Hearing on Religious Freedom Conditions in Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) held a virtual hearing on Afghanistan.

Religious freedom conditions have been dire since the Taliban’s takeover of the country in 2021. In 2024, the Taliban intensified their crackdown on religious minorities and enacted dozens of edicts to severely limit the religious freedom of all Afghans, including those with different interpretations of Islam. These draconian edicts have disproportionately impacted Afghan women and girls, subjecting them to arbitrary arrest, forced disappearance, and harassment for their perceived religious dissent. Simultaneously, the Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) has stepped up its campaign of terror throughout the country, targeting religious minorities such as the Hazara Shi’a population.

In December 2023, the U.S. State Department designated the Taliban as an entity of particular concern (EPC). In its 2024 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Afghanistan as a Country of Particular Concern, or CPC, for engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. In August 2024, USCIRF released a country update to examine the Taliban’s restrictions on religious freedom.

Witnesses discussed current religious freedom conditions throughout the country, including the Taliban’s systematic enforcement of religious edicts. They also discussed current U.S. policy and share recommendations for the U.S. government to support religious freedom in Afghanistan.

More details: https://www.uscirf.gov/events/hearing...