Iran is a Menace to Afghan Refugees
It's Time for Accountability
Iran’s oppressive government has never hesitated to commit any injustice against Afghan migrants. Throughout its history as a cruel neighboring country, Iran has always been thirsty for the blood of innocent and helpless Afghans. I consider the government of this country a shameful stain among the Islamic nations of the world.
Afghans migrate due to economic difficulties, the need for work, and the psychological crisis brought by the Taliban’s return to Afghanistan. However, Iran punishes the helpless people of Afghanistan in ways that may be unprecedented in history. Iran treats the poor people of Afghanistan in an inhumane manner.
In recent days, the oppressive government has killed nearly 300 Afghans at its border by placing landmines and then shooting them. No country in the world has the right to shoot migrants who are entering another country. Currently, more than eight million Afghan migrants live in neighboring countries. International and humanitarian organizations must take action to protect the rights of Afghan migrants.
The International Criminal Court must get involved in this matter and prosecute the border guards responsible for the brutal martyrdom of 300 innocent Afghan migrants. Afghans are being killed in various ways in Iran, and this is just one example that has occurred. There are thousands of other instances of similar gruesome murders.
As Martin Luther King Jr. Once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The international community must act to stop these violations of human rights and bring justice to those who have been wronged.
Here are the reasons why Afghans are fleeing:
1. War and Insecurity: Unrest, internal conflicts, and attacks by the Taliban, Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and the Pakistani Taliban force people to leave their homes.
2. Poverty and Economic Problems: The lack of job opportunities, economic collapse, and financial crises lead people to migrate to other countries for work and a better life. Afghanistan is a humanitarian catastrophe.
3. Political Instability: Political crises and unstable governmental changes deprive people of security and everyday life, pushing them to migrate. The Taliban is a cruel government, and so more people are fleeing than ever before.
4. Education and a Better Future: The Taliban has already destroyed the country. Girls cannot get an education. The economy is in shambles. Those promised a better future by the West are now chasing that dream outside the country.
5. Humanitarian Crises: Droughts, lack of natural resources, and environmental crises have compelled people to seek a more stable living environment.
The United States and the international community abandoned Afghanistan three years ago to the Taliban. However, the West can still stand up for those affected by this decision. Afghan refugees are suffering all over the globe. The least the international community can do is hold our murderers accountable.
Zarifa Zadran is a former Afghan university assistant professor who lives in the US.
After the incoming administration applies the lessons learned in Doha to the situation in Ukraine my guess is that the EU will have plenty of refugees to attend to. Probably best not to look for much help from that quarter. It is probably time to welcome Iran as a nuclear player in the region given the track record of T. Rump 1.0, elections have consequences.