Hinduism in Afghanistan

Hinduism in Afghanistan has existed for almost as long as Hinduism itself. The religion was widespread in the region until the advent of Islam.

History

thumb|350px| Coin of Shahi Kings of Kabul & Gandhara : Spalapati Deva, circa 750 AD -900 AD.">
Obv: Recumbent bull facing left ,trishula on bulls rump,Devnagari Legends : Sri Spalapati Deva. Rev: Rider bearing lance on caparisoned horse facing right.

Hinduism in Afghanistan dates back to the Vedic periods when the country shared a common culture with India. Along with Buddhism and Zoroastrianism, Hinduism was also practiced among the local people, who were a heterogeneous mix of Iranian, Nuristani and Indo-Aryan background. Many of the local Iranian peoples embraced the Hindu religion and culture, including the Scythians, the Parthians and the Kambojas. The Hindu Shahi Kings who ruled Afghanistan till 10th century AD were the descendants of Persian and Scythian converts to Hinduism. Afghanistan gradually converted to Islam with the advent of Islam.The Mahabharata, a sacred text amongst the Hindus mentions about King Shakuni who was the ruler of Kandhar region in Afghanistan

Demographics and Culture

The Hindu-Sikh population in Afghanistan in 1990 was estimated to number around 30,000. It is also worth noting that Afghan Hindus and Afghan Sikhs often share places of worship [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3138282.stm] . The main ethnic groups in Afghanistan which practice Hinduism are the Punjabis, Sindhis, Kabulis, and Kandharis. Along with Buddhists and Sikhs, they are all collectively known as the Hindki.cite web|url = http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/PAS_PER/HINDKI.html| title = Hindki|publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition|accessdate = 2007-09-15] Linguistic demographics among the Hindu community are diverse and generally follow regional origins: those hailing from Punjab generally speak Punjabi, Sindhis speak Sindhi, Kabulis and Kandharis speak both Pashto and the northern and southern dialects of Hindko. The Afghan Hindu community in Afghanistan is mostly based in the cities of Kabul and Kandahar. The Loya Jirga has two seats reserved for Hindus [ [http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2032169.stm Afghanistan's loya jirga] BBC 0- June 7, 2002] . More so than other ethnic groups, Afghan Hindus have fled to Pakistan and the West to escape religious persecution from Afghans.

Persecution

In 2001, the Taliban regime forced Hindus to wear yellow badges in public to identify themselves as such. Hindu women were forced to dress according to Islamic hijab, ostensibly a measure to "protect" them from harassment. This was part of the Taliban's plan to segregate "un-Islamic" and "idolatrous" communities from Islamic ones [ [http://archives.cnn.com/2001/fyi/news/05/22/taleban.hindus/index.html Taliban to mark Afghan Hindus] ,"CNN"] .

The decree was condemned by the Indian and United States governments as a violation of religious freedom. Widespread protests against the Taliban regime broke out in Bhopal, India. In the United States, Abraham Foxman, chairman of the Anti-Defamation League, compared the decree to the practices of Nazi Germany, where Jews were required to wear labels identifying them as such [ [http://english.people.com.cn/english/200105/23/eng20010523_70812.html Taliban: Hindus Must Wear Identity Labels] ,"People's Daily"] . In addition, United States lawmakers wore yellow badges on the floor of the Senate during the debate as a demonstration of their solidarity with the Hindu minority in Afghanistan [http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPrint.asp?Page=%5CForeignBureaus%5Carchive%5C200106%5CFor20010615b.html US Lawmakers Condemn Taliban Treatment Of Hindus] ,"CNSnews.com"] .

Indian analyst Rahul Banerjee said that this was not the first time that Hindus were singled out for state-sponsored oppression in Afghanistan. Violence against Hindus has caused a rapid depletion in the Hindu population over the years. Since the 1990s many Afghan Hindus have fled the country, seeking asylum in countries such as Germany and United States [ [http://www.pluralism.org/resources/slideshow/hindgerm/index.php Immigrant Hinduism in Germany: Tamils from Sri Lanka and Their Temples] ,"pluralism.org"] .

ee also

*Hindu temples of Kabul
*Muhiyals in Afghanistan History
*Khatri
*List of Hindu temples all over the world
*Buddhism in Afghanistan

Notes

External links

* [http://www.afghanhindu.info/ www.afghanhindu.info]
* [http://www.afghanhindu.com/vedic.asp]
* [http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/1994/4/1994-4-02.shtml Hindus abandon Afghanistan]
* [http://www.indianexpress.com/ie/daily/20010105/iin05014.html Inscription throws new light to Hindu] rule in Afghanistan