Purple Saturdays Movement: ISIS and Taliban Target Hazaras with a Common Ideological Basis

On Saturday (14 September), the movement stated that ISIS and the Taliban, with a “common ideological basis,” deliberately suppress and kill Hazaras in Afghanistan.

The statement described the recent attack in Qariodal village, located on the border between Ghor and Daikundi provinces, as part of a long-term policy of suppression, forced displacement, weakening, and destruction of the Hazara and Shia religious and ethnic community in Afghanistan.

The Purple Saturdays Movement emphasized that despite apparent differences, the Taliban and ISIS act in unison in their goal of “destroying” the Hazara community. “The Taliban systematically suppress Hazaras and violate their religious and human rights, while ISIS engages in overt violence, killings, and direct targeted attacks to physically, culturally, and religiously eliminate Hazaras.”

The movement called on the people of Afghanistan, especially civil society, cultural communities, and intellectuals, to stand united and in solidarity against these “horrific” crimes. They believe that every Afghan citizen has a responsibility to increase pressure on governments and international organizations through protests, awareness campaigns, and civil activities to prevent the recurrence of such “brutal” massacres.

The statement urged the international community and organizations such as the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and human rights organizations to take immediate and practical action to prevent these crimes and support the victims and survivors of the recent attack in Ghor and Daikundi.

In conclusion, the Purple Saturdays Movement stressed that the crisis in Afghanistan requires fundamental solutions, and the continuation of the “self-proclaimed” Taliban government will worsen the human rights and security situation. They called on all supporters of the Afghan people to support the formation of a “legitimate, democratic, and decentralized government as an alternative to the self-proclaimed Taliban government.”