Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Was that question directed to me?

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  It definitely was the race. In Afghanistan, religion has always been used as a weapon. It has been weaponized to mobilize people. But the purpose has always been racial. This race and ethnicity conflict has been the key foundation for all of the wars in that country. Some of the issues you mentioned have been used against the Hazaras, that they are Mongols, that they are not from this country.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  The Hazaras are very diverse. They are the most diverse ethnic group in Afghanistan. They are Shias. They are Sunnis. They are Ismailis. Recently, there are new Christian converts. Because of this diversity, there is no one single establishment that would be regarded as leadership—for example, one single political party.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you very much for the question. In Afghanistan, it is a well-known fact that Hazara women are better treated by their male family members than are women in other ethnic groups. In the 1830s—apologies for going back to the 19th century again—the first American—

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Yes. Because the Hazaras have a more egalitarian attitude towards women, they allow girls to go school. They allow the female members of the family to go out to work. In one district of the Ghazni province, there are more high school girls than in the entire province of Helmand, which is a province in which Pashtuns reside.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I think one way to understand the current situation of the Hazaras under the Taliban is to see how, in the South Asian region in general, Islamic extremism operates. The hatred towards religious minorities such as the Shias, Ahmadis, Hindus and other minorities who live in Afghanistan and Pakistan is one of the main driving forces for recruitment of these extremist groups.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Okay. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I'm honoured to be speaking with you about the social and historical aspects of the violence against the Hazara people. Wars, ethnic cleansing, enslavement and land grabs leave lasting legacies. In Afghanistan, the Hazaras have been the victims of all these forms of violence throughout the modern history of the country.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  How about if I turn off my camera and only talk on audio?

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you. Good afternoon. [Technical difficulty—Editor]