Religious freedom in Afghanistan 'drastically deteriorated' after Taliban took over, US commission says
Fox News
Religious freedom throughout Afghanistan has "drastically deteriorated" in the year since the Taliban took over, the U.S. commission said Tuesday.
The Taliban on Monday marked the first-year anniversary of their takeover after the country's western-backed government fled and the Afghan military crumbled in the face of the insurgents' advance. (AP/Ebrahim Noroozi) A Taliban fighter secures the area as people queue to receive cash at a money distribution organized by the World Food Program (WFP) in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Wednesday , Nov. 17, 2021. (AP Photo/ Petros Giannakouris) Taliban fighters stand guard during women's protest in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Ahmad Halabisaz) Paul Best is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Paul.best@fox.com and on Twitter: @KincaidBest.
"Despite publicly committing to change and inclusivity, the Taliban has continued to rule Afghanistan in a similar manner to the way it ruled the country from 1996 to 2001," the U.S. commission said.
The Taliban preaches a hardline version of Sunni Islam and has killed dozens of Shia Muslims over the past year. The Hazara people, an ethnic minority that practices Shia Islam, have been displaced by the thousands as the Taliban forced them out of their homes.