Written by Aletha Herdiman, Anindya Putri Syam, and Alya Al-Kautsar Z.
Research and Analysis Division FPCI Chapter UI Board of 2024
One of the world’s most significant women’s rights catastrophes has been brought about by the Taliban in the past 2.5 years when they returned to power in Afghanistan. Women’s rights to education, work, political participation, and even the freedom of expression and movement were curtailed. Under the reign of the Taliban regime, the Hazara women suffered from persecution after persecution as they were singled out for discrimination based on their gender and ethnic identity at the same time. The situation of these Hazara women serves as a poignant reminder of the tenacity of individuals who persevered in the face of oppression.
A Brief History of the Oppressed Hazara People
The Hazaras are a group of ethnic minorities that originally came from the region of central Afghanistan also known as the “Hazārajāt” region. They are currently residents of not only Afghanistan, but also Pakistan and Iran. The primary reason why the Hazara people are subjected to targeted discrimination, ethnic cleansing, and persecution is due to their religious sect and ethnicity. As Shia Muslims in a primarily Sunni Muslim region, the Hazaras have faced systematic prejudice and violence from extremist groups and dominant ethnic factions who consider their religious practices blasphemous. Furthermore, their distinct ethnic characteristics and historical narratives isolate them, making them easily identifiable targets for persecution. This combination of religious and ethnic disparities has resulted in a lengthy history of marginalization, social exclusion, and multiple attempts at elimination.
Although the Hazara people have historically made up one of the largest demographic groupings in Afghanistan, their historical roots have not been entirely known and studied. There are two causes of their persecution: Firstly, their ethnicity is one of the main root causes of the persecution. This group’s origin dates back to the Mongol Empire’s founder, Genghis Khan, who invaded Central Asia in the thirteenth century (Hucal, 2016). The Hazara ethnic group was believed to be the result of Mongol soldiers’ intermarriages with the indigenous people. This is evident by the fact that the Hazaras possess a physical appearance that resembles Central Asians. However, theories regarding their ancestry stemming from Genghis Khan’s empire have not been socially (Minority Rights Groups, 2024) and scientifically proven (He, 2019). Secondly, the Hazaras speak a dialect of the Dari language known as Hazaragi, and most of them are Shia or Twelver Imami Muslims. This religious and linguistic distinction classifies Shia Hazaras as a religious minority in Afghanistan, where the majority practice Sunni Islam. Consequently, these differences have made the Hazaras targets of severe persecution by various dominant groups throughout Afghan history (Individuals of Hazara Ethnicity and Other Shias, n.d.).
The first of many persecutions began in the 1880s during Emir Abdur Rahman’s violent state-building activities in Afghanistan. Hazārajāt, the Hazaras homeland, was previously an independent region—that was until the invasion of Emir Abdur Rahman. The Emir gave the Hazara people two options: leave the nation or convert to Sunni Islam. When the Hazaras resisted his efforts to gain political and financial dominance over the area, The Emir swiftly resorted to violence and tyranny. This led to the mass expulsion of the Hazaras from their homelands, resulting in the murder of thousands and the displacement of half the population, many of whom were sold into slavery (Mohammadi, 2021).
Fast forward to the 1990s, efforts have been made to promote inclusivity and address the persecution of the Hazara people by the creation of policies aimed to promote social equality. This was done under Muhammad Najibullah, the fourth and last President of the Republic of Afghanistan. Najibullah’s regime collapsed in 1992 due to the Afghan Civil War which also resulted in the Hazaras becoming more vulnerable to harsher persecution through the hands of several factions—among which was the Taliban (“Backgrounder on Afghanistan: History of the War,” 2023). A new wave of persecution began with the establishment of the Taliban. Since the Hazaras are Shia Muslims and the Taliban is dominated by Pashtuns, a dominant ethnic community in Afghanistan (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2024), the Taliban harbored deep distrust toward the Hazaras. This animosity ultimately led to severe ethnic cleansing.
Back to Back: A Glimpse of the Current Situation of Hazara Women under the Taliban’s Rule
Hazara women are oftentimes the victims of profound injustice, hatred, and discrimination simply due to their gender, religion, and ethnicity. Under Emir Abdur Rahman’s rule in 1880s, Hazara women were targeted for violence, rape, and enslavement. Since then, the Hazaras, particularly women of Hazara descent, have been subjected to persecution and genocidal crimes (such as but not limited to mass killings, forced displacements, systematic rape, the destruction of their homes and communities, etc) by various Afghan regimes. Furthermore, the Taliban have imposed a system of gender discrimination through several repressive decrees that severely limit the fundamental rights and freedoms of women and girls.
