Statement from the "Purple Saturdays Movement" Regarding the Massacre of Shia Muslims in Daikundi: ISIS and the Taliban, Sharing a Common Ideology, are Deliberately Targeting and Killing Hazaras in Afghanistan

Statement from the “Purple Saturdays Movement” Regarding the Massacre of Shia Muslims in Daikundi: ISIS and the Taliban, Sharing a Common Ideology, are Deliberately Targeting and Killing Hazaras in Afghanistan

The recent brutal and inhumane attack in the village of Qorudal, located between the provinces of Ghor and Daikundi, is part of a long-standing policy of oppression, forced displacement, and the systematic weakening and destruction of the Hazara and Shia communities in Afghanistan. What is evident in this tragedy is the shared ideological foundation between the Taliban and ISIS. Despite their apparent differences, these two groups are united in their mission to eradicate the Hazara people and followers of the Shia faith. While the Taliban systematically suppress the Hazaras, violating their religious and human rights, ISIS engages in overt violence, targeted killings, and direct attacks aimed at the physical, cultural, and religious elimination of the Hazaras.

This attack is neither the first nor the last of its kind. Afghanistan’s history, especially over the past two decades, has been marked by numerous horrific crimes perpetrated by both the Taliban and ISIS against the Hazara and Shia communities. This pattern demonstrates a premeditated plan to annihilate this religious and ethnic group in Afghanistan.

We, at the Purple Saturdays Movement, call upon the people of Afghanistan, particularly civil society organizations, intellectuals, and cultural figures, to stand in full unity and solidarity against these heinous crimes. It is imperative that the voices of vulnerable ethnic and religious minorities, especially the Hazaras and Shias, be heard across Afghanistan and beyond its borders. We believe that every citizen of Afghanistan has a responsibility to raise their voices through protests, awareness campaigns, and civic actions, thereby putting pressure on governments and international institutions to prevent the recurrence of such brutal massacres.

Since one of the core objectives of the Taliban is to sow sectarian and ethnic discord in Afghanistan, the vocal opposition and efforts of Afghan Sunni scholars and citizens towards fostering understanding and national unity among various ethnic and religious groups can be a key strategy to prevent further violence and sustain peace.

We, in the “Purple Saturdays Movement,” urgently call on the following international organizations to take immediate and concrete action:

United Nations (UN): The Security Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights must immediately launch independent investigations into these massacres and the ongoing genocide of Hazaras and Shias. Furthermore, binding resolutions and diplomatic measures should be implemented to exert pressure on the Taliban to cease these atrocities. A fact-finding commission should also be established to document and investigate these crimes.

International Criminal Court (ICC): We request the ICC to prosecute the crimes committed by the Taliban and ISIS against the Hazaras and Shias as crimes against humanity and acts of genocide, bringing those responsible for these targeted killings to justice.

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC): We call on the OIC, as a representative body of Islamic countries, to play an active role in preventing the oppression of Shias and Hazaras in Afghanistan and to exert decisive diplomatic pressure on the Taliban and ISIS through firm stances and diplomatic actions.

Human Rights Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs): We urge all international human rights organizations to publicly condemn these atrocities and raise global awareness of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan through global campaigns. Additionally, we ask these organizations to promptly initiate relief and support programs for the victims and survivors of the recent attack in Ghor-Daikundi.

In conclusion, we reiterate that the crisis in Afghanistan requires fundamental solutions, and the continued reign of the self-proclaimed Taliban government will only exacerbate the human rights and security situation. Therefore, we call on all supporters of the Afghan people to advocate for the establishment of a legitimate, democratic, and decentralized government as an alternative to the self-declared rule of the Taliban.