Human rights may worsen in Afghanistan, panel says

 By Ken Camp - Posted at Baptist Press:

Published March 24, 2025

Human rights and religious freedom in Afghanistan have deteriorated since the Taliban regained control in 2021, and recent executive orders by President Donald Trump could make matters worse, expert panelists testified during a March 19 hearing.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom convened the virtual hearing on “Religious Freedom Conditions in Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan.” Commission Chair Stephen Schneck and Vice Chair Meir Solveichik moderated the hearing.

In his introductory remarks, Schneck observed the Taliban intensified its “crackdown” on religious minorities last year, enacting edicts to severely limit the religious freedom of all people in Afghanistan – including Muslims who hold to less-restrictive interpretations of Sharia.

The edicts “disproportionately impacted Afghan women and girls,” subjecting them to arbitrary arrest, forced disappearance and harassment, he said.

At the same time, Islamic State-Khorasan Province targeted religious minorities, such as the Hazara Shi’a people, he added.

Several panelists noted the negative impact of executive orders cutting foreign aid and “a high level of uncertainty” around policies regarding the resettlement of refugees and asylum-seekers.

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