Latest news with #ReligiousMinorities
Forbes
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Forbes
The Fall Of Kabul And The Four Years Of Taliban Regime
August 15, 2025, marks four years of the Taliban regime, after the fall of Kabul in 2021. The four years of the Taliban regime have been marked by human rights violations on a mass scale, with women and girls and religious minorities being removed from society, piece by piece, one way or another. Women and girls are subjected to what can only be described as gender apartheid, defined as 'a system of governance, based on laws and/or policies, which imposes systematic segregation of women and men and may also systematically exclude women from public spaces and spheres.' Religious minorities, on the other hand, are subjected to religious persecution, with the Hazara facing genocidal atrocities. Against this backdrop, Russia formally recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government, and others, including China, are looking to do the same. The last four years have seen a litany of decrees being adopted by the Taliban, which resulted in women and girls being banned from education, employment, positions of power, movement, and virtually any activities outside their homes. The Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice further added and affirmed these restrictions, effectively removing women and girls from society and silencing their voices. To exacerbate the situation, the enforcement of the decrees and laws has been arbitrary, with the authorities going above and beyond the restrictive provisions, thus adding to the suffering of women and girls in the country. Among others, in July 2025, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported how the de facto authorities' monitoring of women's adherence to the hijab instruction appeared to intensify in some parts of the country. UNAMA indicated that 'Provincial de facto Departments for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice are applying the mahram requirement in ways not clearly specified by the Law on Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice or other instructions issued by the de facto Ministry.' This included reports of de facto Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice inspectors instructing health clinics, shops, markets, government offices and taxi drivers to deny services to women not accompanied by a mahram. UNAMA further reported that 'dozens of UN female national staff were subjected to explicit death threats from unidentified individuals in relation to their work with UNAMA and other UN agencies, funds and programs, requiring the UN to implement interim measures to protect their safety.' An investigation by the de facto Ministry of Interior is said to be underway. The situation of women and girls in the country is expected to further deteriorate. In August 2025, the UN Women, CARE International and other partners published a gender alert amid a surge in returnees to Afghanistan. Women and girls account for a third of returnees from Iran so far this year, and about half of those coming from Pakistan. The gender alert raised the issue that, as women and girls in Afghanistan more broadly, but also the returnees in particular, face increased risks of poverty, early marriage, violence, exploitation and unprecedented restrictions on their rights, movements and freedoms. The returnees are additionally vulnerable as they arrive with little protection and support. They often would not have the 'appropriate' clothes or hijab to wear, no food to eat, no contact number and no relatives to stay with. Those traveling without a mahram – a male guardian – face particular risks. The UN also reported cases of extortion, harassment and threats of violence at border crossings. However, as the U.N. warns, the real challenge is still ahead, as millions of others are to be returned to Afghanistan, adding to some 22.9 million people – close to half the population - in need of humanitarian assistance. Four years of the Taliban in power had a devastating effect on religious minorities in the country. Some of the smallest minorities were evacuated as the Taliban was taking over Afghanistan in August 2021, with some members going underground. Larger groups, unable to be evacuated, such as the Hazara, have been subjected to years of persecution and targeted with bombings and attacks on their schools, hospitals, and Shia mosques, among others. While IS-KP claimed responsibility for most of them, the Taliban, as the de facto authorities, failed to prevent such attacks and ensure that those responsible faced justice. The serious risk faced by the community continues to be unaddressed. The four years of the Taliban regime have seen many more human rights violations affecting the Afghan society as a whole. All these violations have been reported by multiple sources, including United Nations bodies. Despite this, Russia formally recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government. In order to do so, Russia had to remove the designation of the Taliban as a terror organization. China is looking to do the same. States must be warned that recognizing the Taliban despite its sheer disregard for human rights standards, segregating and removing women from society, and accommodating the persecution of religious minorities cannot be accepted in the 21st century without making them complicit in the violations.
