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Caste System and Racism in Afghanistan

Introduction

Afghanistan came into being in 1747 and since then has faced grim issues of ethnicity. Up to recently in the past few decades, the local violence has continued in many forms. After the Soviet invasion and later on against the War on Terrorism, Afghanistan has been subjected to various conflicts. No certain caste system exists in the country, but several conflicts of racism have occurred over the years. Primarily these conflicts have occurred between the Pashtun and Hazara tribes (Kakar, 1973, pp. 11).

Ethnic Make Up of Afghanistan

There are many different ethnicities living in Afghanistan. In the South and East of the country, Pashtuns are in majority. They are Sunni Muslim and speak Pushtu. On the other hand, Hazara are confined to the central part of the country. They are Shi'a Muslims. They speak Persian with different dialects and variations. According to some historians, they are the descendents of the Mongolian Genghis Khan. Due to their distinct features, they are easily recognized.

There are some other ethnic groups in the country as well. The Tajiks are another ethnicity who also speak Persian, but look quite different from the Hazarans. Uzbeks also exist and speak a variation of the Turkish language (Janda et. al, 2008, pp. 44).

Racism and Conflict in Afghanistan

It wouldn't be wrong to say that Afghanistan is home to different ethnicities and sub cultures. But, for over two centuries there have been many incidences of ethnic violence in the country. