Hazaras were maltreated mainly in the era of Afghan King Abdur Rehman, his son, and his grandson as well
Kainat Farooq
As we can see, numerous ethnicities, linguistic groups, religions, and races are found throughout the world that follow their own customs, traditions, and values. These practices make them different from others. One of the most diverse groups in South Asia is the Hazaras’.
The word Hazara is derived from the Persian word “Hazar” which means “thousand”. Now, it is indispensable to know, who are Hazaras?
Hazaras are the third largest ethnic and racial group in Afghanistan and are associated with the religious Shi’ite sect. They originated from the contingent of Ghenghis Khan in the 13th century and are known as his descendants. Facially, they resemble Turkic Mongols. Therefore, they can be easily recognized. They speak a regional accent of the Persian language. The region where Hazaras live in Afghanistan is “Hazarajat” or “Hazarestan”. Hazaras faced persecution and targeted killings in Afghanistan due to their sect. As Afghans belong to the Sunni sect and are in the majority, they tend to dominate over minority Hazaras. Due to their association with Shiism, they are the most oppressed victims of terrorist activities in Afghanistan.
Now, let us return to the topic of Hazara migration. Probably, the displacement of Hazaras occurred in the aftermath of the Anglo-Afghan War when the “Treaty of Gandamak” (M. Yaqoob Khan ceded frontier areas and Afghanistan’s control of its foreign affairs to Britain) was signed.
In the late 19th century, hundreds of thousands of Hazaras were massacred and sold out as slaves. Women, girls, and even boys were raped by Afghan soldiers
Hazaras were maltreated mainly in the era of King Abdur Rehman, his son, and his grandson as well. Abdur Rehman acquired various Hazara lands that include Tamzan, Gizab, Khalai, Daya, Qalandar, and many more. In the late 19th century, hundreds of thousands of Hazaras were massacred and sold out as slaves. Women, girls, and even boys were raped by Afghan soldiers.
It happened just because Hazaras are a minority associated with the Shit’te sect in front of the majority of Sunni Afghans. After being oppressed by Aghans, there was a very serious rising among Hazaras against King Abdur Rehman in 1888. Hazara’s tribal leader supported Abdur Rehman’s cousin, Eshaq, against the Emir. Afterward, the revolt was crushed by the Emir, and Afghan troops impinged on the occupied areas of Hazarestan. People were disarmed, and villages were looted by them with the execution of tribal chiefs.
After being oppressed by Aghans, there was a very serious rising among Hazaras against King Abdur Rehman in 1888
The second uprising in 1892 was also crushed, and the local population was massacred. It is also said that the minarets were built by the Hazaras. Consequently, 16 different taxes were imposed on them. In 1893, the third revolt was started by Hazaras against the Emir. Now, this rebellion was immensely surprising for the Emir and government. Afghan forces responded to the revolt using military force because, at this time, Hazaras managed to get their few occupied areas back. Hazaras defeated two waves of Afghan attacks in their provinces, but their tribal leaders were arrested and killed. Due to the huge destruction, there was a shortage of food, and the revolt of the Hazaras was again squeezed. The Emir ordered his men to send grains to the Uruzgan area.
Massive Displacements continued
According to reports, out of 1 lac and 32 thousand families, 10000 to 15000 Hazara families migrated to the subcontinent, Quetta (today’s Pakistan), and Iran. Suicides were committed by girls to escape from sex slavery during persecution. The property was snatched from Hazara farmers too. But the problems didn’t end there. They faced persecution in the countries where they migrated. For instance, in Iran, many Hazaras have no papers, and they live under the threat of deportation. In Pakistan, there are many cases where innocent Hazaras are killed every two months or less. Over 600 Hazaras have been killed in Pakistan since 2000. After the fall of the Taliban in 2001, it brought hope for Hazaras that their lives would improve, but 80 Afghani people were killed in Kabul while taking part in a pro-Hazara demonstration. On July 4, 2003, 75 people were killed and 150 were injured in an attack on the worship place of Hazaras in Quetta at Mekong Road. In 2012, three Hazara men were shot dead in Quetta. In 2013, 33 Hazaras were killed when Al-Qaida-affiliated terrorists carried out a suicide attack. And 16 people were killed during a horrific bombing in an open-air marketplace where several were injured on the morning of April 12, 2019. There are too many examples of massacres of Hazaras, but unfortunately, one can’t describe every case.
Suicides were committed by girls to escape from sex slavery during persecution. The property was snatched from Hazara farmers too
In Pakistan, many Hazara girls make their names nationally and internationally, not only in education but in many other fields. Just like a Hazara girl, Karima Batool secured a gold medal at the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute. Nargis, also a Hazara girl, is a well-known name in the field of Karate. Meena Asadi Hazara had been a medalist and former national champion in the SAF games. In conclusion, the position of the Hazara is still insecure in Pakistan because of religious extremists. They are considered non-Muslims because of their faith. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan made important commitments to protect all religious communities. Amnesty International’s deputy South Asia director, Omer Warraich, stated on April 12, 2019:
“This horrific loss of life is a painful reminder of the threats that Quetta’s Hazara community continues to face. Targeted for their religion by sectarian armed groups, they have suffered many such tragedies over several years. Each time, there are promises that more will be done to protect them, and each time those promises have failed to materialize.”
There should be severe punishments for the extremist groups involved in target killings and persecution of not only Hazaras but other minorities in the state
Patently, it is the duty of a government to protect their minorities and let them live the way they want to. The government should take steps to improve living status of the Hazaras. There should be severe punishments for the extremist groups that are involved in target killings and persecution of not only Hazaras but other minorities in the state. Hazaras should be considered first-class citizens of Pakistan, and they should be given the same rights and freedoms as the nationals of Pakistan. They should be given equal education, job and other opportunities just like the majorities are given.
_______________
Kainat Farooq has done bachelors in Political Science from University of Sargodha
