![Afghan Shia offer funeral prayers September 13, a day after ISIS-K gunmen killed at least 14 civilians and wounded six others in Sang‐e‐Takht district, Daikundi province. [AFP]](/cnmi_st/images/2024/10/01/47751-Shia-mourners-Afghanistan-739_416.webp)
KABUL -- The "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" Khorasan branch (ISIS-K) has claimed responsibility for at least 17 attacks targeting Afghan Shia over the past three years.
More than 700 have been killed or wounded in these attacks since August 2021, per Human Rights Watch (HRW), with at least 14 Hazaras killed and six injured in a September 12 attack.
"Since emerging in Afghanistan in 2015, [ISIS-K] has killed and injured thousands of Hazaras and members of other religious minorities in attacks targeting mosques, schools and workplaces," HRW Afghanistan researcher Fereshta Abbasi wrote September 13.
ISIS-K is attempting to magnify divisions among Muslims, Belgium-based Afghan political analyst Ali Akbar Fatahi told Salaam Times.
He described ISIS-K as "a uniquely exclusive group that accepts no one outside its own ideology," accusing it of "intellectual backwardness."
By targeting the Hazara minority, without facing serious consequences, ISIS-K "can gain more political leverage and increase their global visibility," he said.
"Unfortunately, the Afghan government lacks sufficient capacity to control this situation," said Austria-based Afghan researcher Nabiullah Fatemi.
"It is essential ... to implement serious measures to protect the lives of civilians targeted by ISIS," he said.
ISIS-K expanding activities
ISIS-K bombings and other targeted attacks on the Hazara community constitute crimes against humanity, HRW said in October 2021.
Afghan civilians told Salaam Times they are increasingly worried about the group's deadly attacks.
"The recent attacks by ISIS-K show this group has become very active and is extending its operations to various regions of the country," said Kabul resident Sayed Mahdi Hosseini, 45.
"Dozens of terrorist groups are active in Afghanistan, and ISIS's relationships with them are improving," he told Salaam Times.
"With the unification of these groups, not only will Afghanistan's security be threatened, but global security also will face increasing dangers," he said.
Combating ISIS-K in Afghanistan requires a strong military force to target its strongholds, Hosseini said. "Halting this group's bloody attacks will be very difficult unless its safe havens in certain provinces are destroyed."
ISIS-K has gained power over the past three years, leaving Afghan ethnic and religious minorities feeling insecure, said Kabul resident Abdul Wakil Rezayee, 53.
"When pushed to the limit, people will resort to fighting," he warned. "When there is no government or military to defend the public, it is forced to take up arms and engage in legitimate self-defense."
In fact, ISIS does not exist in Afghanistan at all. I mean the ISIS, which is in Syria and Iraq, does not exist in Afghanistan. This is just a project of the Pakistani intelligence agency that wants the region. I think at this time humanity is facing a major crisis in the world. The components of the crisis are what is going on in Palestine, Lebanon, Ukraine, Afghanistan and China. If we put the religions of traumatized communities aside, we are all humans. The inhabitants of Afghanistan, Palestine, Lebanon, Ukraine, Tel Aviv… are all humans. The United States is a great democracy in the world and its people are intelligent people. Russia is a great power. China is a major economic and political power. Europe is a civilized and developed region. In general, the inhabitants of any country consider themselves more informed than any other country. The subject is war. It is a matter of economic interests. The United States, China, Russia, Pakistan and Israel are most responsible for the ongoing crisis. Iran is also responsible and has a big aspect. Iran is more dangerous than Israel. Israel only kills Palestinians and according to Al Jazeera TV they have killed 42,000 Palestinians so far, but Iran kills Afghans, Syrians, Iraqis and attacks Israel, as evidenced by the October 1 missiles’ attacks. China is also killing Muslims. Russia destroyed half of Ukraine. Instead of showing mercy to innocent Palestinian children, the US is still supporting Israel. And these are not the ways of
ReplyI have an easy way to solve the problem between Israel and Palestine; however, to implement this plan, a full honesty and sincerity is required. In this process, Israel, Palestine, Arab League, the United States, the UK, Iran and other countries and stakeholders should show honesty. If a single party is not honest, it is difficult to implement the plan.
ReplyLet's read this suggestion. Look, Palestine or the current day Israel has an area of about 22,000 square kilometers. Saudi Arabia, which is now the leading Muslim country in the world, has more than 2 million square kilometers of land. The United States and Canada each have an area of approximately 10 million square kilometers. It means that, the area of Saudi Arabia is about 100 times the area of Palestine. The area of the United States and Canada each is about 450 times more than Palestine or current day Israel.
The truth is that Palestinians have been oppressed and they are still being oppressed. Palestinians; some Jews, some Christians and most of them Muslims, have been living in Palestine for hundreds of years, but as a result of British colonial policy, Jews from different parts of the world were brought to this region in a plan to weaken Muslims and Christians. It is another fact that the history of Jewish settlement in Palestine is much longer than the history of Muslims. Jews also have the right to live near Jerusalem, but the notion that Jews are being rounded up and brought to this land based on religion,
Anyway, now that the Jews are powerful and they are backed by a super power; the United States, and hundreds of innocent Muslims are killed every day, I say there is a solution. As a human life is better than anything else,
Reply- It would be better if Saudi Arabia allocates about 20,000 square kilometers of land for Palestinian Muslims to let the Palestinian Muslims get settled in.
- Canada and the United States, which are large democracies and rich countries, can ask the Palestinians if they want to live in a new land in Saudi Arabia or if they want a permanent land in the United States or Canada.
- Israel should pay at least USD 300,000 to each family (Palestinians) to build houses for themselves.
- Saudi Arabia, Iran and other Islamic countries must pay the blood price of the Jews who were killed by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
- Israel, UK and the United States must pay the blood price of 42,000 Palestinians.
Although human lives are not sold for money, but for the sake of respect, USD 3 million (or according to the agreement) should be paid for the murder of every murdered Jew and every martyred Muslim.
- In general, the territory of Palestine (now Israel) should be handed over to Israel because they have lived there since ancient times, but 1000 square kilometers of land around Jerusalem should be left free and a neutral force should provide its security. The region should be free from the domination of any country, like the United Nations office in New York.
This way, the Musl
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