HERAT -- Herat's religious scholars have condemned the mistreatment of Afghan refugees by the Iranian regime as un-Islamic and inhumane following recent reports of violence and torture.
Iran has hosted millions of Afghan refugees for decades, but fresh waves have flooded the country since August, testing the patience of authorities and ordinary citizens.
Horrific images and videos of Afghan refugees in Iran have been circulating on social media in recent months showing bloodied young Afghans who have been attacked with knives and other lethal objects.
Protests broke out last month in Herat after videos circulated purporting to show Iranian border guards and civilians beating Afghans, although it was unclear when and where the images were filmed.
![An Afghan deportee is seen April 19 at a United Nations refugee camp in Herat city after he was tortured by Iranian authorities. [Emran/Salaam Times]](/cnmi_st/images/2022/05/12/35371-o_2-739_416.webp)
An Afghan deportee is seen April 19 at a United Nations refugee camp in Herat city after he was tortured by Iranian authorities. [Emran/Salaam Times]
The Iranian regime does not respect Islamic values and violates Islamic precepts by torturing and killing innocent Afghans, say Afghan religious scholars.
"According to Islam and the prophet [Mohammad]'s quotes [Hadith], torture and mistreatment of Afghan refugees in Iran are strictly forbidden," said Mawlawi Abdullah Mawlawizada, a religious scholar in Herat city.
"If it were truly Muslim, the Iranian military would have never beaten, tortured and mistreated Afghan refugees," he added.
If a Muslim is forced to migrate to an Islamic country, it is the duty of that country to shelter him, Mawlawizada said.
While the Iranian government describes itself as Islamic, its treatment of Afghan refugees is completely un-Islamic, said Mawlawi Ghulam Mohammad Mohammadi, another religious scholar in Herat city.
The violence committed by Iranians against Afghan refugees is inhumane and in violation of sharia law, he added.
"Iran cannot mistreat and commit violence against helpless Afghan refugees who go to that country in search of work and food," he said, stressing that Islam is a religion of brotherhood and compassion.
From an Islamic perspective, a Muslim neighbour has many rights that its other Muslim neighbours must respect, according to Afghan religious scholars.
The rights of Afghan refugees have been grossly violated, said Qari Mohammad Arif Noori, yet another religious scholar in Herat city.
"The mistreatment and oppression of the Afghan refugees in Iran are against Islamic values," he added. "Islam rejects such behaviour."
Muslims are brothers, Noori said. One brother should not mistreat another brother.
"Iran was never a good friend of any of its neighbours. It has always sought its own gain at the expense and destruction of its neighbours," said Sibghatullah Azimi, a Herat resident.
"The Iranian government does not view Afghan refugees ... as humans," he added.
International courts must act
Some Afghan analysts and lawyers are calling on international courts to investigate the mistreatment of Afghan refugees in Iran.
In accordance with international migration laws, the Iranian regime may not mistreat Afghan refugees, said Mohammad Arif Aryafar, a lawyer in Herat city.
"We have witnessed the gross violation of the human rights of Afghan refugees in Iran," he said. "Refugees are completely helpless with no means to defend themselves."
"Some shocking reports also exist alleging that the Iranian government kills innocent Afghan refugees for different reasons and sells their organs," he added.
All these suspected crimes need to be investigated by reputable international organisations, Aryafar said.
"Everyone involved in the torture and killing of Afghan refugees in Iran must be identified and held accountable," he added. "Afghan refugees have been oppressed in Iran for decades, but we have never witnessed the prosecution of their perpetrators."
The oppression, mistreatment and killing of Afghan refugees in Iran are a crime against humanity that should be comprehensively investigated, said Mohammad Zahir Andishmand, a political analyst in Ghor.
"No one looks into ... Afghan refugees' grievances," he said of the situation in Iran.
The United Nations must intervene in the dire situation of the Afghan refugees in Iran and stop further mistreatment and oppression, said Andishmand.
"We know many people who have been missing in Iran for many years," he said, adding that the Iranian government "does not allow any organisation to investigate [the disappearances]".
Hello, I am an Afghan national in Iran. I hope that the government of Iran who is a Shiite Muslim country would not persecute us Muslims. I came to this country, but after I felt the pain of the words of Iranian citizens and their oppression of immigrants that they commit every day, we decided that, even if we are being killed, we should be killed by our countrymen, not by Iranian bandits, not by the invasion of Iranian people, whose monotheism has turned to racism. Afghan immigrants are oppressed every day in Iran. We do not have security from the gate of our house to inside the taxi. We drive in the taxi with a thousand taunts and wounds of the Iranians' words. We ask the Islamic Emirate of the Taliban brothers to prepare the ground for the return of its emigrants to their homeland, to guide the refugees, who clearly has no more patience and patience is left for this nation in Iran.
Reply7 Comment
Oh, my heart! Why aren’t you bursting for seeing this much pain? An investigative report written by the famous German magazine Der Spiegel said that most Afghans hospitalized in Iranian hospitals with common illnesses or injuries after crossing into Iran had died suddenly. Their bodies were returned to Afghanistan, and it was discovered that the kidneys and other healthy parts had been removed. According to Der Spiegel, their investigative team spent several days on the border between Afghanistan and Iran compiling its report after interviewing refugees, drivers, families of victims, and Afghan border guards. This is our Muslim (!) Neighbor for whom many spies and enslaved people in our country are slapping their throats and asses in commendation. They then call the devilish Iranians their mothers' husbands and immediately believe in their sanctity. I swear by the glory and majesty of God, there are no more cruel, ruthless and ungodly people on earth than the Iranians, and Afghans do not look like human beings to them. May the curse of Allah and His Messenger be upon Iran, on their Muslim-hood (!), On their civilization (!) And on their everything. Abdulahad Hairan
ReplyLies. Lies, lies.
Reply7 Comment
Iran is a historical and sworn in enemy of Afghans who has not spared any oppression against Afghans throughout the history. Despite the slogans of Iranian officials that "Iran is a friend and brother of Afghanistan", Iran has used every opportunity to strike at Afghans and Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the international community has never been willing or able to properly fulfill its responsibility towards Afghan refugees in Iran. In this regard, Afghans must be vigilant themselves, take each other’s hands and build a strong country, and remember each of these atrocities and inadequacies of the Iranian people and government, and hold Iran accountable in due time.
ReplyBe you so lucky that the Iranian people and government once again bring you wretched people and your miserable lands into the Great Iranian Civilization.
Go send your representatives to Tehran to kiss the hand of Ayatollah Khamenei and beg him, really beg him, to grant you the happiness of Bayaat with Iran.
You are nothing but broken (shikasta) shards of Eastern Iran. Your ancestors destroyed their common home and went on their own, cut off from Iran, and sank into this garbage that is called Afghanistan.
ReplyYou are howling in the ruins of the shack your ancestors built, while Iran has moved on.
May God not enlist us in the ranks of the nation of Iran on the Day of Resurrection. We ask God not to enlist us in the ranks of Iranians, and if it happens so, it would be better as he removes us from the rank of humans.
Reply7 Comment
We already have two enemies named the Soviets and Pakistan. First, the Afghans need to take revenge for the cruelties, wildness, and killings committed against them by Pakistan during the past 45 years, and then they may think about Iran. Please don’t try to mislead our enemies from us. Iran and Pakistan have nuclear weapons. If you care about the pain of Afghans, give them weapons so that hey can take revenge on Iran and Pakistan because these two countries are supporters and trainers of the terrorists.
Reply7 Comment