Asfandyar Bhittani
Think Tank Analyst
- Jan 2, 2017
- 366
- 580
- Country of Origin
- Country of Residence
In the nearly three years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan, ethnic and linguistic biases have grown, disrupting efforts to foster unity among the country’s language speakers and expanding the scope of linguistic prejudices. Despite the Taliban’s outward condemnation of linguistic discrimination, they covertly support such biases. Taliban’s backing of linguistic prejudices has reached a point where, alongside language speakers, some religious scholars directly issue jihad decrees against the Taliban’s ethnic and linguistic discriminations, urging people to resist injustice.
According to reports, armed Kuchis have recently invaded parts of Hazara-populated areas in Ghazni and Maidan Wardak provinces over the past month, causing distress and harassment with Taliban support. Residents of these areas report that besides destroying crops, Kuchis have fired shots and beaten people, even claiming ownership of personal lands in one instance.
Residents of Nawur and Malistan districts in Ghazni province, and Behsud district in Maidan Wardak, speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, state that following armed Kuchis’ assaults on their districts, people’s farms have deliberately been damaged and destroyed.
Residents from areas complaining of Kuchi harassment say they have approached local Taliban authorities in these districts to pursue these cases. Still, due to linguistic biases, the authorities support Kuchis and refuse to relocate them from residential areas.
One resident of Nawur district, Ghazni, speaking on condition of anonymity to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, said, “Kuchis deliberately come near our homes, trample over people’s crops, and if we complain, Taliban, as Kuchis are Pashto speakers, support them and ignore people’s complaints.”
This comes as the Taliban announced last year the establishment of a commission to address the issue of Kuchis and indigenous residents. Persian-speaking settled residents, however, accuse the commission members of linguistic bias, preferring not to resolve their issues through this commission.
Under Taliban rule, ethnic and linguistic biases are not only evident in Hazara-populated areas but also in Tajik-inhabited regions of Afghanistan. Residents of Panjshir province have lodged complaints about the intimidating behavior of armed Taliban fighters. They claim that Pashto-speaking militants cause psychological distress and disregard their local customs.
Matin Mubbashir, a Panjshir resident, recounted on his Facebook page a verbal altercation with a Pashto-speaking Helmand youth: “I was seated at a shop when several young men disembarked from a pickup truck and looked around. It was clear they intended to enter our village for leisure. I approached them and asked politely, ‘Is everything alright, brothers?’ They glanced at me but ignored me.”
Mubbashir further added, “I repeated my question. Armed with a rifle, one of them spoke in Pashto: ‘What is happening?’ I replied, ‘Brother, this is not a tourist spot; it’s a village. Moreover, the path you intend to sit on is a public road used by villagers, including women, children, and the elderly. Families commute from here. It’s better to find another place where you won’t disturb people and their businesses.’ He arrogantly replied in Pashto, ‘We’ll stay here and have our leisure.’ I politely reminded him, ‘Brother, Panjshir is part of Afghanistan. You can come here for leisure, but it’s conditional on not disturbing the residents. Besides, as a resident of Panjshir, I have the right to visit Helmand…’ Before I could continue, he interrupted, ‘No, we won’t allow you to come to Helmand. It’s not your place.'”
Panjshir residents recall that in past years, especially during the Republic era, visitors from various provinces came to the province for leisure but did not have the unrestricted authority, forcefulness, or environmental destruction that current Taliban-affiliated individuals exhibit. They allege that these individuals show no regard for the demands, culture, and traditions of indigenous residents, causing psychological distress and harassment.
Furthermore, local Taliban officials have mandated that Panjshir residents obtain permission from their local offices before heading to the province’s valleys and mountains for activities such as herding cattle. Those wishing to hike the heights of Panjshir are required to first obtain a day permit from local Taliban authorities, a policy prompting some religious scholars to declare jihad against the Taliban’s discriminatory actions and urge people to resist them.
