广东家具亏损面达三四成 板式家具日子更难过
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Religion in Afghanistan |
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Majority |
Sunni Islam |
Minority |
Historic/Extinct |
Controversy |

Shia Islam in Afghanistan is practiced by a significant minority of the population. According to a 2021 Pew survey, 25% of Afghans followed Shia Islam.[2][3]
Twelvers
[edit]The majority of Afghanistan's Shia Muslim's are the Twelvers, primarily of the Hazara ethnicity. The next-largest Twelvers are the Tajiks (Farsiwan) of the western Herat and Farah provinces. Other, far smaller, Afghanistan's Twelver communities include the Qizilbash and the Sadat populations.
Hazaras
[edit]Hazaras predominantly practice Islam, with most adhering to Shi'a Islam.[4][5][6]It is possible that most Hazaras adopted Shi'a Islam in the early 16th century, during the initial years of the Safavid dynasty.[7][4][6]
Persecution
[edit]Between 1888 and 1893, more than half of the Hazara population was massacred under the Emirate of Afghanistan,[8] and they have faced persecution at various times over the past decades.[9] Widespread ethnic discrimination,[10][11][12] religious persecution,[13][14][15] organized attacks by terrorist groups,[16][15] harassment, and arbitrary arrest for various reasons have affected Hazaras.[17][18] There have been numerous cases of torture of Hazara women,[19][20][21] land and home seizures,[22][23][24] deliberate economic restrictions, economic marginalization of the Hazara region[25][26][27] and appropriation of Hazara agricultural fields and pastures leading to their forced displacement from Afghanistan.[a]
Afghan Shias (mostly Hazaras) also fought against the Soviet Union during the Soviet–Afghan War (1979–1989) under the coalition of groups, collectively known as the “Tehran Eight” which conducted gurrella attacks on the Soviet Military and the Afghan Military of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. These groups also sent fighters as part of the Abuzar Brigade to fight in the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988) to assist Iran. Later, these groups formed Hezb-e-Wahdat which fought in the Afghan Civil War (1992–1996), Afghan Civil War (1992–1996), and the Afghan Civil War (1996–2001).
Due to its majority Shia population, the Dashte Barchi district in western Kabul is frequently attacked by the Islamic State – Khorasan Province.[37] The 2021 Kabul school bombing targeted a girls' school in Dashte Barchi.[38] On 6 September 2022, the Human Rights Watch reported that since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, the ISIS–K has claimed responsibility for 13 attacks against Hazaras and has been linked to at least 3 more, killing and injuring at least 700 people. The Islamic State affiliate has repeatedly attacked Hazaras at mosques, schools, and workplaces.[39]
Qizilbash
[edit]Shia Qizilbash in Afghanistan primarily live in urban areas, such as Kabul, Kandahar or Herat. Some of them are descendants of the troops left behind by Nadir Shah.[40][41] Others however were brought to the country during the Durrani rule,[42] Zaman Shah Durrani had over 100,000 cavalry, consisting mostly of Qizilbash[43] Afghanistan's Qizilbash held important posts in government offices in the past, and today engage in trade or are craftsmen. Since the creation of Afghanistan, they constitute an important and politically influential element of society. Estimates of their population vary from 30,000 to 200,000.[44]
Sir Mountstuart Elphinstone described the Qizilbash of Kabul in the beginning of the 19th century as "a colony of Turks," who spoke "Persian, and among themselves Turkish."[45] Described as learned, affluent, and influential, they appear to have abandoned their native Turkish language in favour of Persian, and became "in fact Persianized Turks".[46] Lady Florentia Sale (wife of Sir Robert Henry Sale) and Vincent Eyre – both companions of Sir Mountstuart Elphinstone – described the Qizilbash of Afghanistan also as "Persians, of Persian descent, or descendant of the Persians, wearing a red cap".[47][48]
The influence of the Qizilbash in the government created resentment among the ruling Pashtun clans, especially after the Qizilbash openly allied themselves with the British during the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–1842). During Abdur Rahman Khan's massacre of the Shi'i minorities in Afghanistan, the Qizilbash were declared "enemies of the state" and were persecuted and hunted by the government and by the Sunni majority.[49]
The former national anthem (2006-2021) of Afghanistan mentioned Qizilbash as an ethnic group in the third line of third stanza.
