کابل پرس

Venice, a mass rally in support of asylum seekers

Basir Ahang — 2015-09-12T14:35:00Z

‪Bring back 31 Hazaras

Basir Ahang — 2015-04-07T15:44:41Z

More than 40 days ago 31 Hazara passangers have been kidnapped from two vehicles on a highway in Zabul province while they were travelling from Kandahar to Kabul. Their families are living weeks of anguish waiting for their return. Everyone knows who is the responsible even if the government denied the Taliban involvement in the kidnapping, due to the “peace talks” with these criminals. Speaking during his first visit to Washington, yesterday President Ashraf Ghani said peace with the Taliban is essential and that he does not know how to say sorry to the members of Taliban who were imprisoned by mistake. Since two weeks go we have started a campaign with the hashtag #bringback31Hazaras.
To spread the voice and ask to the government to intervene we decided to create a sort of challenge: if you decide to publish a photo with the hash-tag, you can also challenge ten Facebook friends (or even less) to do the same. Senior government officials know where the kidnapped people are and they know also who are the responsible. The lack of interest is due to a political strategy intended on reintegrate Taliban members in the government.
For these reasons we address to them our imperative: “bring back the 31 Hazaras!”
1- Pamela Curr human rights activist Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
2- Imogen Bailey Actress and Model Sydney, Australia
3- John Denham House of Commons Southampton, United Kingdom
4- Julian Burnside human rights and refugee advocate Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
5- Rowenna Davis journalist uk
6- Catherine Deveny Writer, comedian, social commentator Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
7- Frederika Steen Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
8- Joshua Evangelista journalist and human rights activist, Roma Italy
9- Beppe Costa poet novelist and publisher, Roma Italy
10- Andrea Garbin poet Writer and Playwright, Lombardy Italy
11- Kamran Mir Hazar poet, journalist and human rights activist Oslo Norway
12- Alessandra Montesanto journalist and human rights activist Milan Italy
13- Aliye Yılmaz University professor in Ankara Turkey
14-دکتر حفیظ شریعتی سحر poet Writer and University professor in Kabul
15- Ruhullah Frogh University professor in Bamiyan and chief of Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission in Bamiyan

#BringBack31Hazaras

Posted by Kabul Press on Thursday, August 7, 2014

No Land for The Hazara Asylum Seekers

Basir Ahang, Kawa Gharji — 2015-03-30T20:34:15Z

In the year 2006 Reza and his family entered Syria and asked asylum at UNHCR office. There they found thousands of Hazara asylum seekers from Afghanistan. All of these asylum seekers had filed their asylum request at UNHCR office and were waiting for the answer.

After a time, the UNHCR office accepted their requests and recognized them as refugees. The UNHCR office offered Reza Mohammadi and his family a resettlement to a third safe country. The embassy of the United States of America agreed for their resettlement in this country.

The sad story of Reza Mohammadi

Translated: Amin Wahidi

It has been a year that Reza Mohammadi has arrived with his family to Norway where he asked asylum. He is a Hazara from Afghanistan. Reza Mohammadi's problems began to grow in 2002 when he was forced to flee his home in mountainous Bamyan for security problems and had to go in hiding for sometime in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.
Reza Mohammadi is one of those Hazaras who did not feel safety in his hometown and had to flee to Kabul. He was threatened in Kabul as well and then he had to flee to Herat in the west of the country. He and his family lived for sometime in Herat but soon the people who threatened them back in his hometown and Kabul, reached to Herat. After receiving death threats, Reza Mohammadi went to police and asked for help but the police was unable to help him out and he escaped to Iran with his family.
Coming to Iran, there was a greater problem in front of them; based on Iranian laws, they did not have the right to ask for refugee status in this country so they had to live in hiding as hundreds of thousands of other refugees there.
Reza Mohammadi and his family, as tens of thousands of other Afghani refugees had to flee Iran because of discriminative pressures by the Iranian Regime on them and went to Syria. They'd heard that in Syria the UNHCR office would help the refugees and asylum seekers.
The Syrian civil war began and they had to escape towards Europe and came to Norway.

The Norwegian immigration authorities have rejected the asylum request of Reza and his family; he is now waiting for the decision of the appeal court. Reza Mohammadi and his wife who's been witnessing the violence in Syria and have crossed all the deadliest borders to get to Norway, are suffering depression after receiving a rejection of their asylum requests.
Based on what they have seen at least in the last ten years of refuge and asylum seeking; now they believe there is land for the Hazaras on earth where they could live without fear of massacre, ethnic discrimination or persecution.

Who are the Hazaras and whey they have problems?

The Hazaras are one of the ancient ethnic groups of Afghanistan. Their language is Hazaragi and their faces are very similar to the eastern Asians. Their distinguishing features such as almond-shaped eyes have always been problematic for them and have caused systematic racial discriminations against them. On the other hand, the Hazaras have always been under persecutions because of their sectarian/religious believes for which they have been marginalized. Most of them are Shiite believers in a country where most of their population are Sunni believers.

In 1892, Amir Abdul Rahman Khan, then the King of Afghanistan issued Jihad Sanction against the Hazaras, because they believed in a different sect of Islam. Based on his decree, the killing of Hazaras was obligatory. Based on Minority Rights Group Organization's documents, on that time the Hazaras made 67 % population of Afghanistan.¹ based on King Abdul Rahman Khan, 62 % of the Hazara population was massacred in Afghanistan and their lands and properties were confiscated by the Afghan Government and were given to the Pashtuns. After the massacre, based on the decree of the king, the survivors of the mass massacre went into slavery and were deprived of their rights for study and work in government offices. On that time, only a small number of the Hazaras were survived. The Hazaras survived from the mass massacre were divided into two groups; a part of them fled Afghanistan and sought refuge in central Asia, Iran and western part of India (Pakistan now) and were settled down there. The Hazaras currently living in Quetta Pakistan or in Khorasan Province of Iran are the survivors of Abdul Rahman mass massacre.