The Independent
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
A church bombing leads Syria's Christians to consider leaving as foreign fighters remain
The day after last month's deadly suicide attack on a church outside Syria's capital, hundreds of Christians marched in Damascus chanting against foreign fighters and calling for them to leave the country. The June 22 attack on the Mar Elias church, killing at least 25 people and wounding dozens, was the latest alarm for religious minorities who say they have suffered one blow after another since President Bashar Assad was removed from power in December. Muslim militant groups led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is headed by Syria's interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa, now control much of the country. While the new government has condemned attacks on minorities, many accuse it of looking the other way or being unable to control the armed groups it is trying to absorb. Among the groups are thousands of foreign fighters, who often hold a more extreme Islamic ideology than many of their Syrian counterparts. In a highly unusual move, al-Sharaa early on promoted a half-dozen foreign fighters to ranks as high as brigadier general. How Syria's new leaders address the treatment of minorities, and the presence of foreign fighters, is being closely watched by the United States and others moving to lift long-standing sanctions on the country. Fears of a mass Christian exodus Syria's top Greek Orthodox religious authority has called the church bombing the worst crime against Christians in Damascus since 1860, when thousands were massacred within days by Muslim attackers. Two weeks after the church attack, it is not clear who was behind it. The government blamed the extremist Islamic State group, which did not claim responsibility as it usually does. A little-known group called Saraya Ansar al-Sunna said a member carried out the attack, but the government called the group merely a cover for IS. Al-Sharaa vowed that those behind the bombing will be brought to justice and called for national unity against 'injustice and crime.' But many Christians in Syria were angered by what they saw as an inadequate government response, especially as officials did not describe the dead as 'martyrs,' apparently depriving them of the honorific reference because they were not Muslims. The attack has raised fears of a mass exodus of Christians similar to what happened in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 and the rise of sectarian violence. 'I love Syria and would love to stay here, but let's hope that they don't force us to leave,' said Kameel Sabbagh, who stayed in Syria throughout the conflict that began in 2011 when Assad cracked down on anti-government protests and morphed into a civil war. The years of chaos included the rise of IS in Syria, whose sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks. Hundreds of thousands of Christians did leave during the civil war during multiple attacks on Christians by mostly Muslim militants, including the kidnapping of nuns and priests and destruction of churches. Some priests estimate a third of Christians left. 'We are a main component in this country and we are staying,' Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch John X Yazigi said during the funeral for the church bombing victims, in an apparent reference to concerns that Christians will be forced to leave. Islamization of Syria Christians made up about 10% of Syria's prewar population of 23 million, enjoying freedom of worship under the Assad government and some high government posts. Initially, many Christians were willing to give the new authorities a chance. In a nationwide survey conducted in May by local research group Etana, 85% of Sunnis said they felt safe under the current authorities, compared with 21% of Alawites and 18% of Druze. Militant groups have been blamed for revenge killings against members of Assad's Alawite sect in March and clashes with Druze fighters weeks later. Christians fell in the middle in the survey, with 45%. But now, 'the size of fear has increased among Christians,' said politician Ayman Abdel Nour, who recently met with religious leaders. He said they told him that many Christians might decide that leaving the country is the only solution. The attack came as Christians noticed growing signs of Islamization. In some Christian neighborhoods, Muslim missionaries have marched through the streets with loudspeakers calling on people to convert to Islam. Last month, Syrian authorities said women should wear the all-encompassing burkini for swimming except in upscale resorts. Bearded gunmen beat up men and women partying at nightclubs in Damascus. Today, Social Affairs Minister Hind Kabawat is the only Christian, and only woman, out of 23 cabinet ministers. One Christian who spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns said he had applied to immigrate to Canada or Australia. Many foreign fighters could stay The Interior Ministry has said the church attacker was not Syrian and had been living in al-Hol camp in the northeast, where thousands of family members of IS fighters have been held since the extremists' defeat in 2019. The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces that control the camp, however, said their investigation showed that the attacker did not come from al-Hol. Days later, dozens of Syrian Christians marched near the attack site chanting 'Syria is free, terrorists out.' During the civil war, tens of thousands of Sunni Muslim fighters from more than 80 countries came to take part in battles against Assad, who was backed by regional Shiite power Iran, Tehran's proxies and Russia. They played an instrumental role in ending 54 years of Assad family rule, seeing their fight as a holy war. Days after Assad's fall, al-Sharaa thanked six foreign fighters by promoting them to the ranks of colonel and brigadier general, including ones from Egypt and Jordan as well as the Albanian Abdul Samrez Jashari, designated as a terrorist by the U.S. in 2016 for his affiliation with al-Qaida's branch in Syria. Among the groups enjoying wide influence in post-Assad Syria are the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria, who are mostly Chinese Muslims; Junud al-Sham, mostly ethnic Chechen gunmen; and Ajnad al-Qawqaz, mostly Muslim fighters from the former Soviet Union. Al-Sharaa has said many foreign fighters are now married to Syrian women and could end up getting citizenship, and has given no indication whether any of the fighters will be asked to leave the country. Recon Geopolitics, a Beirut-based research center, warned last month in a study on foreign fighters in Syria that the situation could get worse, with founder Firas al-Shoufi saying 'time is not on Syria's side." ___ Mroue reported from Beirut.
