KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has warned that the Taliban have “completely eradicated” religious freedom in Afghanistan, calling for urgent measures to protect the country’s religious minorities.
In a statement on Wednesday, USCIRF said the Taliban have spent the past four years enforcing a single interpretation of Islam. This, the commission added, has been used to subjugate and target individuals with differing beliefs, leaving religious minorities particularly vulnerable.
USCIRF stressed the need for immediate protections and pathways for Afghans facing religious persecution.
“In four years, the Taliban have completely eradicated religious freedom in Afghanistan,” said USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler. She added that all Afghans, especially religious minorities, face severe risks, including arbitrary detention and corporal punishment, if forced to return to the country.
Hartzler also criticized the Taliban’s so-called “morality law,” describing it as a mechanism that reinforces a harsh system of oppression. According to her, the law effectively removes women from public and religious life while placing religious minorities at extreme risk of harm.
The commission urged the U.S. government to expand protections for Afghan citizens at risk of religious persecution. It recommended that Congress establish a “Priority 2 (P-2)” pathway under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), allowing members of highly threatened religious groups to apply for resettlement.
USCIRF Vice Chair Asif Mahmood emphasized the importance of restoring Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghan nationals. “By prioritizing vulnerable Afghan religious minorities, the administration and Congress demonstrate their commitment to freedom of religion or belief.”
Earlier this month, USCIRF published a detailed report on the Taliban’s Law on the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The report urged the U.S. State Department to designate Afghanistan as a “country of particular concern” due to its ongoing, systematic violations of religious freedom. It also recommended additional measures, including targeted sanctions on Taliban leaders directly responsible for these abuses.
In March, USCIRF held a virtual hearing on Afghanistan, highlighting the collapse of religious freedoms under Taliban rule and the severe risks faced by minority communities.
The Taliban has yet to respond to this statement, having consistently dismissed reports from international organizations regarding human rights violations, including religious freedom, as “propaganda.”
