Hundreds of Afghan citizens protested in Italy, France, Sweden, Germany and other countries against the "genocide of the Hazaras" and "gender apartheid" in Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban.
They called for a cessation of violence against Hazaras and advocated for women's rights in the country.
Following the repeated and violent attacks of ISIS on Hazaras in western Kabul over the past weeks, concerns within the Hazara community, both inside and outside Afghanistan, have heightened regarding the potential "genocide" of this ethnic and religious group.
At the same time, following the prohibition of work and education for women, the Taliban arrested several girls for not observing the hijab required by the group which faced with strong internal and external reactions.
Most of those detained were Hazara girls in Kabul and Daikundi provinces, which heightened concerns both within and beyond Afghanistan.
On Sunday, demonstrators in multiple German cities, including Berlin and Frankfurt, rallied against the situation of women in Afghanistan, chanting "Hijab is an excuse, the elimination of women is the aim”. They specifically condemned the Taliban's detention of girls.
In Berlin, protesters gathered in front of the German parliament and asked the world to take action to prevent the mass killing of Hazaras and discrimination against women in Afghanistan.
Germany has not yet agreed to the request of Afghan women activists in this country to recognise gender apartheid in Afghanistan.
In Rome, the capital of Italy, demonstrators denounced the "Hazara Massacre" as the "longest genocide in history" and expressed their protest. They were specifically referencing to the 19th-century massacre and suppression of the Hazaras by Abdul Rahman Khan.
During the marches protesting against the "genocide of the Hazaras" in European cities, individuals from various Afghan ethnic groups participated. A protester expressed solidarity, during a gathering of Afghans in Strasbourg city of France, stating, "As a Pashtun girl, I stand by my Hazara compatriots.”
Afghan citizens residing in Stockholm, Sweden, organised demonstrations, and considered the situation of women in Afghanistan as an example of "gender apartheid" and the targeted killings of Hazaras as a example of a “genocide”. The protesters called upon the international community to condition aid to Afghanistan on the guarantee of women's rights and the cessation of the "genocide of the Hazaras" in the country.
Members of the "Afghanistan Women's Movement for Justice" in Kabul have shared a video with Afghanistan International, saying that people from all ethnicities in Afghanistan stand united in defending the Hazaras “against genocide”.
Additionally, a group of women in Kabul, through a video, emphasised that the Taliban's nature encompasses a combination of "gender apartheid," "genocide of Hazaras," and “ethnic and linguistic oppression”.
In Tehran, a group of women activists conveyed a similar sentiment in a video. Meanwhile, Afghan women in Islamabad, Pakistan, voiced concerns that the Taliban has taken Afghan women hostage.
The Taliban attributes the violent attacks on Hazaras and Shias in Afghanistan to ISIS and ISIS also claims responsibilities of these attacks. The Taliban has committed to enhancing security measures to safeguard Shia and Hazara citizens.