Targeted Violence and Vulnerability
The ongoing human rights violations against Hazara women represent a deep concern for the rest of the world. Taliban’s forceful return to power in 2021 generated steadily rising Violent threats against Hazara women. Under the Taliban’s dictatorship, due to their gender, religion, and ethnicity, Hazara women face vulnerability. Hazara women and girls have been deliberately targeted with numerous vicious attacks. All actions done by the Taliban violate every international treaty that protects fundamental & women’s rights. However, the brutal truth is that up to the present moment, there have been no official actions directly designed to protect Hazara women (Amnesty, 2023).
Agony Faced by Hazara Woman Under Taliban Rule
Hazara women have long been the target of human rights violations even before the Taliban regime began. When the Taliban took over, they immediately violated fundamental human rights by prohibiting girls from going to school, and the education program that UNICEF provides was even stopped and taken over by the local government. Practically, around 4,500 women were reportedly dismissed from jobs in education in two months (Amnesty, 2023).
The Taliban also progressively dissolved the institutional framework of support for survivors of gender-based violence that had operated under the previous government, leaving survivors dependent on Sharia law (Islamic law) and at risk of further abuse (Amnesty, 2023). The attack on the Kaaj Educational Center that killed 35 young Hazara women and girls devastated the Hazara community, causing dozens of Hazara women to protest. But when they protested, they were beaten and shot at by the Taliban as stated by witnesses (The Guardian, 2022).
What Has Been Done?
Various humanitarian organizations, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have documented numerous human rights abuses against Hazara women. Amnesty International is conducting a precise investigation on the abused rights of Hazara women, by reviewing satellite imagery of the area to confirm the location of one of the killings. Amnesty also consulted with a forensic pathologist to review the images of the bodies that photo was published online by Taliban media, which deleted the post soon after publication (Amnesty, 2022). Hundreds of Afghan citizens in numerous countries across the world have also protested against the genocide of the Hazaras and called for a cessation of violence against them. Despite all the rising voices that had been done, there has been no official movement from governments and the international courts dedicated to protecting Hazara women. (Afghanistan International, 2024).
The Intervention of International Communities in Resolving the Hazara Problem
While it is true that the international community has intervened in Afghanistan, so far there has been none specifically addressed to the discrimination against Hazara women. For example, The UN Security Council resolution established the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on March 28 2002 (UNAMA, n.d). Adhering to The Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW) law, for 21 years, UNAMA has established a special prosecution unit for the EVAW which reports various forms of deprivation of human rights, especially the rights that should be obtained for women. Unfortunately, based on a report published by UNAMA (2023), only 8 provinces have special prosecution units and the Hazaras are not among those protected.
On the other hand, the UN Intervention for Women has officially worked in Afghanistan under UN Women in 2010 (Shamimi et al., 2022; Azzahra & Ahsana, 2023). UN Women in Afghanistan supports the development, monitoring, and implementation of policies and programs that protect and advance women’s rights. The contributions made by UN Women include roles in forums, mainly as donors and as advocates. With various limitations in movement, through the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, UN Women also shows its commitment to helping Afghan women by investing in civil society organizations, especially women’s organizations in Afghanistan. One of them is the Women for Afghan Women (WAW) organization (Azzahra & Ahsana, 2023). Unfortunately, upon glancing at the WAW website, until this article was published, no specific information was given regarding the involvement of Hazara women in the forum.
The vigor of the #StopHazaraGenocide movement
We shouldn’t turn a blind eye to the situation at hand: the Taliban regime has used its power to commit repeated acts of violence akin to genocidal acts against the Hazaras, specifically the Hazara women. The repeated attacks led to international outrage and ignited a movement with the purpose of standing up for the Hazara women. In more than 100 cities across the world protests were arranged against genocide alongside the #stophazaragenocide movement. The protests culminated on October 8, 2022, when protesters gathered on the streets of Washington DC to call for the rights that Hazara women should have (Genocide Watch, 2022). The protesters called for the following:
The UN, US, UK, EU, human rights organizations, and journalists must recognize that the systematic attacks against the Hazaras in Afghanistan fulfill the definition of genocide: the intentional destruction of a substantial part of an ethnic and religious group, as such.
The UN and national governments should initiate urgent consultations with Hazara organizations on practical actions for the protection of the Hazaras in Afghanistan.
The International Criminal Court must open investigations of the atrocities against the Hazara people and should initiate cases against perpetrators for genocide and crimes against humanity.
All countries should prioritize Hazaras fleeing Afghanistan for asylum and resettlement of Hazara Women.
Figure 1. Big March Stop Hazara Genocide Posters (Genocide Watch, 2022)