Taliban Treatment of Hindus Harkens Back to Nazi Germany

American Jewish Committee
Wednesday, 23 May 2001

The American Jewish Committee today called the Taliban plan to compel Hindus to wear badges akin to the yellow stars Nazi Germany forced Jews to wear a "despicable outrage." While praising the Bush Administration for its quick criticism of the Taliban regime, the AJC also questioned why the international community is not protesting the Taliban's latest outrage against a minority group.

"The Taliban's willful targeting of Afghans who practice the Hindu religion, first by destroying treasured buddhas, and now by forcing Hindus to distinguish themselves with discriminatory badges, is extremely painful for Jews," said Shulamit Bahat, Acting Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee. "We thought that this kind of outrage belonged to the last century, and certainly if it recurred in some form that the international community would not for one moment tolerate it."

AJC Executive Director David A. Harris recently testified before the Geneva-based UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva about the Taliban regime's human rights violations.

"We again call on the UN to take firm action against the Taliban regime," said Ms. Bahat.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org