Author:
Publications: The Times of India
Date: May 23, 2001
Kabul: Taliban's religious police
minister Mohammad Wali said on Tuesday that the Militia's decision that
Hindus in the country wear identity labels to distinguish themselves from
the Muslims was in line with Islam.
"Religious minorities living in
an Islamic state must be identified," he said, adding that the exact date
enforcing the laws which would also make it mandatory for Hindu women to
veil themselves just like their Muslims counterparts, was still to be set.
The Taliban has still not decided what sort of identity labels the Hindus
will have to wear. It was unclear whether foreigners living in Afghanistan
would be required to wear identity labels.
There are at least 5,000 Hindus
living in Kabul. Thousands of others live in other Afghan cities, but there
are no reliable figures of exactly how many. "The new law will be meant
for only Hindus because there are no Christians or Jews in Afghanistan
and Sikhs can be easily recognised by their turbans," Mr. Wali said.
India has strongly reacted to the
move, terming it as discriminatory for the minorities.