Ismailis
[edit]The Ismailis accepted Ismail ibn Jafar instead of Musa al-Kadhim as the successor to Imam Jafar as-Sadiq. Ismaili communities in Afghanistan are less populous than the Twelver who consider the Ismaili heretical. They are found primarily in and near the eastern Hazarajat, in the Baghlan area north of the Hindu Kush, among the mountain Tajik of Badakhshan, and amongst the Wakhi in the Wakhan Corridor. The Ismailis believe that the series of Imamat or in another word Welayat that comes from the first Imami, Hazar-e-Ali, will never end and it continues. The current Imam, the Aga Khan IV, is the forty-ninth.[50][51][52]

Ismaili in Afghanistan are seen to follow their leaders uncritically. The pir or leader of Afghan Ismaili comes from the Sayyid family of Kayan, located in Kayayan valley, 30km west of Doshi, a small town at the northern foot of the Salang Pass, in western Baghlan Province. The current[when?] leader of Ismailis in Afghanistan is Sayed Mansur Naderi. During the 1980s Soviet war in Afghanistan this family acquired considerable political power, having over 13,000 armed men who was fighting both with the government and with the different other armed groups including Mujahideen. Sayed Jafar Naderi was the Ismaili commander, known as the 'Warlord of Kayan' in a documentary by Journeyman Pictures.[53][54] Ismailis have had key contributions to the Islamic culture in Afghanistan including building large mosques, cultural centers and the World's Largest Handmade Quran in Afghanistan, which was unveiled in January 2012.[55][56]
The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) initiated its efforts in Afghanistan in 1996, providing food aid amidst the civil war. Since 2002, AKDN, along with its partners, has allocated over $1 billion to development assistance in the country. The network's multifaceted approach encompasses humanitarian, economic, social, and cultural dimensions. Economically, AKDN's projects extend across more than 240 cities and towns in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan. Its social development and humanitarian initiatives reach into 61 districts across seven provinces, benefiting over three million people. In the realm of cultural preservation, the network has restored over 90 historic buildings in Kabul, Herat, Balkh, and Badakhshan. [57] AKDN's strategy in Afghanistan includes strengthening Afghan institutions and the public sector by engaging communities and local leaders. In the private sector, it supports the Chamber of Commerce, various business associations, and entrepreneurs. The network also enhances the capacity of local civil society organizations, for instance, by expanding community savings programs. AKDN aims for comprehensive area development that is led by Afghan institutions, fostering partnerships among the government, the business sector, and civil society to facilitate the country's transition towards stability and prosperity.[57] A cornerstone of AKDN's efforts in Afghanistan is the emphasis on gender equity. The network actively addresses social barriers, promotes equitable decision-making, and empowers women and girls by enhancing their voice and agency.[57]
Ismailis in Afghanistan have been continuously engaged in the country's political landscape during the democracy era. Following the fall of Taliban in 2001, Ismailis established a political party under the name of National Unity Party of Afghanistan, also called as the National Solidarity Party of Afghanistan. While only about 3-5% population of Afghanistan is Ismaili, they have sent up to four representatives in the Afghanistan National Assembly. They also managed to obtain seats in the Afghan government cabinet, including the State Ministry for Peace in 2020. They played a key role in 2009, 2014 and 2019 presidential elections, backing Hamid Karzai in 2009, Ashraf Ghani in 2014, and Abdullah Abdullah in 2019.[58][59][60]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Hashimi, Zar (2025-08-06). "Masjid Jame, Kabul | Zar Hashimi". Flickr. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
- ^ "Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation". The World’s Muslims: Unity and Diversity. Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. August 9, 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- ^ Waheed Massoud (6 December 2011). "Why have Afghanistan's Shias been targeted now?". BBC News. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ a b The Afghans, Their History and Culture, Religion Archived 28 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "eHRAF World Cultures". ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ^ a b "???????? ???????????????? ???? ????? ???? ????????? ??? ? ???????? | ???? ??? ??? ?????? ?????? ? ??????". Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- ^ Dorronsoro, Gilles (2005). Revolution unending: Afghanistan, 1979 to the present, By Gilles Dorronsoro, pg.44. C. Hurst. ISBN 978-1-85065-703-3. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ Alessandro Monsutti (15 December 2003). "HAZāRA ii. HISTORY". Encyclop?dia Iranica. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
- ^ Mousavi, S. A. (2018). The Hazaras of Afghanistan. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-80016-0.
