Religious Freedom Conditions in Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing

Religious Freedom Conditions in Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 
10:30AM – 12:00PM EST 
Virtual

Hearing Transcript

 

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) held a virtual hearing on Afghanistan. 

Religious freedom conditions have been dire since the Taliban’s takeover of the country in 2021. In 2024, the Taliban intensified their crackdown on religious minorities and enacted dozens of edicts to severely limit the religious freedom of all Afghans, including those with different interpretations of Islam. These draconian edicts have disproportionately impacted Afghan women and girls, subjecting them to arbitrary arrest, forced disappearance, and harassment for their perceived religious dissent. Simultaneously, the Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) has stepped up its campaign of terror throughout the country, targeting religious minorities such as the Hazara Shi’a population. 

In December 2023, the U.S. State Department designated the Taliban as an entity of particular concern (EPC). In its 2024 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Afghanistan as a Country of Particular Concern, or CPC, for engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. In August 2024, USCIRF released a country update to examine the Taliban’s restrictions on religious freedom. 

Witnesses discussed current religious freedom conditions throughout the country, including the Taliban’s systematic enforcement of religious edicts. They also discussed current U.S. policy and share recommendations for the U.S. government to support religious freedom in Afghanistan.

Opening Remarks

• Stephen Schneck, USCIRF Chair 
• Meir Soloveichik, USCIRF Vice Chair 
  Written Remarks

Panel I

• Richard Bennett, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan
  Written Testimony
• Rina Amiri, former Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights

Panel II

• Metra Mehran, Afghanistan Advocacy Fellow, Amnesty International
  Written Testimony
• Fereshta Abbasi, Researcher, Asia Division, Human Rights Watch
  Written Testimony
• Joseph Azam, Board Chair, Afghan-American Foundation
  Written Testimony
• Kate Clark, Co-Director and Senior Analyst, Afghanistan Analyst Network
  Written Testimony

This hearing is open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the public, and the media. The video recording of the hearing will be posted on the Commission website. For any additional questions or to schedule an interview, please email media@uscirf.gov.