Faiz Mohammad Kateb, the historian at Amir Abdul Rahman's court writes in his book, “among those fleeing the massacre, only ten out of hundred could survive and reach alive to the borders of neighboring countries, and other ninety were dead before arriving to the safe lands. We can hardly find such mass flee with such heavy casualties, in the history of migrations and displacements.

The other part of the Hazaras that remained in Afghanistan fled the cities and escaped to the mountains of the central highlands of Afghanistan that is known today as Hazarajat or Hazaristan.

After the end of Abdul Rahman Khan's sovereignty in Afghanistan, systematic discriminations continued on against the Hazaras in Afghanistan. Other kings, who came on power followed the path of Abdul Rahman Khan and deprived Hazaras from study and forced their lives into slavery and violence.

Only when the pro-communism government came on power in Afghanistan in the 1980s, the pressures on Hazaras reduced but again the situation changed against them after the fall of the pro-communism government. Then the Hazaras were under violence by different Mujahedin groups. In February 1993, about one thousand Hazaras were massacred in Afshar area of Kabul by Mujahedin groups ².

It is about three centuries that the Hazaras face violence, attacks and their land and properties are being looted by the Pashtuns and they are considered to be the second class citizens on their own homeland. The life of a Hazara in Afghanistan is always mixed with fatal nightmares about killings and violence. Therefore the Hazaras escape Afghanistan to escape violence and mass-massacre.
When the terrorist group of Taliban was ruling on Afghanistan, the Hazaras again faced with massacre and forced displacement. Mullah Omar the leader of Taliban issued a decree in 1996 that obliged the Taliban soldiers and commanders to massacre Hazaras, as a result of which thousands of human being were killed in Mazar e Sharif, Bamyan, Baghlan, Ghazni and other cities of Afghanistan, because they were Hazaras ³.

After the terrorist group of Taliban was thrown out from power in 2001 by the International Coalition forces lead by the USA, it was thought that the Hazaras' situation would also change but the systematic discrimination of the Afghan Government continued on against the Hazaras.

In this new era, though the Hazaras have participated actively in all democratic processes of the country such as elections, but none of the Hazara provinces were reconstructed, neither even a small percentage of multi-billion dollar reconstruction funds for Afghanistan was considered for the Hazara areas.

In the last twelve years, the quota of the Hazaras in the government development projects was only 2 % while their population makes 19-20 % of the whole population of Afghanistan. Instead the Afghan Government has always tried to create obstacles for development projects of International Organizations in the Hazara areas.

Now we can obviously see the result of discriminations against Hazaras after twelve years of presence of International forces in Afghanistan. In spite of spending more than 750 billion dollars for security and reconstruction of Afghanistan, in Hazara inhabited province of Bamyan, people live in the caves as a result of injustice.

Bamyan has not yet electricity power and in Daikundi you can not find even one meter square asphalted road. In addition to this, in Hazara provinces, there are not school buildings and students study under the tents or in open spaces while the Hazara provinces have been the most peaceful places during the last twelve years. On NATO operational maps, these provinces are considered as green or secure areas in security aspects. In spite of all this, the roads to Hazara provinces are always made unsecure and many Hazara passengers are killed by the Taliban. The Hazara provinces are surrounded by Pashtun provinces, and thus Taliban block the ways by the help of the local Pashtuns and shoot the Hazara passengers who pass by.

For these reasons, in spite of presence of thousands of international forces in Afghanistan, most of the Hazaras do not feel safe and had to flee their country to rescue their lives. The Hazaras are not involved in any of the wars in Afghanistan, but they are still being threatened and killed by the Taliban in different parts of Afghanistan.

Reasons for escaping Iran: pressures and racial discriminations and attacks

The refugees in Iran do not have right for work, neither they have health insurances, in addition time to time the Iranian police attack on their hiding places and arrest them, torture them and deport them back to Afghanistan.

After the fall of the Taliban regime and the presence of the international forces in Afghanistan the Iranian government has always used the Afghan refugee issue as a pressure against the Afghan government. The Iranian Government is against the presence of the international forces in Afghanistan and thus whenever the Afghan government and the international community begin talks on long term political and military cooperation and strategic treaties, the Iranian government arrest hundreds of Afghan refugees and after torturing them, deport them back to Afghanistan to challenge the newly established Afghan government that is supported by the west 4.

In the year 2012, when the Afghan government was negotiating with the United States on a long term security-strategic treaty, the Iranian government increased pressure on Afghan refugees in this country, and issued a decree based on which in many cities including Fars Province even the Iranian civilians could stop the Afghan refugees and check their documents.

After the issuance of such a discriminative and shameful decree, many nationalist Iranians attacked the refugees in different cities of Iran, killing some and injuring many of the Afghan refugees.

After that, the entrance of the Afghani refugees was prohibited into the public parks; in Esfahan city, the police stopped Afghani refugees who were entering Soffeh public Park in this city.

Reza Mohammadi in Syria

Because of all these pressures, Reza Mohammadi and his family had to leave Iran and went to Syria to refer to the UNHCR and ask asylum there to save their lives.

