Washington, DC: On August 14, 2020 Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) introduced House resolution “condemning targeted terrorist attacks against members of the Sikh, Hindu, and other religious minority communities in Afghanistan and supporting refugee protection for Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan in recognition of the systematic religious persecution, discrimination, and existential danger faced by the members of these communities.”
The resolution recognizes that “Sikhs and Hindus are indigenous but endangered minorities in Afghanistan, numbering approximately 700 out of a community that recently included over 8,000 members” and that “members of the Sikh and Hindu communities face existential danger in Afghanistan.” The resolution “supports resettling Sikhs and Hindus from Afghanistan in the United States under the United States Refugee Admissions Program pursuant to section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1157).”
“We commend Congresswoman Speier for introducing a resolution on this important humanitarian issue,” stated HAF Director of Public Policy Taniel Koushakjian. “As Americans, we know firsthand the devastating effects of international Islamist terror groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda as well as the need to eliminate them and the support they receive from the Haqqani network and state sponsors of terror who really are at the root of this evil.” Koushakjian said.
HAF also lauded PM Narendra Modi’s government for playing an active role in providing humanitarian assistance, including refugee resettlement and transport for those caught in the crosshairs of terrorists. “Hindu Americans and all human rights activists applaud Prime Minister Modi and his government for stepping in and saving lives in the middle of a global pandemic,” Koushakjian said. The first wave of refugees,11 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs, arrived in New Delhi on July 26, 2020.