Associated Press
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
A church bombing leads Syria's Christians to consider leaving as foreign fighters remain
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The day after last month's deadly suicide attack on a church outside Syria's capital, hundreds of Christians marched in Damascus chanting against foreign fighters and calling for them to leave the country. The June 22 attack on the Mar Elias church, killing at least 25 people and wounding dozens, was the latest alarm for religious minorities who say they have suffered one blow after another since President Bashar Assad was removed from power in December. Muslim militant groups led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is headed by Syria's interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa, now control much of the country. While the new government has condemned attacks on minorities, many accuse it of looking the other way or being unable to control the armed groups it is trying to absorb. Among the groups are thousands of foreign fighters, who often hold a more extreme Islamic ideology than many of their Syrian counterparts. In a highly unusual move, al-Sharaa early on promoted a half-dozen foreign fighters to ranks as high as brigadier general. How Syria's new leaders address the treatment of minorities, and the presence of foreign fighters, is being closely watched by the United States and others moving to lift long-standing sanctions on the country. Fears of a mass Christian exodus Syria's top Greek Orthodox religious authority has called the church bombing the worst crime against Christians in Damascus since 1860, when thousands were massacred within days by Muslim attackers. Two weeks after the church attack, it is not clear who was behind it. The government blamed the extremist Islamic State group, which did not claim responsibility as it usually does. A little-known group called Saraya Ansar al-Sunna said a member carried out the attack, but the government called the group merely a cover for IS. Al-Sharaa vowed that those behind the bombing will be brought to justice and called for national unity against 'injustice and crime.' But many Christians in Syria were angered by what they saw as an inadequate government response, especially as officials did not describe the dead as 'martyrs,' apparently depriving them of the honorific reference because they were not Muslims. The attack has raised fears of a mass exodus of Christians similar to what happened in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 and the rise of sectarian violence. 'I love Syria and would love to stay here, but let's hope that they don't force us to leave,' said Kameel Sabbagh, who stayed in Syria throughout the conflict that began in 2011 when Assad cracked down on anti-government protests and morphed into a civil war. The years of chaos included the rise of IS in Syria, whose sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks. Hundreds of thousands of Christians did leave during the civil war during multiple attacks on Christians by mostly Muslim militants, including the kidnapping of nuns and priests and destruction of churches. Some priests estimate a third of Christians left. 'We are a main component in this country and we are staying,' Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch John X Yazigi said during the funeral for the church bombing victims, in an apparent reference to concerns that Christians will be forced to leave. Islamization of Syria Christians made up about 10% of Syria's prewar population of 23 million, enjoying freedom of worship under the Assad government and some high government posts. Initially, many Christians were willing to give the new authorities a chance. In a nationwide survey conducted in May by local research group Etana, 85% of Sunnis said they felt safe under the current authorities, compared with 21% of Alawites and 18% of Druze. Militant groups have been blamed for revenge killings against members of Assad's Alawite sect in March and clashes with Druze fighters weeks later. Christians fell in the middle in the survey, with 45%. But now, 'the size of fear has increased among Christians,' said politician Ayman Abdel Nour, who recently met with religious leaders. He said they told him that many Christians might decide that leaving the country is the only solution. The attack came as Christians noticed growing signs of Islamization. In some Christian neighborhoods, Muslim missionaries have marched through the streets with loudspeakers calling on people to convert to Islam. Last month, Syrian authorities said women should wear the all-encompassing burkini for swimming except in upscale resorts. Bearded gunmen beat up men and women partying at nightclubs in Damascus. Today, Social Affairs Minister Hind Kabawat is the only Christian, and only woman, out of 23 cabinet ministers. One Christian who spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns said he had applied to immigrate to Canada or Australia. Many foreign fighters could stay The Interior Ministry has said the church attacker was