In the year 2006 Reza and his family entered Syria and asked asylum at UNHCR office. There they found thousands of Hazara asylum seekers from Afghanistan. All of these asylum seekers had filed their asylum request at UNHCR office and were waiting for the answer.

After a time, the UNHCR office accepted their requests and recognized them as refugees. The UNHCR office offered Reza Mohammadi and his family a resettlement to a third safe country. The embassy of the United States of America agreed for their resettlement in this country.

When a third safe country decides to give resettlement opportunity to the refugees, it takes three to six months until their process completes. Reza Mohammadi and his family were waiting for the completion of their resettlement process to the United States, when the Syrian civil war began and reached throughout the country. When the civil war reached to its hottest point, the UNHCR office was closed down and their personnel left the Syrian territory.

When the UNHCR office was closed in Syria, more than two thousand Hazara refugees were waiting to be resettled to a third safe country including Reza Mohammadi and his family.

These refugees were blocked in the middle of Syrian civil war fire and they could be massacred any time.

The Atlantic Magazine of Washington DC wrote in an article of May 21st 2013, that more than one thousand Hazara refugees in a parking, in Zainabia city 6. Being blocked in the middle of a sectarian war that was between the opposition Sunni groups and the Assad Shiite Regime, these Hazara refugees were witnessing bullets and rockets that exploded closer and closer to them. The Atlantic Magazine added that if these Hazara refugees would not be rescued by the International Organizations, they could possibly be massacred by extremist Sunni militant groups.

But unfortunately none of the International Organizations in Syria paid attention to these Hazara refugees. Based on the statistics, at least ten of these refugees are being killed in Zainabia and many were injured by the rockets exploded in their place. In spite of this, they were not able to flee the place and get to a safer place.

The Syrian civil war went on and the Hazara refugees were blocked in the middle of fire. At the end of August 2013 the areas such as (Arbain, Zomelka, Jomar and Ain Tarma) in the suburbs of Damascus were attacked by Chemical weapons 7.

These suburbs are about three to four kilometers distant from the place the Hazara refugees live. Reza Mohammadi was injured in one of these attacks; although these chemical attacks did not affect the Hazara refugees directly, but they had to escape away from Syria after the attacks.

Some of these refugees as Reza Mohammadi have secretly escaped away from Syria and moved to Turkey. In Turkey, the UNHCR office announced that they couldn't do anything for the refugees from Afghanistan, this way their files were closed.

Therefore, Reza Mohammadi and his family left Turkey for Europe. After many perils finally they reached to Norway where they asked asylum. But with all documents and proofs, he has provided the Norwegian Immigration Office have rejected their asylum request and they are now waiting for an appeal court in this regard.

It is not only Reza Mohammadi who's been rejected this way by the Norwegian Immigration Authority or (UDI), but most of the Hazara asylum seekers were rejected and deported back to Afghanistan, in spite death threats they've faced there.

Ali Nabi Zada, a twenty year old Hazara asylum seeker who lives in Norway since 2010. He is from Jaghori district of Ghazni province, one of the most insecure provinces in Afghanistan. Ali Nabi Zada has lived most of his life in exile in Iran and Pakistan. His father and uncle were members of an anti-Taliban party and have fought with Taliban. He and his family escaped from threats by Taliban and other warlords and went to Iran. Many years he has lived with difficulties in Iran and when the deportation of the refugees from Iran accelerated, his family sent him to Turkey. His father was deported to Afghanistan but none of his family has heard from him since.

Ali has registered his name in UNHCR in Turkey. He waited for one year to receive a response from the UNHCR office, but as thousand others, he had to wait for longer than that. He then decided to get on a life-boat and came to Greece. In Greece his finger-print was taken by Greek frontier police but he crossed borders and came to Sweden. When the Swedish authorities found his Greece finger prints, they wanted to deport him to Greece, from Sweden he then came to Norway. In Norway, after eight months, the immigration authorities have found his Swedish finger print and want to send him back to Sweden, but he fears that the Swedish government would deport him back to Greece.

The Norwegian immigration authorities say that, because Ali has said nothing about his finger prints in other countries, his overall asylum claim is baseless for them.

Sources:

1- Until the year 1893 the Hazaras made 67 % of the Population of Afghanistan
http://www.minorityrights.org/5440/afghanistan/hazaras.html

2- Hazaras' situation during the Taliban rule on Afghanistan
http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=2204122&fileOId=2204123

3- Prohibitions imposed by the Iranian authorities in 31 Iranian cities on Afghani refugees in Iran most of whom are Hazara
http://www.bartarinha.ir/fa/news/161985/%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%BA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%AF%DB%8C%DA%AF%D8%B1-%D8%AD%D9%82-%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%AF

4- Prohibition of selling food to Afghani refugees in Iran
http://www.dw.de/%D9%85%D9%85%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B9%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B4-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%BA%D8%B0%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%85%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%BA%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/a-16064711

5- Prohibition of Afghani refugees' entrance into Soffeh Park in Esfahan Iran

http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2012/04/120401_l10_iran_isfahan_afghans.shtml

6- Hazara refugees in Syria: we can not come out of this hell
http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/afghanistan/2013/08/130829_l09_afghan_refugees_in_syria
7- Murder of Hazaras by Taliban and other religious terrorist groups on the way to Hazara-inhabited provinces http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/officials-gunmen-kidnap-30-hazaras-in-southern-afghanistan/2015/02/24/b7ea0f82-bc01-11e4-9dfb-03366e719af8_story.html

Deportation of A Disabled Hazara Asylum Seeker From Norway To Afghanistan

Basir Ahang — 2014-10-28T00:04:51Z

On October 25, 2014, the Norvegian government deported Gholam Nabi, a Hazara asylum seeker who came from Ghazni province, a province in the south of Afghanistan. According to afghanistan independent Human Rights Commission, in November 1998 the Taliban killed dozens of Hazaras in Ghazni province, and four of the victims were Gholam Nabi's close relatives. Yesterday, Nabi on his wheelchair was brought at the Gardermoen airport, Oslo.

