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world news Diamars 26 aPriL 2022

US commission: Cite Afghanistan for religious persecution

(AP) - Afghanistan should ly on the State Department port of a Taliban massacre of
join a list of the “worst of list, including China, Eritrea, Hazara men in 2021.
the worst” violators of reli- Iran, Myanmar, North Ko-
gious freedom in the wake rea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Several deadly attacks on
of the Taliban’s return Arabia, Tajikistan and Turk- Hazaras have been attributed
to power, a U.S. advisory menistan. to Islamic State in Khorasan
body is recommending to Province or IS-K, which is
the State Department. It also recommends adding hostile to the Taliban and
four more in addition to Af- proven to be an intractable
The U.S. Commission on ghanistan — India, Nigeria, security challenge. The cover
International Religious Free- Syria and Vietnam. The com- of the commission’s report
dom, in its annual report is- mission criticized the Biden includes a photo of a deadly
sued Monday, says religious administration for removing attack by IS-K on a Shiite
minorities have “faced ha- Nigeria from the list last year. mosque last year in Kunduz
rassment, detention and even province.
death due to their faith or be- The report said that in Af-
liefs” since the Taliban reim- ghanistan, many minority The report echoes CIA as Muslim Tatars in Crimea, responsible for severe viola-
posed its harsh interpretation Jewish, Hindu and Sikh resi- World Factbook data from which Russia seized from tions of religious freedom
of Sunni Islam on Afghani- dents have fled the country 2009, which said non-Mus- Ukraine in 2014. The State and urged that those facing
stan. It also cited attacks on after the Taliban returned to lim Afghans comprised a tiny Department first designated persecution receiving prior-
religious minorities by an Is- power. It said many members fraction of the population. Russia as a country of par- ity in refugee resettlement.
lamic State affiliate that is an of other religious minorities, It said 99.7% of Afghans are ticular concern last year.
enemy of the Taliban. such as Ahmadiyya Muslims, Muslim, most of them Sunni In its report, the commission
Baha’is and Christian con- Muslims, with about 10% to “We fear that violence will cited Myanmar’s military for
Afghanistan is among 15 na- verts are worshipping in se- 15% Shiite Muslims. continue to increase because “atrocities against religious
tions that the commission cret for fear of persecution. of Russia’s blatant violation communities”; China for
says should be on the State “The Taliban, while they of religious freedom in Rus- detaining Uyghur and other
Department’s list of “coun- Many religious minorities promised they would form sia and in this conflict that Turkic Muslims “arbitrari-
tries of particular concern.” fled Afghanistan out of fear an inclusive government, exists in Ukraine,” said com- ly in concentration camps,
The commission, in its re- for what could happen under promising they would be mission member Khizr Khan prisons and forced labor”;
port summary, defined these the Taliban, rather than in re- a different kind of govern- at an online news conference Pakistan for enforcement of
as governments as the “worst sponse to specific actions or ment, their actions have Monday. anti-blasphemy laws that en-
of the worst” in tolerating or edicts issued by the Taliban. proven otherwise,” commis- danger minorities; and India
engaging in “systematic, on- Some Sikhs still live and wor- sion Chair Nadine Maenza This year’s report marks the for worsening conditions for
going and egregious viola- ship in Kabul, and the report said in an interview. She said first time since 2001, when religious minorities under its
tions of religious freedom.” notes that Taliban representa- that even members of the the Taliban last ruled in Ka- Hindu-nationalist govern-
tives visited a Sikh gurdwara Sunni majority who don’t bul, that the commission ment.
The commission, created in or house of worship to assure share the Taliban interpreta- recommended designating
1998 under the Internation- them of their safety. But the tion of Islamic law are being Afghanistan as a country of The commission also rec-
al Religious Freedom Act, report said many Sikhs and required to conform to strict particular concern, the re- ommended 12countries be
makes non-binding policy Hindus have fled to India dress codes and other mea- port said. The State Depart- placed on a “special watch
recommendations to the ad- “due to the lack of safety and sures. ment last year already listed list” due to religious-freedom
ministration and Congress. security.” the Taliban on a similar list concerns. They include three
The State Department has The annual report, while of non-state violators of re- on the State Department’s
adopted some but not all of The commission also cited based on developments in ligious freedom based on its list — Algeria, Cuba and Ni-
its recommendations in the a Human Rights Watch re- 2021, foreshadowed wor- actions before returning to caragua — along with Azer-
past. port of the Taliban attacking ries about a Russian inva- power in August. baijan, the Central African
and seizing property of eth- sion of Ukraine, citing reli- Republic, Egypt, Indonesia,
In the new report, the com- nic Hazaras belonging to the gious persecution in Russia The commission recom- Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia,
mission recommends main- Shiite Muslim minority, plus of Jehovah’s Witnesses and mended sanctioning individ- Turkey and Uzbekistan.
taining 10 countries current- an Amnesty International re- of religious minorities such ual Taliban officials deemed

French President Macron reelected

(AP) — After winning and foreign policy — but The Constitutional Council at the ballot box. both Zelenskyy and Scholz
another five years in the he will soon face crucial will publish the presidential within hours of his victory.
French presidential pal- parliamentary elections election’s official results on Like five years ago, Macron
ace, Emmanuel Macron where he may struggle to Wednesday and Macron will plans to quickly head to Ber- U.S. President Joe Biden
intends to go back to work keep his majority. hold a Cabinet meeting. lin, in line with the tradition tried to congratulate Macron
straightaway on domestic that newly elected French on Sunday night too, but told
Macron will then need to set presidents make their first reporters, “I spoke to his staff
a date for his inauguration trip abroad to neighboring and he was at the Eiffel Tower
ceremony, which must be Germany to celebrate the having a good time.” The two
held by May 13, at the Elysee countries’ friendship after leaders spoke briefly Monday
Palace. He will receive the multiple wars. He will meet instead, and agreed to hold
National Guards’ honors and with German Chancellor longer talks soon about sup-
make a speech. Olaf Scholz, with efforts to port for Ukraine, pressure
try to end the war in Ukraine on Russia to negotiate an end
Usually, 21 cannon shots are topping the agenda. to the war, food security and
fired to mark an inauguration, deepening U.S.-EU rela-
although Presidents Francois At some point, he may also tions, according to Macron’s
Mitterrand and Jacques Chi- travel to Kyiv to meet with office.
rac both skipped that tradi- Ukrainian President Volody-
tion for their reelections in myr Zelenskyy, a trip he said On May 9, Macron is expect-
1988 and 2002. Macron is the he would only do on condi- ed to make a speech on Eu-
only other leader of modern tion that it would have “a use- rope in Strasbourg, home to
France to win a second term ful impact.” Macron spoke to the EU parliament.