- ^ "Hazaras in Afghanistan". Minority Rights Group. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "Hazaras and Shias: Violence, Discrimination, and Exclusion Under the Taliban". www.jurist.org. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "The Plight of Hazaras Under the Taliban Government". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ KabulNow (27 October 2024). "Taliban Intensifies Campaign Against "Banned" Books in Central Afghanistan". KabulNow. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ "hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/Hazaras(AfghanistanAndPakistan)". 3 December 2025.
- ^ a b "Afghanistan: ISIS Group Targets Religious Minorities | Human Rights Watch". 6 September 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "Deliberate Attacks On Civilians And Hazaras Are War Crimes, Says HRW". Afghanistan International. 4 May 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Taj, Zareen (10 April 2024). "Taliban Gender Apartheid: Genocide of Hazara Women". genocidewatch. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Times, Zan (22 January 2024). "'I was arrested for the crime of being a Hazara and a woman': The Taliban's 'bad hijab' campaign targets Hazara women". Zan Times. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "/8am.media/eng/one-experience-two-perspectives-inside-the-lives-of-women-in-talibans-detention-centers-in-kabul/". 6 April 2024.
- ^ Manish, Abdul Wahed (18 September 2023). "The Taliban Abducted a Hazara Girl from Islamic Darul Uloom for Forced Marriage". Voice of Citizen News. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "Strange Exiles; Taliban Tortured Hazara Girls under the Name of Unbelievers and Rejectionists | Jade Abresham". 16 October 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ rmasumi1 (13 October 2023). "Taliban Confiscate Hazara Land". genocidewatch. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Afghanistan: Taliban Forcibly Evict Minority Shia | Human Rights Watch". 22 October 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Watch, Genocide (19 July 2024). "Intensifying persecution of Hazaras in Afghanistan". genocidewatch. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ "#6: Life under the Taliban". www.vidc.org. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Iltaf, Maisam (23 January 2024). "Taliban's Disruption of Aid Programs Push Hazaras To the Brink". KabulNow. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "Unfair Distribution of Humanitarian Aid in Afghanistan". Bamyan Foundation. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Qazi, Shereena. "Why are Hazaras being evicted from their homes in Afghanistan's Daikundi?". Why are Hazaras being evicted from their homes in Afghanistan's Daikundi?. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "8am.media/eng/the-massacre-of-hazaras-in-oruzgan-ethnic-prejudice-and-land-grab-politics/". 27 September 2023.
- ^ "Law of the Gun". KabulNow. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "The conflict between Hazaras and Kuchis over the pasture and land" (PDF).
- ^ "/kuchi-land-grabbers-speed-up-construction-works-on-hazara-settlements-in-ghaznis-jaghatu-district/". 17 December 2022.
- ^ "Opinion: The gradual genocide of Hazara in Afghanistan". www.massey.ac.nz. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "Between a rock and a hard place: The Hazaras in Afghanistan". orfonline.org. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Baloch, Shah Meer (29 August 2021). "Hazara Shias flee Afghanistan fearing Taliban persecution". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ ""Who are the Hazaras and what are they escaping By Reuters"". Reuters. 22 September 2016.
- ^ "Blasts kill dozens near school in Afghan capital Kabul". Al Jazeera English. 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ^ "Death toll rises to 85 in Afghanistan girls' school bomb attack". CNN. 10 May 2021.
- ^ "Afghanistan: ISIS Group Targets Religious Minorities". Human Rights Watch. 6 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- ^ 5. The Rise of Afghanistan, page 124 // Afghanistan: A Military History from Alexander the Great to the War Against the Taliban. Author: Stephen Tanner. First published in 2002 by Da Capo Press; (revised edition) reprinted in 2009. Philadelphia: Da Capo Press, 2009, 375 pages. ISBN 9780306818264
The Qizilbash, or "Red Heads," were Turkic warriors-turned-Persian who had arrived in Afghanistan in numbers after Nadir Shah's and other Persian debacles.