In February 2008, Nabi arrived in Norway when he was17 years-old. His only desire was to have a normal life, away from violence and not being killed. He applied for refugee status. A few months later, while he was leaving a cafe in the center of Oslo with some friends, he was hit by a car in the crosswalk. The news was published in many newspapers in Oslo, and some of the cafe customers even have photographed the incident.

After the accident, Nabi was in coma for two days. When he woke up from coma, the doctor told him that some vertebrae of the spine were broken, and if he had not had a surgery, he might not be able to move.

While in the hospital, Nabi received the denial of international protection from UDI (the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration). According to the UDI, Nabi would not have any problem in Afghanistan. After UDI rejected Nabi, the hospital rejected more treatment. Then Nabi called the police to find the person who hit him.

At the police station, he was told that because his request for protection was rejected, he would not have been able to file any complain. The police told him to go to Afghanistan, hire a lawyer, and file a complaint from there.

I met Gholam Nabi in April during my trip to Norway. When I heard his story, I was very impressed and disappointed. I copied some of his documents and listened to his painful stories.

Nabi still takes six types of medications to not feel the pain. Nabi told me that he had knocked on everyone's door to get help, but no one has helped him. Without taking Nabi's site, his lawyer also told him that perhaps his spine was broken even before he arrived in Norway.

Symbolically, Norway is presented as the home of human rights; now, we know this is not true. In 2013 five Hazara asylum seekers have been deported from Norway to Afghanistan. When they arrived in Ghazni province, they have been killed by the Taliban.

This case has been reported by the France Press journalist, Rahmatullah Alizadah. This is just one example; up to now, several refugees who deported from Norway and Australia have been killed by the Taliban.

With the help of the journalist Kamran Mir Hazar, Kawa Gharji and Irene Peroni we tried everything to help Nabi. We called lawyers, human rights activists, and Norwegian organizations, but nobody answered our calls.

Many airlines companies refuse to take deported asylum seekers but not Turkish Airlines. We need a boycott action toward this company.

World Refugee Day: For the Right to Life

Basir Ahang — 2014-06-20T15:56:00Z

By Basir Ahang
Translated by Alessandra Montesanto “For Human Rights - Milan Italy”
On the occasion of the World Refugee Day
The World Refugee Day is celebrated worldwide on June 20th. Held for the first time in 2001, by the United Nations, on occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Geneva Convention, this day celebrates the million people who are forced to leave their countries, every year, because of wars or persecutions.

Today there are more than 36 million refugees in the world, and this number seems tragically destined to rise. On the occasion of the World Refugee Day, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) selects a common theme to coordinate the celebratory events throughout the world. This year, a theme that many refugees would like to propose to UNHCR, is that of asylum seekers from Afghanistan, who have been blocked in Turkey for years, and of the tragedies that affect these people when they try to reach Greece.

In Turkey, this year, on 12th April, the refugees from Afghanistan started a peaceful demonstration and a hunger strike in front of the UNHCR office in Ankara, to protest against the lack of verification of their applications for international protection and the resulting situation of precariousness and uncertainty in which they were forced to live. The event was carried out mainly by women, many of them with their mouths sewn in protest.

In Turkey, without any document, refugees cannot work, children cannot study and their most basic rights are not even taken into consideration. The registration of refugees is vital, also because it allows them to resettle in a Third Country.

From 1st December 2012, the UNHCR has interrupted the registration of refugees from Afghanistan, as it is written in the notice on the door of their office in Ankara. When questioned on the matter by some journalists, UNCHR did not provide any explanation of the new policies adopted by them

Translation of the announcement: "The High Commissioner of the United Nations has suspended the registration for the verification of refugee status and resettlement in third countries of refugees from Afghanistan. The measure has been renewed since May 6, 2013”.

Turkey has always been the corridor for access to Europe. Since 2010, Frontex (European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union) has been attempting to close the access to the border between Greece and Turkey, but this has not prevented the applicants to keep on risking their lives to escape from war and persecution. In Greece, the refugees suffer all kinds of harassment and violence by the Greek police. In particular, a case has tragically gone up to the news.

Last January, a group of refugees trying to reach the Greek coasts was violently rejected by the Greek coast guard. During the rejection the boat capsized and many women and children on board fell into the water. Those of them who were drowning, desperately tried to cling to the boat of the coast guards, but they were thrown again into the sea by the men on board, who also prevented refugees to save their relatives and friends threatening them with guns.

Finally, nine children and three women died, killed by the Greek coast guard.
One of the protagonists of the following video had once been able to reach Norway, country from which he had been repatriated to Afghanistan. Once in Afghanistan, he had tried to escape again, with his family, hoping of saving his life.

This situation affects not only the refugees from Afghanistan, but also the ones escaping from the several wars that afflict our world today.

Our hope is that, one day, to have a world day to remember dead people and living ones who are not allowed to live, won't be necessary any more.

