Hazaras and the
Silent Genocide
by Lee
The Hazaras have long been subjugated and subjected to
discrimination and persecution due to their ethnic identity.
The first Taliban rule in the 1990’s was devastating for
Hazaras, thousands were persecuted and massacred
over the span of a few days. In August 1998 alone, The
Taliban killed over 2000 Hazaras in an event that journalist
Ahmad Rashid described as “Genocidal in its ferocity”,
furthermore the UN discovered mass graves of Hazaras in
Bamiyan province a month before the fall of the Taliban
regime in 2001. These experiences had a long-lasting
and traumatizing effect on the collective memory and
consciousness of the community.
Subsequently, because of their support for democracy
in Afghanistan, Hazaras were regularly targeted by the
Taliban insurgency. Taliban perception is that Hazaras
had stepped out of their historical role as a subordinate and
inferior group. The Taliban pushed back in an increasingly
targeted and violent manner.
Now, with the Taliban back in power, Hazaras face direct
threats and systematic discrimination in Afghanistan. With
nearly complete collapse of independent media and civil
society, the Hazara diaspora outside of Afghanistan has
also lost their eyes and ears within Afghanistan. There is
no reporting on this extremely vulnerable and targeted
community and their inability to advocate for their rights.
Hazara advocates for human rights have relied on the civil
society efforts inside the country. With the Taliban in the
power, the community agency has been lost. Addressing
access to monitor the plight of Hazaras under Taliban rule