Minutes after a bomb destroyed another minivan in a Hazara neighbourhood in west Kabul – the fourth in just 48 hours – Mohammad Shoaib Khiari began calling his mother.
She had gone with her two daughters to buy curtains for their new home.
He was frantic when she did not answer and began to search Kabul hospitals. He found his sister, Hosnia in critical condition with burns over 50 per cent of her body.
His mother and his sister, Mina, 23, were dead.
Three days later on June 6, Hosnia, 21, died – the latest victim in a series of attacks targeting Afghanistan’s ethnic Hazaras.
Some human rights groups are calling the many attacks a "crime against humanity". As well as being among the poorest in Afghanistan, ethnic Hazaras are also mostly Shiite Muslims, a minority in predominantly Sunni Afghanistan.
This week, when ISIS attacked de-mining NGO Halo Trust in Baghlan province, killing 10, witnesses said the attackers were looking to target Hazaras.
The charity's chief executive James Cowan said when the gunmen stormed the camp they demanded to know which team members were from the Hazara community. "When our staff refused to name them, the gunmen went from room to room murdering our staff."
After the collapse of the Taliban 20 years ago, Hazara community members began to flourish and soon advanced in various fields, including education and sports, and moved up the ladder of success.
They now fear those gains will be lost to chaos and war after the final withdrawal of American and Nato troops from Afghanistan this summer.
“People who can afford to leave Afghanistan, they leave Afghanistan, or if they cannot afford to leave Afghanistan, they stay here and wait to die,” said Qatradullah Broman, a mourner at the funeral of Mina and her mother.
A local ISIS affiliate has declared war on the Afghanistan’s minority Shiites and has claimed responsibility for many of the recent attacks. The Taliban when they last ruled were accused of massacring Hazaras, in tit-for-tat attacks that followed the killing of ethnic Pashtuns in northern Afghanistan.
In Hazara homes, suspicion even falls on the government as they wonder why perpetrators are rarely arrested, and investigations never made public.
They complain of lax security in Hazara-dominated areas even as attacks proliferate, and some recall warlords allied to the government who massacred Hazaras in previous wars.
Following last week’s bombings in western Kabul that killed Mr Khiari’s sisters and mother, a social media hashtag campaign #StopHazaraGenocide briefly trended on Twitter.
The UN Human Rights Commission has been petitioned to investigate the killing of Hazaras as genocide, or at least as a "war against humanity", said Wadood Pedram, executive director of the Kabul-based Human Rights and Eradication of Violence Organisation, which initiated the petition.
Hazaras, meanwhile, have been killed at schools, at sports clubs, even at birth.
Last year gunmen attacked a maternity hospital, also in west Kabul, killing 24 people including newborns and their mothers.
The US blamed ISIS but more than a year later no arrests have been made. Rights workers say these attacks rise to the level of war crimes.
Mr Khiari’s family believes that Afghans are tired of war and all people must work together for peace.
“We have to work to bring peace in this country, so people can enjoy their lives. At the moment everyone is living with fear, every time someone’s child leaves the home, it is hard to say if he or she will make it back alive,” said Mina’s uncle, Yusof Rajabi.
The killings are causing Hazaras, who traditionally have been non-violent, who disarmed after the Taliban fled and embraced the nation’s new-found democracy, to turn to militant leaders, some of whom have fought the Taliban and are now in the crosshairs of the government.
In some parts of west Kabul where Hazaras dominate, the rumblings have begun to sound ominous.
Talk has turned to arming Hazara youth to defend against attacks that have been increasingly vicious and often targeting the educated young.
The May 8 triple bombing of the Syed Al Shahada girls’ school that killed more than 100, nearly 80 of them Hazara students, enraged Hazaras. Some say it has been a turning point.
Sitting on the carpeted floor of the Wali Asar Mosque in west Kabul, Ghulam Reza Berati, a prominent Hazara religious leader, said Hazaras are disappointed in the democracy brought by the US-led coalition following the collapse of the Taliban.
Hazaras, who embraced the new order, have largely been excluded from positions of prominence, he said.
They were among the first to disarm after the US-led invasion in 2001, while many warlords and their groups are still heavily armed 20 years later, he says.
“When human rights, women rights, rule of law and all other internationally recognised laws are not achieved with civilisation, then we have to turn to guns,” Mr Berati said .
The presence of some of the warlords, who are powerful in the government today, remind Hazaras of the violence some perpetrated upon them and the potential dangers the future holds.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%20and%20electric%20motor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20power%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20700hp%20at%207%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20torque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20720Nm%20at%202%2C250rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100km%2Fh%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E330kph%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh1.14%20million%20(%24311%2C000)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
PSL FINAL
Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi
8pm, Thursday
Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Zayed Sustainability Prize
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Suarez 27', Vidal 32', Dembele 35', Messi 78')
Sevilla 0
Red cards: Ronald Araujo, Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)
Read more about the coronavirus
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DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
RESULTS
Bantamweight title:
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) bt Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
(KO round 2)
Catchweight 68kg:
Sean Soriano (USA) bt Noad Lahat (ISR)
(TKO round 1)
Middleweight:
Denis Tiuliulin (RUS) bt Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
(TKO round 1)
Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) bt Joachim Tollefsen (DEN)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 68kg:
Austin Arnett (USA) bt Daniel Vega (MEX)
(TKO round 3)
Lightweight:
Carrington Banks (USA) bt Marcio Andrade (BRA)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 58kg:
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) bt Malin Hermansson (SWE)
(Submission round 2)
Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (CAN) bt Juares Dea (CMR)
(Split decision)
Middleweight:
Mohamad Osseili (LEB) bt Ivan Slynko (UKR)
(TKO round 1)
Featherweight:
Tarun Grigoryan (ARM) bt Islam Makhamadjanov (UZB)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 54kg:
Mariagiovanna Vai (ITA) bt Daniella Shutov (ISR)
(Submission round 1)
Middleweight:
Joan Arastey (ESP) bt Omran Chaaban (LEB)
(Unanimous decision)
Welterweight:
Bruno Carvalho (POR) bt Souhil Tahiri (ALG)
(TKO)
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
More coverage from the Future Forum
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