To the Colombian people who have been suffering for more than half a century

Basir Ahang — 2014-04-18T15:38:10Z

'Bogotá

Bogotá!
Live long your rainbow,
And your wiggling pearl, “Providencia”.
You, the golden, red and blue land
“La Sonora Dinamita” would always be ongoing
With Cumbia dance,
And with the intertwined sound of steely chains,
That brought to the slaves;
The message of freedom.

Smile!
Now is the time to stand again,
It has been half of century,
That beyond these dark clouds,
A bluish sky has been breathing recklessly.
It has been half a century,
That the paradise, “Providencia”
Has been waiting your glitter;
So that you would break the defective cycle,
And bring hope to its green coast,
Gabo would no more write of the “years of cholera”,
And your children of tomorrow,
Would take each other's hands
To dance Cumbia e Vallenato.

Stand up!
Bolivar is waiting for “Totó la Momposina”,
To begin murmuring a song,
Regardless of bitterness of tobacco taste.
.................................
Basir Ahang November 2013 Venice Italy
.................................
Gabo = Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Why Hazaras are always being targeted?!!

Basir Ahang — 2014-02-26T22:53:49Z

More than 50 Hazaras have been killed and injured on Tuesday, February 25th in a suicide attack that took place in a hotel in Trinkot town of Urozgan province.

All the victims and the injured survivors are said to be belonging to the Hazara ethnic group. They were in the hotel for an overnight rest before continuing their trip home. No group has so far claimed responsibility for this attack, but the “ethnic group” of victims and previous evidences of the similar attacks, suggest that this is the umpteenth attack organized by terrorists Taliban.

The Hazaras have many times being targeted brutally by the Taliban during their rule on Afghanistan and in the recent years.

View Larger Map
The lately Karzai regime's vicinity and sympathy with the Taliban that has resulted the release of senior Taliban commander's from jails without any trials, has caused the incredibly increase of the number of suicide attacks of the Taliban on civilians such as Hazaras and the Afghan military forces.

People believe, underestimating Taliban's reinforcement, once again puts the country in peril as in the late 1990s and as a result, the suffering ethnic groups such as the Hazara and Uzbek are being targeted more and more.

Since Karzai's suspicious talks with the Taliban have begun, the analysts say that, the people's hope for a better and stable future is decreased to its least.

Hazara Genocide by Sunni Terrorists

Basir Ahang — 2012-06-22T20:03:44Z

"Dear United Nations and the World,
Please hear the plea of Hazara in Pakistan and Afghanistan for recognition of blatant genocide and the violation of our human rights by Sunni terrorism.
We are in desperate need of your immediate help.
Sincerely,

The Hazara People"

On December 9, 1948, the "Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide" was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Article 2 of the Convention defines genocide as "...any of the following acts committed, with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group; such as, a) killing members of the group, b) causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, c) deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction, in whole or in part, d) imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group, e) forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."

The above letter to the UN must be delivered in haste as the Pakistani and Afghani government leaders continue to ignore the repeated pleas of Hazara to protect them. Government leaders not only refuse to locate those responsible for murdering over a thousand innocent Hazara, they have proven to everyone that they willingly offer such blind impunity to grant these terrorists a silent consent in perpetrating such heartless crimes. The Hazara people are the victims of targeted abuse and murder brought on in daily doses by terrorist groups affiliated with Al-Quaeda and financed by the wealthy unknowns in Sunni Saudi Arabia.

Hazara victims and their families have pleaded in vain for justice in the crimes committed against them. In what should be labeled as outright genocide, over a thousand Hazara in Pakistan and Afghanistan have been innocently murdered in these past few years. Even more have been abused, both physically and mentally. Those responsible for the Hazara genocide in Pakistan are the same people that for years have been perpetrating the genocide in Afghanistan.

The terrorists' state their purpose is "the suppression of an ethnicity defined by them as "infidel", not only because of their Shi'a faith but calling them "foreigner" because of the somatic traits that characterize all Hazara.

The goals of this terrorist group have been stated by the terrorists themselves in their announcements, such as the one released by the group "Laskar-e-Jhangavi" in which they assert: “Just like our fighters have undertaken with success the jihad against the Shiite Hazara in Pakistan, the way of our mission is the destruction of these impure people, all Shiites and all Shiite Hazara; in every city, every village, every corner of Pakistan. We (Laskar-e-Jhangavi) will turn Pakistan into their grave, Their homes will be destroyed by bombs and by kamikazes.”

There can be no clearer declaration to commit genocide on the Hazara as this assertion.

In Pakistan, those who are to be blamed for these barbaric killings and attacks are mainly the members of "Lashkar-e-Jhangavi". They are considered a terrorist organization by the United States, and supposedly denounced by Pakistan, although Pakistani leaders have yet to hunt down or prosecute these criminals for the murders of innocent Hazara. To many citizens that are living in Pakistan, it appears their government offers "Lashkar-e-Jhangavi" some sort of secretive support through the ISI, the Pakistani Intelligence Agency. However, we must remember that the terrorist organization in Pakistan and Afghanistan are inextricably connected to one another, such as the Talibans who operate in both countries.

Consider the above declaration by this terrorist Sunni group and the number of innocent Hazara they have murdered. These atrocious crimes, committed in silence and indifference, must be noted by someone in the United Nations, Amnesty International and other Human Rights groups. The Hazara cry out for you to send them any sort of reasonable assistance so they can be assured of protection.
If no one hears the Hazara cry and delivers help, the ethnic Hazara people will be gone forever and you my friends will be next on the list of "infidels" to be destroyed.

