US Bar Association calls for recognition of Hazara Genocide in Afghanistan

The American Bar Association has adopted a resolution urging countries to recognize the “genocide of Hazaras” in Afghanistan.

The association specifically called on the U.S. Congress and State Department to fulfill their international responsibilities by recognizing this genocide to prevent its recurrence.

The resolution was passed on Tuesday, August 6th, during the association’s annual meeting in Chicago.

The American Bar Association released a twelve-page report identifying the mass killings of Hazaras as genocide and urging nations to take action to stop further genocidal acts against the Hazara people in Afghanistan and other vulnerable groups.

The association urged the U.S. Congress and State Department to take serious measures to end the impunity for genocide in Afghanistan by ensuring justice and accountability for those responsible.

The American Bar Association stated that the Hazara people have been victims of mass killings and indescribable violence by various Afghan rulers since the late 19th century.

The association highlighted several major events in Afghanistan that demonstrate the dire situation of the Hazara people and constitute genocide.

The association recalled the massacre of Hazaras by Abdul Rahman Khan, as well as the massacres in Afshar and Mazar-i-Sharif, noting that the international community did nothing to prevent these atrocities.

According to the association, the first documented massacre of Hazaras occurred during the reign of Abdul Rahman Khan from 1880 to 1901, during which approximately 60% of the Hazara population was killed or forcibly displaced to neighboring countries.

The American Bar Association reported that Abdul Rahman Khan classified Hazaras as “infidels” and carried out a campaign of rape and murder to cleanse central Afghanistan of Hazaras, allowing Pashtun nomads to seize Hazara lands.

The association emphasized that Abdul Rahman Khan’s policies of “discrimination and dehumanization” led to severe persecution of the Hazara people.

The report noted that the Taliban, during their first regime in the 1990s, resumed Abdul Rahman Khan’s policies against the Hazaras.

The association reported that between 1992 and late 2021, the Hazaras experienced at least ten massacres, nine of which were perpetrated by the Taliban.

From 2001 to 2022, an estimated 294 incidents of mass killings of Hazaras occurred in Afghanistan, according to the association.

The association highlighted that since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, the forced displacement of Hazaras has become a common practice, with thousands being forcibly evicted from their homes in various provinces.

The American Bar Association’s resolution underscores the urgent need for international recognition and action to address the ongoing genocide against the Hazara people in Afghanistan.

The documented history of mass killings, systemic persecution, and forced displacement highlights a prolonged pattern of violence and discrimination that continues to threaten the existence of this vulnerable community. The call for justice and accountability is not only a moral imperative but also a necessary step to prevent further atrocities and to ensure that the Hazara people receive the protection and rights they deserve.

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