Islamists Kill 14 Shia Muslims in Afghanistan
Murad Makhmudov and Kanako Mita
Modern Tokyo Times
In Afghanistan, the embattled Shia Muslim community was targeted again by the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K). This Sunni Islamist group is a branch of ISIS (Islamic State – IS) and is anti-Shia in common with other sectarian Islamist groups.
Accordingly, the latest ISIS-K attack against Shia Muslim civilians (Hazara community) follows a similar pattern based on sectarian hatred whereby the Shia are deemed to be infidels.
AP News reports, “In the village of Bandar in Daikundi province on Friday, mourners circled around two rows of bodies of the victims laid out and covered in multi-colored fabrics.”
Voice of America reports, “Daykundi residents said the victims had gathered to welcome pilgrims returning from the Shiite holy site of Karbala in Iraq.”
Zabihullah Mujahid (Chief Spokesperson for the Taliban) condemned the “barbaric actions” of ISIS-K.
Human Rights Watch reports, “Since emerging in Afghanistan in 2015, the group has carried out a bloody campaign mostly targeting Shia-Hazara mosques and schools and other facilities in predominantly Hazara neighborhoods.
Lee Jay Walker (Modern Tokyo Times analyst) says, “The Hazara (Shia Muslims) make up approximately 9% of the population of Afghanistan. The Taliban – before regaining power – had also targeted Shia Muslims. However, since retaking power, the Taliban have moderated their stance against the Shia.”
Afghanistan once was a land blessed by Buddhism, Hinduism, Nestorian Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and other non-Muslim faiths. However, Islamic invasions and dhimmitude would turn the above into dust after Islamization. Therefore, Sunni Islamists target Shia Muslims after the demise of all other non-Muslim faiths in Afghanistan – while the Taliban put women in the shadows.
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