Photo of Pashtun Kuchi attach on Hazaras in Behsood/ June/ 2012

Bamiyan Citizens March with Light and Hope to Protest against Karzai's Neglect

Basir Ahang — 2012-04-15T00:38:02Z

Translated by: Zafar Shayan

Table of contents
The Continual Pain of Bamiyani Region
History of Civic Movements in Bamiyan
Serious Life-threatening Problems
On Wednesday in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan witnessed a demonstration of brilliance by Bamiyan citizens. Hundreds marched together over the 157 kilometers from Bamiyan to Kabul in a unified outcry against injustice and discrimination in their Province. With a unique sign of visionary hope, Bamiyan citizens carried lit kerosene lamps as a sign to President Obama, the United States and the United Nations.

“The United Nations and United States have lost their way in Afghanistan”, are the cries from Bamiyan civic movement leaders and activists. “This is why we march together with our kerosene lamps burning brightly! To bring a message to the world. Please wake up and see the light because our people are in serious trouble!”
These Bamiyan citizens bring their message of light and call for help to the US and the UN as there is still much work to be done to corrupt rule in Afghanistan.

From right to left: Martyr Jawad Zuhak and Hazara photographer Najibullah Mosafir

Two years have passed since Bamiyan civic activists started their first peaceful protests in the city. The reasons for their protests were discrimination, injustice and neglect of their Province by the Afghanistan government. Discrimination and injustice continues to exist. In the beginning, the protest was led by Jawad Zuhak, the head of Bamiyan Provincial Council.

Bamiyan citizens started their civil protest across from the Parliament's building. They expected the Parliament and Sena members to join them as representatives of the people and demand the government to stop the discrimination, injustice and neglect against Bamiyan people.
Some representatives of Parliament said they appreciated such civil movement and declared, “We hope to be witnesses of such protests in different parts of Afghanistan.” Parliament representatives emphasized they have had no intention of hurting or disrespect to problems of Bamiyan people.

Bamiyan citizens asked the representatives of Parliament to give the kerosene lamps to the US Embassy so they will understand that there is no electricity yet in Bamiyan. “We want the United Nations and US to know that of millions of dollars given to help Afghanistan, nothing has been done to help the suffering of the Bamiyan people! We need electricity and clean water to operate schools, a medical clinic and homes!” The civic leaders and citizens have been ignored long enough. Their message must reach out to those willing to help.
As a part of this protest, a commanding resolution has been requested to begin parallel development. There is hope that the law will eliminate all discrimination and injustice, and include participation of all Afghan community leaders. Also included is a request to restrain distrust between government and people. It is imperative the government of Afghanistan clearly state all of its policies and plans before foreign forces have exited the country.

The Continual Pain of Bamiyani Region

Bamiyan is located in central part of Afghanistan. It is a cultural capital as well. During the height of Afghanistan's growth, prominent, wealthy cultures and peace loving religions thrived together in this region. But because this province has been the home of Hazara people, an ominous cloud of hatred and mistreatment has come to the countryside. The timeline of history now shows a harsh road of oppression by tribal oriented governors leaving the Hazara people deprived and enslaved without room for improvement.
It does not seem such a long time ago that within the pulsating heart of Bamiyan existed the glorious tall statues of Buddha. They were the most beautiful and magnificent statues which held so much cultural and historical symbolism for Bamiyan citizens and the Hazara People. These statues stood tall with so much spiritual meaning and they embraced the people through time with the truths from teachings of their beloved Buddha. Sadly, men of the Taliban destroyed this sacred place during their occupation of Bamiyan's "Sun shining region". The Taliban barbarically massacred thousands of men, women and children in the region and destroyed their homes just for being Hazaras.
Eleven years after the downfall of the brutal Taliban regime and the rising of new government in Afghanistan, there has been no change in the oppression of the Bamiyan region. Many families are still without a stable roof over their heads. Remaining pieces of the destroyed statues of Buddha are lovingly relished as hundreds of families live in the most difficult of situations. They live inside of dark caves like prehistoric clans. These caves were originally fashioned by ancestors for the purpose of solitude and prayer. Now they sustain them not only their prayers but in their entire way of life. Imagine life in a cave in the midst of a brutal winter. While Karzai and his parliament rest in warm homes, hundreds must resort to sleeping in caves as shelter.
When the Bamiyan citizens arrive in Kabul with their kerosene lamps, they peacefully urge that the discrimination and systematic oppression by the government be stopped immediately. These neglected citizens know that they are most loyal and humble citizens of Afghanistan. When your country is in danger of foreign occupation or unknown rules, the Bamiyans are the primary Afghan patriots defending the independence of their country.

Upon arrival to Kabul, there was yet again the repeat of conflict between Parliament and the Financial Ministry of Karzai's government regarding the Developmental Budget of 1391/2012. As in past years, this budget has ignored central and northern Provinces while allocating funds for development and construction to the Pashton Provinces. This partiality toward specific provinces by Karzai's government is criticized by many well-known personalities and Afghan community leaders. Parliament has indeed rejected Karzai's plan for a second time, but his cronies will continue to pressure Parliament, or worse pay them with aid money, to vote for his highly discriminatory plan.

