US: Religious freedom conditions deteriorate under Taliban rule

KABUL (Khaama Press): Since the Taliban assumed control of Afghanistan, the situation for religious freedom in the country has deteriorated dramatically, according to the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken.
On Thursday, June 2, the department submitted its annual report on international religious freedom to the US Congress, stating that religious freedom has been violated in China, Russia, Myanmar, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and other countries.
“In Afghanistan, conditions for religious freedom have deteriorated dramatically under the Taliban, particularly as they crack down on the basic rights of women and girls to get an education, to work, to engage in society, often under the banner of religion. Meanwhile, ISIS-K is conducting increasingly violent attacks against religious minorities, particularly Shia Hazaras,” stated Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Secretary Blinken, along with the Taliban in Afghanistan, described Iran, Myanmar and China as gross violators of religious freedom. China is listed as one of the most frequent violators of constitutional rights and one of the worst violators of religious freedom in 2021, according to report.
These concerns come at a time when the Khorasan branch of ISIL has recently attacked mosques, schools, and public places of Shiites and Hazaras, murdering dozens of civilians, following the Taliban’s authority in Afghanistan.
What the Afghan Hazaras term genocide, yet they may not be the only ones in the country facing such threats.
Hundreds of civilians have been killed in recent attacks on two Sufi monasteries and Pol-e-Kheshti mosque in the provinces of Kabul and Kunduz.
In the report, Anthony Blinken also mentioned Pakistan, India’s longtime adversary, noting that at least 16 people convicted of blasphemy were sentenced to death by Pakistani courts in 2021, albeit none of the punishments have yet been carried out.