Afghanistan’s ethnic minorities receive threats, fear persecution under Taliban rule
- Many young Tajik and Hazara Afghans want to leave the country, after the minorities were targeted by the Taliban in the past
- A Tajik lawyer said he received a written threat, and was attacked by criminals released from jails after the Taliban took over
Since the Taliban takeover of the country, she said she has been threatened with dire consequences if she steps out of her home. She believes this is both because of her ethnic origin and for being a woman. As a result, she and her family have applied for asylum in both the US and Canada, hoping the video editing training she received from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) two years ago will be her ticket to escape Taliban rule.
“I received threats from the Taliban because I take photographs of women who are victims of war in Afghanistan,” said the 26-year-old single mother, who is the sole breadwinner for her family of seven, which includes her parents and three sisters.
“Since the Taliban is not allowing me to work, I will never be able to earn my livelihood here. I need to save my family and myself. I need to leave the country.”
Besides asking working women to stay home until proper systems are in place to ensure their safety, the Taliban last week said it would no longer allow Afghans to leave the country.