In this current shaky situation, the Bamiyan people know it is of vital importance to maintain the given "achievements of ten years" post-Taliban. They know that the only way to maintain these achievements and move toward a stable and developing Afghanistan is demanding elimination of discrimination, injustice and oppression.
Despite their determination to be model citizens, Bamiyan civic leaders know that peaceful movements and protests may create a spark of danger to peaceful negotiations with Parliament. The Afghanistan government is dancing to its own happy tune while the people of Bamiyan have been struggling to find one good string for their aging rubab. While their sincerest hopes are to open the blind eyes and deaf ears of neglectful Kabul governors, there is an ever present fear that a Bamiyan citizen who is suffering, or has lost a loved one due to Karzai's neglect, will secretly plan an attack which harms innocent people.

History of Civic Movements in Bamiyan

Through this history of hell in Afghanistan, the Taliban were consumed with murder, suicide attacks, treason and narcotics, while the survival of its good people was based on a strategy of hard work and hopes for a return to freedom. Instead of picking up guns and retaliative methods of attack, the Bamiyan people used their pens and symbolic protests. A true sign of wisdom amidst the thunder of arguing voices seeking power.

Jawad Zuhak, Bamiyan's leading civic activist, was murdered for writing against those suffering from neglect from Karzai's government. Karzai has focused on the areas of his choosing instead of an equitable rebuilding plan. In a symbolic protest, Zuhak's mobilized his people to pave the road with mud. After the protest, they presented letters of appreciation to the donkeys used for the purpose of holding water for the people. Bamiyan citizens humbly joked that these donkeys have helped the people more than any government official.

When the electricity was turned off to the region, another civic protest was prepared. The protesters hung a large kerosene lamp in the "Martyred Mazari's" Field and sent another kerosene lamp as a gift to Esmaeil Khan, Karzai's minister of Ministry of Water and Energy.

Serious Life-threatening Problems

Bamiyan citizens are suffering from many problems. Poor roads, lack of medical health and emergency service centers, no electricity, poverty, unemployment and vagrancy. All of these have made a painful situation in this province. In winters, the snowy roads through the mountains to the city are closed for travel shutting off what little flow of supplies from compassionate countrymen to care for the people of the region. With severe drops of the temperature to below zero degrees, something as simple as a cold can cause death for the Bamiyan people.

In education aspect, many schools do not have buildings and the students are obliged to come under a blazing summer sun for study to achieve their intended future. They study to change tomorrow's situation, give hand their patriots, but because of the difference of their physical faces from others, even they are deprived of public stationeries.

The most painful thing is the absence of a proper house in which to live. Hundreds of families are still living inside caves. Most of them are those whom their houses were destroyed during the murdering forces of Taliban occupation. Life of cavemen is painful for every human being. The majority of the children born in a cave die. Physical and mental problems are increasing without proper medical assistance. In the winter, because the cold weather forces them inside the caves away from the biting cold and winds, all of them cook their food by collier and wood inside the caves. There is no way for proper exhaust and air exchange. This causes most of the cave dwellers to be stricken with sicknesses.

If you are reading this, please take note to the outcry from the good Bamiyan people. The citizens of Bamiyan region are suffering while the United Nations contributes millions of dollars to Afghanistan. A decade has passed and this money has been poorly allocated and misused. Karzai's government continues to distribute hundreds of thousands to his own secret people for his own agenda. This is Aid money that is supposed to be used for rebuilding the country of Afghanistan.

How can the Bamiyan people hope for a better tomorrow in a country with such corruption and discrimination? It is a violation to all that is good and true to allow a Bamiyani who loves his country go to his death because of cold weather and hunger when a so called president of his country gives his priority to releasing and providing for Pakistani suicide attackers. Karzai pays who will join his self-righteous cause and they begin assassinating innocent Afghan people.

If the United States, the United Nations and other good people of the world do not see the light from the kerosene lamps of the Bamiyan people, there is no doubt the peaceful movements of the suffering will heighten into conflict. It will only take a few children to die because of government neglect before the Afghan people unite to overturn a government that has turned its back on its people.

Sahar Gul's Story, A Clear Image of Women's Life in Afghanistan

Basir Ahang — 2012-01-09T20:27:20Z

On December 27th, 2011, 15 year old Sahar Gul was discovered imprisoned in her in-law's musty, dark cellar by the Baghlan Province Police. Seven months earlier, while living in Badakhshan Province, Sahar had been forced into marriage. The police report stated the young girl had been imprisoned, tortured and violently beaten by the husband and his family because she refused to work and earn money as a prostitute.

Sahar was in critical condition when she arrived to a hospital in Polikhomri. The doctors reported she had multiple injuries from the abuse, including a broken shoulder and head trauma. Her torture included someone pulling her fingernails out.

After stabilization, Sahar was transferred to a hospital in Kabul. Soraya Dalil, Supervisor of the Ministry of Health, told journalists that Sahar Gul's physical condition should improve in several months, but the consequences of negative psychological shocks may remain throughout her lifetime.

Sahar Gul's story is only one of the thousands of stories of torture and cruel abuse currently experienced daily by Afghanistan women. Whether defamation or traditional conservativeness, most of these women's stories will continue to remain untold. Seeking justice for their suffering would only expose them; leaving minimal chances for survival after retaliation from the abuser.

What happened to fifteen year old Sahar Gul, her forced marriage, torture and abuse, is a clear example of violation of women's rights in Afghanistan. Despite the president of the country visiting Sahar in the hospital and ordering the abusive family to be prosecuted, these cases have appeared thousands of times before only to find the violators have gone unpunished.

This violence against Sahar Gul has been vastly reported by media and human rights activists. Once again, the concern for women's rights in Afghanistan is being voiced louder than ever. When will violators be prosecuted and imprisoned as punishment for their crimes against women?

