Religious minorities in Afghanistan

President Joseph Biden’s administration announced the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. This has raised legitimate concerns that all of the important gains in human rights and protection of religious minorities made in the past years may quickly erode and revert to the brutal state created by the Taliban regime. We commend the intention of Bill 1642 sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein requiring the Secretary of State to report on the status of women and girls in Afghanistan post-US withdrawal.

• During the Taliban’s reign in the 1990’s Hindu and Sikh Afghans were subjected to an array of atrocities including kidnapping, extortion, targeted violence 1 , property grabbing 2 and religious persecution.
• With news of an imminent withdrawal, the Taliban is already gaining ground in Afghanistan and have made no firm commitment to protect fundamental rights in a transitional government or after a peace agreement.
• As Hindu Americans, a tiny religious minority ourselves, we understand the importance of freedom to practice religion as enshrined by our first amendment. We