WASHINGTON: Describing
Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan as “endangered minorities”, a resolution
introduced in US Congress has sought to resettle these persecuted religious
communities from the war-torn country to America.
Introduced in the House of Representatives last week by Congresswoman Jackie Speier and co-sponsored by seven others, the resolution supports refugee protection for Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan, noting the “systematic religious persecution, discrimination and existential danger” faced by the members of these communities.
“Sikhs and Hindus are indigenous but endangered minorities in Afghanistan, numbering approximately 700 out of a community that recently included over 8,000 members,” the resolution stated.
It supports resettling Sikhs and Hindus from Afghanistan in US under the US
Refugee Admissions Programme pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Noting that Islamic militants attacked a Gurdwara in Kabul on March 25, killing 25 worshipers, the resolution said terrorists made further attempts on the lives of the survivors before and after the funeral for the victims. “These acts follow a greater pattern of targeted violence against Sikhs, Hindus, and other minorities in Afghanistan in recent years,” it said.
