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| '''Hinduism in Afghanistan''' has existed for almost as long as ] itself. The religion was widespread in the region until the advent of ]. | |||
| The actual period of advent of ] in ] is not certain.The Chinese traveller ] wrote in the 7th century of the existence of Hindu ] kingdoms in the Kabul, Gardez and Ghazni areas.Hinduism influenced many Afghan states under the Hephthalites and Sasanids. Some excavations sites in Kabul and Ghazni exhibit common Hindu and Buddhist religious places implying there was significant intermingling between the two religions in Afghanistan. | |||
| ==History== | |||
| With the rise of Islam in the 7th Century the numbers of Hindus and other religious groups dwindled and '''Hinduism in Afghanistan''' was reintroduced in the year 1504 when Babar took over the city of ].Pre Islamic Afghanistan was largely ],] with] near the Iranian border.The local population of Afghanistan are a heterogeneous mix of ], ] and ] background.The ]-] population in Afghanistan in 1990 was estimated to number around 30000. It is reported that Afghan Hindus and Afghan Sikhs often share places of worship . ], ], ] and ] are the main Hindu ethnic groups in Afghanistan. With the coming of ] government in 1996, many restrictions were imposed on Afghan Hindus. The Taliban issued edicts requiring Afghan Hindus to wear yellow flags, to differentiate between Muslims and other religious groups. | |||
| Hinduism in Afghanistan dates back to the Vedic periods when both countries shared a common culture. Along with ] and ], ] was among the most practiced religions among the local people, who were a heterogeneous mix of ], ] and ] background. The Hindu ] Kings ruled Afghanistan till 10th century AD. Afghanistan gradually converted to Islam with the Islamic conquest. | |||
| Since 1990s many Afghan Hindus have fled the country, seeking asylum in countries such as Germany . The Afghan Hindu community in Afghanistan is mostly based in the cities of ] and ]. | |||
| ==Demographics and Culture== | |||
| The ]-] population in Afghanistan in 1990 was estimated to number around 30000. It is also worth noting that Afghan Hindus and Afghan Sikhs often share places of worship . ], ], ] and ] are the main Hindu ethnic groups in Afghanistan.Punjabis speak the lanuguage Punjabi, Sindhis speak Sindhi, Kabulis and Kandharis spreak Hindko North and Hindko south. The Afghan Hindu community in Afghanistan is mostly based in the cities of ] and ]. | |||
| ==Persecution== | |||
| During the Taliban regime, Hindus were forced to wear yellow badges in public to identify themselves as such. Hindu women were forced to dress according to Islamic ], ostensibly a measure to "protect" them from harrassment. This was part of the Taliban's plan to segregate "un-Islamic" and "idolatrous" communities from Islamic ones<ref>,''CNN''</ref>. | |||
| The decree was condemned by the ]n and ] governments as a violation of religious freedom. Widespread protests against the Taliban regime broke out in ],]. In the United States, chairman of the ] ] compared the decree to the practices of ], where ] were required to wear labels identifying them as such<ref>,''People's Daily''</ref>. In the ], congressmen wore yellow badges on the floor of the Senate during the debate as a demonstration of their solidarity with the Hindu minority in Afghanistan<ref name="cns">,''CNSnews.com''</ref>. | |||
| Indian analyst Rahul Banerjee said that this was not the first that Hindus has been singled out for state-sponsored oppression in Afghanistan. Violence against Hindus has caused a rapid depletion in the Hindu population over the years<ref name="cns"/>. Since the 1990s many Afghan Hindus have fled the country, seeking asylum in countries such as ]<ref>,''pluralism.org''</ref>. | |||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
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| ==Notes== | |||
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| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
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Revision as of 11:18, 7 November 2006
Hinduism in Afghanistan has existed for almost as long as Hinduism itself. The religion was widespread in the region until the advent of Islam.
History
Hinduism in Afghanistan dates back to the Vedic periods when both countries shared a common culture. Along with Buddhism and Zoroastrianism, Hinduism was among the most practiced religions among the local people, who were a heterogeneous mix of Iranian, Nurestani and Indo-Aryan background. The Hindu Shahi Kings ruled Afghanistan till 10th century AD. Afghanistan gradually converted to Islam with the Islamic conquest.
Demographics and Culture
The Hindu-Sikh population in Afghanistan in 1990 was estimated to number around 30000. It is also worth noting that Afghan Hindus and Afghan Sikhs often share places of worship . Punjabis, Sindhis, Kabulis and Kandharis are the main Hindu ethnic groups in Afghanistan.Punjabis speak the lanuguage Punjabi, Sindhis speak Sindhi, Kabulis and Kandharis spreak Hindko North and Hindko south. The Afghan Hindu community in Afghanistan is mostly based in the cities of Kabul and Kandahar.
Persecution
During the Taliban regime, Hindus were forced to wear yellow badges in public to identify themselves as such. Hindu women were forced to dress according to Islamic hijab, ostensibly a measure to "protect" them from harrassment. This was part of the Taliban's plan to segregate "un-Islamic" and "idolatrous" communities from Islamic ones.
The decree was condemned by the Indian and United States governments as a violation of religious freedom. Widespread protests against the Taliban regime broke out in Bhopal,India. In the United States, chairman of the Anti-Defamation League Abraham Foxman compared the decree to the practices of Nazi Germany, where Jews were required to wear labels identifying them as such. In the United States, congressmen wore yellow badges on the floor of the Senate during the debate as a demonstration of their solidarity with the Hindu minority in Afghanistan.
Indian analyst Rahul Banerjee said that this was not the first that Hindus has been singled out for state-sponsored oppression in Afghanistan. Violence against Hindus has caused a rapid depletion in the Hindu population over the years. Since the 1990s many Afghan Hindus have fled the country, seeking asylum in countries such as Germany.
See also
Notes
- Taliban to mark Afghan Hindus,CNN
- Taliban: Hindus Must Wear Identity Labels,People's Daily
- ^ US Lawmakers Condemn Taliban Treatment Of Hindus,CNSnews.com
- Immigrant Hinduism in Germany: Tamils from Sri Lanka and Their Temples,pluralism.org
External links
- www.afghanhindu.info
- Hindus abandon Afghanistan
- Inscription throws new light to Hindu rule in Afghanistan
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