Systemic Discrimination and Environmental Crisis Threaten Afghanistan’s Shia and Hazara Communities
Systemic Discrimination and Environmental Crisis Threaten Afghanistan’s Shia and Hazara Communities
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The Shia and Hazara communities in Afghanistan are facing a severe dual crisis: systemic religious and ethnic discrimination within Taliban prisons and a devastating environmental crisis fueling forced migration.
New reports from inside Taliban prisons, including a memo from former detainee and civil activist Rasoul Parsi, expose organized discrimination against Shia and Hazara prisoners. Parsi, confirming media reports, described the prisoners’ conditions as “very bad,” highlighting:
Religious Coercion and Humiliation: Prisoners are subjected to religious pressure, doctrinal humiliation, and forced participation in worship contrary to their beliefs. Parsi recounted an incident where a Taliban prisoner kicked away a Shia prisoner’s prayer stone (muhr) and insulted his sanctities.
Systematic Discrimination: Many Hazara prisoners felt compelled to pray behind others and keep their arms clasped to avoid mockery, underscoring the ethnic and religious pressure. Parsi, who served as a prayer leader in the prison, emphasized the Taliban’s violation of religious freedom by imposing their beliefs.
These reports indicate that discrimination against Shias and Hazaras is not isolated but part of a systematic structure within the Taliban’s detention centers.
Simultaneously, severe drought and water scarcity in Balkh province are jeopardizing the livelihoods of Shia farmers and livestock owners. According to the Shia Waves Agency, citing the official UN website, fields of wheat, barley, and sesame in areas like Aqcha, Dalan, Qurighach, and Khwaja Sekandar have dried up.
This extreme water shortage has forced many families into internal displacement, migrating to the city of Mazar-i-Sharif. The environmental crisis has also triggered additional social problems, including teacher unemployment and a rise in youth joblessness.
