The Taliban have done little to protect Hazaras and other at-risk communities: HRW
Human Rights Watch (HRW) releasing a report said the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), has repeatedly attacked Hazaras and other religious minorities at their mosques, schools, and workplaces, and the Taliban authorities have done little to protect these communities.
“Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, the Islamic State affiliate has claimed responsibility for 13 attacks against Hazaras and has been linked to at least 3 more, killing and injuring at least 700 people,” HRW said.
“The Hazara are a predominantly Shia Muslim ethnic group that have faced discrimination and abuse by successive Afghan governments for over a century. During the 1990s, Taliban forces targeted the Shia for mass killings and other serious abuses.”
Th organization referring to the censorship of media by the Taliban said that their growing crackdown on the media, especially in the provinces, means additional attacks are likely to have gone unreported.
“Since the Taliban takeover, ISIS-linked fighters have committed numerous brutal attacks against members of the Hazara community as they go to school, to work, or to pray, without a serious response from the Taliban authorities,” said Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch.
“The Taliban have an obligation to protect at-risk communities and assist the victims of attacks and their families.”
The news comes as the Taliban recently said that they have taken steps to protect mosques, schools, public places as well as religious minorities and they will pay more attention on this issue.
