requests him to be adopted into a land against which he is fighting a brutal war.



Eventually, Dilip is saved four days later by the US Seals, although in the process a brave marine was killed by gunshot. The marine happened to live in a town just ten minutes from where I live now. Dilip is not afraid to go back to the country of Afghanistan despite this intensely nerve wracking experience. He vouches to live upto the sacrifice of his countryman and his own belief that his small work will eventually help move the nation of Afghanistan out of the bondage of terrorism and savagery.

Overall, a beautiful read with some intense suspense and funny anecdotes, Kidnapped by Taliban is a must read for anyone who wants to know the land of Afghanistan and its people. As an additional bonus, you may end up discovering a physician who lives true to his core beliefs and is willing to sacrifice all that he has to fulfill it.

Photo courtesy: CBS News