For over a century, the Hazara community has suffered from targeted discrimination, persecution, and massacres because of their ethnicity and Shi’ite faith in a predominantly Sunni-Muslim country.

In the 1890s, 60 per cent of the Hazara population was killed, and those who survived were dispossessed of their land, displaced from their homes and sold as slaves.

Since the campaign of persecution began, the Hazaras have experienced ethnic cleansing, land grabbing, unwarranted taxes, looting and pillaging of homes, and have been systematically excluded from the government, economic opportunities and social dynamics. Afghanistan is a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual nation, but only the Pashtun ethnicity has ruled the country throughout kingdoms and presidencies.

The Hazara people are the target of discrimination and persecution because of their ethnicity, their Shia Muslim faith, and their long-standing support for education and the Afghan government. Because the government of Afghanistan lacks cohesion and power and is riddled with corruption, it leaves the rights of Hazaras unprotected – their rights to property, work and life itself.

The majority of religious Hazaras are Shia and this is used to justify attacks against them by the Sunni majority, especially by Taliban extremists, who view Shias as infidels. The mosques, residential areas and public facilities mostly used by Hazaras, such as hospitals and schools, are frequently the subject of murderous attacks, including bombings and shootings, by militias such as the Taliban. Hazaras live in a constant state of fear for their lives and security in Afghanistan and also in parts of Pakistan.

Despite progress since 2001, Hazara areas in Afghanistan sectarian remain among the poorest in the country and they are reported to face continuing societal discrimination. More recently, Hazaras are concerned about the increasing influence of extremist groups in Afghanistan. The rising trend of attacks against civilians belonging to this specific ethnic and religious community has forced thousands of Hazaras to flee as refugees once more.

Despite the U.S.-Taliban peace deal signed in February 2020, Hazaras remain concerned about their future. These major developments will impact the 4.6 million Afghans who are living outside their country, including 2.7 million registered as refugees. Another one million are internally displaced, and Hazaras are among the most vulnerable.

By Derakhshan Qurban-Ali and Hannah Scott. Source: UNHCR Canada