Last month, the office of UNAMA (United Nations Assisted Mission in Afghanistan) in Kabul criticized the Afghan government for limited application of the "Elimination of Violence Against Women Law“. Based on a UNAMA report, of the 2,299 reported cases of violence against women recorded between March 2010 and June 2011, only 26 cases were processed. Also in this report, only 7% of violators were condemned to punishment by the Afghan courts.

Enacted in 2009, this "Elimination of Violence Against Women Law" forbids more than twenty types of violence against women, including underage marriages, forced marriages, forced suicide and forbids any exchange of a female to resolve a dispute. Rape and physical attacks on women are also considered crimes for sentencing.

Afghanistan Human Rights Commission states there were 1,026 reported cases of violence against women in the first six months of 2011. In most cases, the women are very afraid to file a complaint, stating there is a considerable chance they will be punished severely for doing so. Another 2011 report by OXFOM, shows 87% of Afghanistan women have experienced physical violence including physical and sexual harassment or forced marriage.

Though incredulous, it is well known that women's rights violators are not held accountable for their crimes. Based on research by human rights organizations, 39% of people accused of rape and violence against women are supported by locally influential and powerful people. Sadly, they appear to be immune from punishment.
The weakness of judicial system in Afghanistan has led the people to follow traditions and traditional laws, which are all very anti-women oriented.

Alternative solutions for rape punishment, which is prevalent among the tribal Afghan Society are; marriage of the victim with the violator, payment of an amount of money to the victim's family, accusation of the victim to adultery or killing the victim to clear the defamation of the family. Those carrying out Afghan tribal law do not feel they are subject to wait for decisions by an overwhelmed or corrupt court system.

There are many women who feel their only option remaining to escape the violence is to commit suicide, while many women still hope for a better future through education. Some runaway from abusive homes and secretly find friends to help them.

Based on a 2011 report by women's rights organizations, the suicide option has significantly increased among Afghanistani women.
“There were 150 cases of women's attempted suicide since spring this year. 45 women succeeded in ending their lives and the rest are still being treated. We are very concerned about the increase in Afghanistani women attempting and carrying out suicide.”, said Aziza Khair Andesh who is responsible for Civil Society Network in Herat province.

Ms. Khair Andesh believes that the lack of punishment against people who force women to commit suicide has increased the number of additional women attempting suicide. She adds; “Thirty persons accused of causing their woman to commit suicide are not yet arrested.”

Ms. Andesh believes there are a variety of different factors behind the women's suicides. Chronic family violence, poverty, unemployment, mental illness and illiteracy. She feels it is critical that the government and women's rights organizations do more to prevent this disastrous phenomenon. The health and well being of all women is important for the future of Afghanistan.

There is often harassment for Afghanistani women wanting to take part in a social life outside their home. A female Kabul University student, spoke out stating how she was threatened to death by Sharia faculty students while attending university.

“The wind blew my scarf off my head. As I was putting it back on, a group of male students were shaking their fists and shouting at me…“This is an Islamic Country, and you should keep your Hejab otherwise we will kill you by our own hands!"

Women face threats, being chased or harassed just by walking on the road to their home.

The female student said she made complaints to the university police against the male students who'd threatened her, but the police stated she was wrong to let her scarf fly off.

“Afghanistani women are teased whether at work, walking on the roads and even during university lessons. One day I was late for my class and I took a taxi to get there, but the male taxi driver turned on a side road and tried to touch me. I fought my away from him and out of the taxi. I shouted for help, but no one came.”
She says that life is hard for her in Kabul and she never dares to walk freely on the streets alone.

“Unfortunately, the governmental entities and judicial branches in most cases take women's freedom from them. In Afghanistan, when a women is being violated and sexually harassed, if she goes to any government entity to make a complaint, she faces aggression and is considered to be guilty. She is imprisoned automatically.”

The female university student points to the case of Gulnaz, a girl who was raped by a relative. When she reported to the oplice, she was then sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment. She feels there are hundreds of such cases hidden and unheard.

Gulnaz, who was raped by her cousin's husband and became pregnant, was arrested by the police when she applied to them to make a complaint. She was sentenced to twelve years of imprisonment, but after three years
of imprisonment she was released only on condition she would marry the violator. More than five thousand people signed a petition for Gulnazs' release.

After the fall of the Taliban, Afghanistani women have been struggling to take part in different areas of social life. Some of the women were told by their families that they did not have permission to leave home and pursue outside activities, but they remained hopeful for achievements and attempted to show their families they could succeed in a job or university lessons.

Ten years have passed since the Taliban era and women indeed have found glimmers of hope for change. They know there are risks and every day many of them face fears of violence and forced marriage. It is unfortunate so many Afghanistani men think pro-masculine traditions of imprisoning women and making decisions for them will make life better in Afghanistan.

During 2011, many women have been stoned or gun-fired by rouge Taliban or other armed groups. The last case on November 10th, 2011, a women and her daughter were considered prostitutes and were shot dead by Taliban after being sentenced to death by their leaders in Ghazni Province.

Last year as well, the Taliban in Badghis Province in North West of Afghanistan, flagellated and fatally shot a 48 year old woman after allegations of an illegal sexual relationship with a man. In Imam Saheb district of Kunduz province, the Taliban stoned another young couple for alleged adultery.

These are only a few of the tragic stories experienced by Afghanistani women. Until the Afghan Judicial system realizes the subjugated violence imposed by traditional Sharia law, there will never be true freedom, or justice, for the Afghanistani people.

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