Afghanistan Assessment - September 1999

2.6 In addition, since 1978 a multitude of languages, used by the ethnic minorities such as the Uzbeks, Turkomans, Baluchis, Nuristanis and Pashai have been officially recognized. [11a] Afghan Sikhs retain the use of Punjabi amongst themselves; given their involvement in trade, Dari/Farsi is probably the most important additional language for them. [15c]

5.3.2 There are small minority groups of Hindus, Sikhs and Jews. [1] Almost all of the country's small Hindu and Sikh population, which once numbered about 50,000, have emigrated or taken refuge abroad. [11a] & [2] There were reports in 1998 that Hindus were now required to wear a piece of yellow cloth attached to their clothing to identify their religious identity; Sikhs reportedly were required to wear some form of identification as well. This rule was allegedly imposed to spare non-Muslims from the enforcement of rules that are mandatory for Muslims and from harassment by the Religious Police. [2]

5.3.5 In April 1999, the Taliban radio, Radio Voice of Sharia, reported that Hindu and Sikh people in Kabul celebrated the Sikh and Hindu religious festival of Baisakhi. Bakhtar Information Agency reported that a meeting was held in a temple in Kabul. Two men at the meeting were reported to say that the Hindu and Sikh people were proud that, with the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, their property, lives and honour had been protected and they were confidently continuing their daily affairs. They added that the Hindu and Sikh people living in Afghanistan obey the law and rules of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and were ready to fulfil their duty and take an active part in the restoration of the economy. [10d]

Sikhs

5.3.10 Afghan Sikhs comprise descendants of traders drawn to Afghanistan through Afghan intervention in northern India and British-Indian intervention in Afghanistan, plus some whose emigration was stimulated by the upheaval of 1946-47 that accompanied the partition of the Indian Empire. The Afghan Sikhs retain the use of Punjabi amongst themselves; given their involvement in trade, Dari/Farsi is probably the most important additional language for them. [10c]

See also Languages: paragraphs 2.3 - 2.6.

5.3.11 The UN Special Rapporteur visited Jalalabad in September 1994 and met with members of the Sikh community there and visited a Sikh temple. He was informed that most members of the Sikh community had left all provinces of Afghanistan and gone either to Jalalabad or to India. At that point there appeared to be little if any evidence that the Sikh community was persecuted or ill-treated on the basis of being a Sikh. [15a] Although all Sikhs fled Kabul in 1996 when the Taliban assumed control, it was reported in October 1997 that there were a small number of Sikhs in shops in Jalalabad. There are also many Sikhs still trading in Hyatabad, a suburb of Peshawar in Pakistan. [15b] There were reports in 1998 that Sikhs were required to wear some form of identification as well. This rule was allegedly imposed to spare non-Muslims from the enforcement of rules that are mandatory for Muslims and from harassment by the Religious Police. [2]

BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1] Europa World Year Book 1998, Volume I, March 1998

[2] US Department of State, Afghanistan Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1998, 26 February 1999

[3] Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Afghanistan: Chronology of Events: January 1995 - February 1997, February 1997

[4] Reuters News Service

[a] 1 July 1998

[b] 25 September 1998

[c] 23 October 1998

[d] 14 April 1999

[e] 27 June 1999

[5] Keesing's Record of World Events

[a] January 1998

[b] February 1998

[c] March 1998

[d] April 1998

[e] May 1998

[f] June 1998

[g] July 1998

[h] August 1998

[i] September 1998

[j] October 1998

[k] November 1998

[l] December 1998

[m] January 1999

[n] February 1999

[p] March 1999

[q] April 1999

[r] May 1999

[6] Economic and Social Council, Commission on Human Rights, Situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan, Report of the Secretary-General, 12 March 1998

[7] Amnesty International

[a] Women in Afghanistan: The Violations Continue, June 1997

[b] Continuing Atrocities Against Civilians, September 1997

[c] Reports of Mass Graves of Taliban Militia, November 1997

[d] Annual Report, 1998

[e] Flagrant Abuses of the Right to Life and Dignity, April 1998

[f] Public Executions and Amputations on Increase, 21 May 1998

[g] Urgent Action: Pakistan (Afghanistan): Fear for Safety/Assassination of Afghan Intellectuals Abroad, 22 December 1998

[h] Urgent Action: Pakistan/Afghanistan: Fear for Safety, 13 January 1999

[i] Afghanistan: Detention and Killing of Political Personalities, March 1999

[j] Annual Report, 1999

[8] Danish Immigration Service, Report on the Fact-Finding Mission to Afghanistan: 1 - 29 November 1997, 20 March 1998

[9] US Committee for Refugees, World Refugee Survey, 1997

[10] BBC Monitoring Service

[a] 13 July 1998

[b] 17 October 1998

[c] 9 December 1998

[d] 17 April 1999

[e] 7 May 1999

[f] 24 July 1999

[g] 6 August 1999

[11] United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

[a] Background Paper on Refugees and Asylum Seekers from Afghanistan, June 1997

[b] Update to the Background Paper on Refugees and Asylum Seekers from Afghanistan, January 1999

[12] Sunday Times, 1 November 1998

[13] Times, 5 November 1998

[14] Situation in Afghanistan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands, 14 December 1998

[15] Foreign and Commonwealth Advice

[a] 12 May 1995

[b] 6 October 1997

[c] 5 January 1999

[16] Part of the Ethnologue, 13th Edition, Barbara F Grimes, Summer Institute of Linguistics, 1996

[17] Human Rights Watch World Report, 1999

[18] Guardian

[a] 24 February 1999

[b] 21 August 1999

[19] Independent, 15 March 1999