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After a year in power, the Taliban have severely cracked down on all forms of religion that do not conform to their extreme interpretation of Islam, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom said in a report Tuesday.
The Taliban reinstated the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, which has rigorously applied “what they consider Islamic dress and behavior”.
“Despite publicly pledging for change and inclusiveness, the Taliban continued to govern Afghanistan in a similar way to the way they governed the country from 1996 to 2001,” the US commission said.
People observe damage inside a mosque following an attack in Kunduz, a northern province of Afghanistan, on Friday, October 8, 2021.
(Photo AP / Abdullah Sahil)
The Taliban preach an uncompromising version of Sunni Islam and have killed dozens of Shia Muslims over the past year. The Hazara people, an ethnic minority practicing Shia Islam, have been displaced by the thousands because the Taliban forced them to leave their homes.
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When they did not crack down on Shia Muslims, the Taliban failed to protect the minority from ISIS-K attacks, the report said.
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Other religious groups have also suffered persecution, including those who adhere to Judaism, Hinduism and Christianity.
“While the Taliban have acknowledged the existence of Sikh and Hindu faiths in Afghanistan and have declared that adherents are free to practice these religions according to their beliefs, the regime has denied the existence of a Christian community, despite reports estimated among 10,000 and 12,000 Christians in the country “, reads the report.