In a recent development, Fazl Karim Saraji, former head of Afghanistan’s Mosque Unity Affairs, issued a jihad decree against the Taliban’s ethnic and linguistic discrimination during a gathering in Mashhad, Iran. Using Quranic verses and Hadiths, he calls on people subjected to injustice and oppression to stand up against the Taliban’s tyranny. He states, “It is permissible for those who have been wronged to go out, fight, and oppose their enemy to reclaim their rights. What greater injustice is there than not owning your father’s land, not having the right to build on your land, and needing a permit from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. just to travel from your paternal home to your paternal mountain?”
According to reports, armed Kuchis have recently invaded parts of Hazara-populated areas in Ghazni and Maidan Wardak provinces over the past month, causing distress and harassment with Taliban support. Residents of these areas report that besides destroying crops, Kuchis have fired shots and beaten people, even claiming ownership of personal lands in one instance.
Residents of Nawur and Malistan districts in Ghazni province, and Behsud district in Maidan Wardak, speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, state that following armed Kuchis’ assaults on their districts, people’s farms have deliberately been damaged and destroyed.
Residents from areas complaining of Kuchi harassment say they have approached local Taliban authorities in these districts to pursue these cases. Still, due to linguistic biases, the authorities support Kuchis and refuse to relocate them from residential areas.
One resident of Nawur district, Ghazni, speaking on condition of anonymity to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, said, “Kuchis deliberately come near our homes, trample over people’s crops, and if we complain, Taliban, as Kuchis are Pashto speakers, support them and ignore people’s complaints.”
This comes as the Taliban announced last year the establishment of a commission to address the issue of Kuchis and indigenous residents. Persian-speaking settled residents, however, accuse the commission members of linguistic bias, preferring not to resolve their issues through this commission.
Under Taliban rule, ethnic and linguistic biases are not only evident in Hazara-populated areas but also in Tajik-inhabited regions of Afghanistan. Residents of Panjshir province have lodged complaints about the intimidating behavior of armed Taliban fighters. They claim that Pashto-speaking militants cause psychological distress and disregard their local customs.
Matin Mubbashir, a Panjshir resident, recounted on his Facebook page a verbal altercation with a Pashto-speaking Helmand youth: “I was seated at a shop when several young men disembarked from a pickup truck and looked around. It was clear they intended to enter our village for leisure. I approached them and asked politely, ‘Is everything alright, brothers?’ They glanced at me but ignored me.”
Mubbashir further added, “I repeated my question. Armed with a rifle, one of them spoke in Pashto: ‘What is happening?’ I replied, ‘Brother, this is not a tourist spot; it’s a village. Moreover, the path you intend to sit on is a public road used by villagers, including women, children, and the elderly. Families commute from here. It’s better to find another place where you won’t disturb people and their businesses.’ He arrogantly replied in Pashto, ‘We’ll stay here and have our leisure.’ I politely reminded him, ‘Brother, Panjshir is part of Afghanistan. You can come here for leisure, but it’s conditional on not disturbing the residents. Besides, as a resident of Panjshir, I have the right to visit Helmand…’ Before I could continue, he interrupted, ‘No, we won’t allow you to come to Helmand. It’s not your place.'”
Panjshir residents recall that in past years, especially during the Republic era, visitors from various provinces came to the province for leisure but did not have the unrestricted authority, forcefulness, or environmental destruction that current Taliban-affiliated individuals exhibit. They allege that these individuals show no regard for the demands, culture, and traditions of indigenous residents, causing psychological distress and harassment.
Furthermore, local Taliban officials have mandated that Panjshir residents obtain permission from their local offices before heading to the province’s valleys and mountains for activities such as herding cattle. Those wishing to hike the heights of Panjshir are required to first obtain a day permit from local Taliban authorities, a policy prompting some religious scholars to declare jihad against the Taliban’s discriminatory actions and urge people to resist them.
In a recent development, Fazl Karim Saraji, former head of Afghanistan’s Mosque Unity Affairs, issued a jihad decree against the Taliban’s ethnic and linguistic discrimination during a gathering in Mashhad, Iran. Using Quranic verses and Hadiths, he calls on people subjected to injustice and oppression to stand up against the Taliban’s tyranny. He states, “It is permissible for those who have been wronged to go out, fight, and oppose their enemy to reclaim their rights. What greater injustice is there than not owning your father’s land, not having the right to build on your land, and needing a permit from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. just to travel from your paternal home to your paternal mountain?”