not Syrian and had been living in al-Hol camp in the northeast, where thousands of family members of IS fighters have been held since the extremists' defeat in 2019. The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces that control the camp, however, said their investigation showed that the attacker did not come from al-Hol. Days later, dozens of Syrian Christians marched near the attack site chanting 'Syria is free, terrorists out.' During the civil war, tens of thousands of Sunni Muslim fighters from more than 80 countries came to take part in battles against Assad, who was backed by regional Shiite power Iran, Tehran's proxies and Russia. They played an instrumental role in ending 54 years of Assad family rule, seeing their fight as a holy war. Days after Assad's fall, al-Sharaa thanked six foreign fighters by promoting them to the ranks of colonel and brigadier general, including ones from Egypt and Jordan as well as the Albanian Abdul Samrez Jashari, designated as a terrorist by the U.S. in 2016 for his affiliation with al-Qaida's branch in Syria. Among the groups enjoying wide influence in post-Assad Syria are the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria, who are mostly Chinese Muslims; Junud al-Sham, mostly ethnic Chechen gunmen; and Ajnad al-Qawqaz, mostly Muslim fighters from the former Soviet Union. Al-Sharaa has said many foreign fighters are now married to Syrian women and could end up getting citizenship, and has given no indication whether any of the fighters will be asked to leave the country. Recon Geopolitics, a Beirut-based research center, warned last month in a study on foreign fighters in Syria that the situation could get worse, with founder Firas al-Shoufi saying 'time is not on Syria's side.' ___ Mroue reported from Beirut.
Business Recorder
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Pakistan National Assembly passes two bills
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly passed, 'The Special Technology Zones Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025' and 'The National Commission for Minority Rights Bill, 2025'. The Special Technology Zones Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025 proposed that the independent members of the Board of Governors of the authority shall be appointed by the Prime Minister on recommendation of the secretary of the division concerned. 'The National Commission for Minority Rights Bill, 2025' says that the state is bound to promote respect of Religious Diversity and create favourable conditions, in which, followers of Minority Religions are enabled to freely practice, express and develop their own culture as it is guaranteed in the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973. Federal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry presented 'The Special Technology Zones Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025' in the house of passage. The House passed the bill with majority. The bill already passed by the Senate. According to statement of objects and reasons of the bill, 'in order to delegate the authority from the federal government to lower appropriate authority in the proposed law it has been proposed that the independent Members of the Board of Governors of the Authority shall be appointed by the Prime Minister on recommendation of the Secretary of the Division concerned.' Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar tabled 'The National Commission for Minority Rights Bill, 2025' in the House for passage. The House passed the bill with majority despite of rising objections by the opposition members on it. The opposition members of the PTI and JUI-F said that the bill passed by the Senate with amendments as it was referred to the Senate after passage form the National Assembly. They said that the Senate made some amendments in the bill so it should be referred to concerned standing committee of the House for further deliberation. On the objections of opposition members on the bill, Federal Minister Khawaja Asif said that we need to show unity in the house at this time. According to objects and reasons of the bill, 'Whereas the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a state party to various International Instruments on Human Rights, including the Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities of the United Nations which require measures for the protection of the Religious Minorities and their promotion; whereas the state is committed to protect, empower and develop underrepresented Communities, including Religious Minorities, to ensure their effective participation in economic, political and public life; whereas, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, in a judgment dated 19.06.2014 in Suo Moto Case No. 1 of 2014, on the protection of Minorities, has directed that Federal Government should constitute a statutory body for monitoring and making appropriate recommendation for realisation of the constitutional and legal safeguards guaranteed to the religious minorities under the constitution and the law.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
