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Azadi Briefing

Saturday 27 July 2024

The Azadi Briefing: Afghans Complain Of Rising Abuse In Iran
Afghan refugees deported from Iran arrive in the western Afghan province of Herat. (file photo)
Afghan refugees deported from Iran arrive in the western Afghan province of Herat. (file photo)

Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.

I'm Abubakar Siddique, senior correspondent at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

Afghan refugees and migrants have complained of rising harassment and abuse in neighboring Iran.

This week, banners appeared to be hung in a neighborhood in Tehran, the Iranian capital, demanding that Afghans leave. It was unclear if locals or the authorities were behind the move.

It came after Iranian media reported on July 18 that a local man was allegedly stabbed to death by his Afghan neighbors.

Last week, the homes of several Afghan migrants in the southern city of Khur were reportedly set on fire in apparent retaliation for the killing of an Iranian man, allegedly by an Afghan.

Why It's Important: Anti-Afghan sentiment in Iran has been on the rise in recent years, especially after a mass influx of refugees and migrants following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.

Tehran has long blamed Afghans for insecurity and unemployment in Iran, and expelled many members of the community.

An estimated 4.3 million Afghans currently live in Iran, according to the United Nations. More than 1 million have been deported in the past year.

Human rights groups have also documented a sharp rise in the number of Afghans executed in Iran so far this year.

What's Next: As anti-Afghan sentiment rises in Iran, members of the community are likely to be the targets of more discrimination and abuse.

It is unclear if the ill-treatment of Afghans in Iran will discourage others from moving to the Islamic republic.

Hundreds of Afghans are believed to be illegally entering Iran every week to escape Taliban rule and the devastating humanitarian and economic crises in Afghanistan.

What To Keep An Eye On

A growing number of Afghans affected by natural disasters are leaving for neighboring countries.

Afghanistan has been the scene of severe droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events in recent years.

"I was forced to move to Iran after the earthquakes," Hassanzada, a resident of the western Afghan city of Herat, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi.

A series of tremors last year killed at least 1,000 people and affected more than 100,000 in and around Herat.

But survivors said the lack of aid and financial assistance forced them to leave the country.

Why It's Important: Afghanistan remains among the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of global warming and climate change.

In the latest natural disaster to hit Afghanistan, flash floods in the eastern province of Nangarhar last week killed at least 71 people, according to the UN.

The Taliban's seizure of power led international donors to immediately cut international development funding. While some foreign aid organizations continue to operate in Afghanistan, many of them have been forced to curb their work as international funding diminishes.

That's all from me for now.

Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org

Until next time,

Abubakar Siddique

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.

The Azadi Briefing: Taliban Continues To Stamp Out Religious Freedoms
Sikh Afghans perform a religious celebration in the eastern province of Nangarhar.
Sikh Afghans perform a religious celebration in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.

I'm Abubakar Siddique, senior correspondent at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

A new report by the U.S. State Department says religious freedoms continue to deteriorate under harsh Taliban rule in Afghanistan.

Published on July 26, the report details the dwindling religious freedoms for both Muslim and non-Muslim religious minorities in the country of 40 million.

"Fear of violence, persecution, and societal discrimination had prompted members of religious minorities to refrain from publicly expressing their faith," the report said.

Shi'ite Muslims, the country's largest religious minority, accuse the Sunni Taliban of abuses including "killing, torture, and forced displacement." Most Shi'a in Afghanistan are members of the historically persecuted Hazara ethnic minority.

Taliban's jihadist rival, the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K), has targeted Shi'ite communities in devastating terrorist attacks.

The Taliban, meanwhile, has brutalized Afghanistan's tiny Salafist community for alleged links to IS-K.

Other religious minorities, including "Christians, Ahmadis, Baha'is, Hindus, and Sikhs," have left or are seeking to leave the country out of fear of persecution, according to the report. Those who remain are withdrawing from public expressions of their faith, "with most in hiding or opting to leave the country."

While most Afghans are Sunni Muslims who follow the Hanafi school, an estimated 15 percent of its population are Shi'a. Small communities of Hindus, Sikhs, and other non-Muslim religions continue to live in the country.

Why It's Important: The Taliban's avowed aim to impose its interpretation of Sunni Hanafi jurisprudence has marginalized religious minorities.

In the absence of a constitution and comprehensive legal framework, decrees by Taliban leaders are vulnerable to individual interpretation, opening new avenues for abuse and denial of rights.

In practice, this translates into severe and growing restrictions on the practice of any beliefs the Taliban disapproves of.

Last month, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said the Taliban's policies are "violating freedom of religion or belief for all Afghans holding a different interpretation of Islam and for members of religious minority groups."

The watchdog recommended extending "protections for freedom of religion or belief into all potential dialogue with the Taliban."

It argued in favor of targeted sanctions on Taliban leaders responsible for "severe violations of religious freedom."

What's Next: Last December, the State Department redesignated the Taliban as an "entity of particular concern" owing to grave violations of religious freedoms.

The hard-line Taliban government is unlikely to shed the designation, as it shows no signs of changing its policies in response to international pressure.

What To Keep An Eye On

Afghanistan's historic run in the ongoing T20 Cricket World Cup ended with a defeat to South Africa in the semifinal.

However, the thrashing the national side suffered on June 27 did not prevent Afghans from celebrating a remarkable sporting achievement.

"We are proud that our team made it to the semifinals," Hashmat Ahmadzai, a resident of the southeastern Khost Province, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. "Our team demonstrated that they could defeat anyone."

In the northern province of Parwan, another fan, Ahmad Zahid, said their team gained more support for the sensational sport after defeating leading teams such as Australia and New Zealand.

Afghans adopted cricket while living in exile in neighboring Pakistan. Over the past two decades the Afghan national side made remarkable progress, rising from underdogs to one of the most talented sides in cricket today.

Why It's Important: The Taliban has so far tolerated cricket as its government stays away from micromanaging the team, which plays under the banner of the fallen republic.

The game has offered passion, entertainment, and united Afghans at a time when the Taliban's extremist policies deny them fundamental freedoms and rights.

That's all from me for now.

Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org

Until next time,

Abubakar Siddique

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.

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Radio Azadi is RFE/RL's Dari- and Pashto-language public service news outlet for Afghanistan. Every Friday in our newsletter, the Azadi Briefing, correspondent Abubakar Siddique shares his analysis of the week’s most important issues and explain why they matter.

To subscribe, click here.

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