- ^ The Dictionary. — N. — Nadir Shah Afshar, page 305 – 306. // Historical Dictionary of Afghanistan. Fourth edition. Author: Ludwig W. Adamec. Lanham: Scarecrow Press, 2012, XCV+569 pages. ISBN 9780810878150
Some of Nadir's Qizilbash soldiers settled in Afghanistan where their descendants had successful careers in the army (until the end of Dost Muhammad's rule), government, the trades, and crafts.
- ^ Noelle-Karimi, Christine (1995). The Interaction Between State and Tribe in Nineteenth-century Afghanistan: The Reign of Amir Dost Muhammad Khan (1826-1863). University of California, Berkeley.
- ^ Noelle, Christine (25 June 2012). State and Tribe in Nineteenth-Century Afghanistan: The Reign of Amir Dost Muhammad Khan (1826-1863). Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-60317-4.
According to Husaini, the "gholam Khana" furnished 15,000 out of Shah Zaman's total cavalry of 100,000 and consisted mostly of Qizilbash. Burnes reports that the Qizilbash retained a great degree of their autonomous organization and only pledged direct allegiance to their individual khans, who were in turn answerable to the king. This statement is borne out by the fact that the command of the entire bodyguard rested with the Qizilbash leader Mahmud Khan Bayat during 'Timur Shah's time. Up to Shah Zaman's reign the Khorasani contingents were listed according to tribal allegiance.
- ^ Social Structure. — Ethnic Groups, page 104. // Afghanistan: A Country Study. Editors: Richard F. Nyrop, Donald M. Seekins. Baton Rouge: Claitor's Law Books and Publishing Division, 2001, 226 pages. ISBN 9781579807443
In 1996, approximately 40 percent of Afghans were Pashtun, 11.4 of whom are of the Durrani tribal group and 13.8 percent of the Ghilzai group. Tajiks make up the second-largest ethnic group with 25.3 percent of the population, followed by Hazaras, 18 percent; Uzbeks, 6.3 percent; Turkmen, 2.5 percent; Qizilbash, 1.0; 6.9 percent other. The usual caveat regarding statistics is particularly appropriate here.
- ^ Mountstuart Elphinstone, An Account of the Kingdom of Caubul, pp. 320–321
- ^ Henry Yule, "Hobson-Jobson", London, 1886, p. 380
- ^ Lady Sale, "A Journal of the Disasters in Afghanistan 1841–42", London, Murray 1843, p. IX
- ^ Vincent Eyre, "The Military Operations at Cabul", London, Murray, MDCCCXLIII, p. XXXI.
- ^ U.S. Library of Congress, "Afghanistan: The society and its environment", index s.v. Qizilbash, (Link)
- ^ "World View – Aga Khan". Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ Morris, H. S. (1958). "The Divine Kingship of the Aga Khan: A Study of Theocracy in East Africa". Southwestern Journal of Anthropology. 14 (4): 454–472. doi:10.1086/soutjanth.14.4.3628938. JSTOR 3628938. S2CID 160596479.
- ^ "The Aga Khan's Direct Descent From Prophet Muhammad: Historical Proof". Ismaili Gnosis Research Team. 9 July 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ^ "Warlord of Kayan (1989) Trailer". Journeyman Pictures. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "Warlord of Kayan (1989) - Full Documentary". Hassan bin Sabbah Youtube Channel. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ ""World's largest Quran" unveiled in Afghanistan". CBS News. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "World's biggest handmade Holy Quran unveiled in Kabul". Khaama Press. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ a b c "AKDN in Afghanistan". AKDN. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "Afghan Ismailis supports Ashraf Ghani in presidential elections". Khaama Press. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "Karzai Campaigns in Remote Afghan Valley". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "Sayed Mansoor Naderi formally endorses Abdullah for upcoming presidential elections". Khaama Press. Retrieved 28 March 2024.