In contrast to Taliban leaders claiming a new era of amnesty and peace, a statue of Shiite militia leader Abdul Ali Mazari was vandalised and blown up by the militants in Bamiyan which is the unofficial capital of the Hazara ethnic group.
Previously in 1995, the Taliban had executed Mazari who is known as the champion of Hazaras.
Here’s everything you need to know about what led to the Taliban do this:
Who are the Hazaras?
The Hazaras are one of Afghanistan’s ethnic and religious minority groups, who are found in Hazarajat. They account for 10-12 per cent of the country’s population.
At one point in time, the Hazaras accounted for 67 per cent of Afghanistan’s total population. But due to violence, oppression and targeted massacres, their numbers have reduced.
Why are they targeted by the Taliban?
The Hazaras are primarily Shia Muslims and hence the Taliban have been targeting them. The people of Afghanistan follow the Sunni branch of Islam. They also use a Persian dialect called Hazaragi, which is not used in the rest of the country.
During the 1990 civil war of Afghanistan, thousands of people belonging to the Hazaras community were massacred. Even after the US ended the Taliban's rule in 2001, the violence against the Harazas people continued by both Taliban fighters and ISIS militants.
What did the Taliban say recently about the rights of ethnic minorities?
After taking control over Afghanistan on August 15, the Taliban has been making efforts to assure that they have changed for the better. They have also claimed that they have become peaceful and have assured the women of Afghanistan their rights will remain with them.
Recently in an interview with the US’ NPR, the Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said, “Now we have a policy that we do not have any kind of discrimination against the Shia people. They are Afghans. They can live in this country peacefully and they can contribute to the reconstruction, prosperity and development of the country.”
However, the Taliban have been sceptical as thousands of people are fleeing the country and at the same time many are coming on the road to protest against them.
(With agency inputs)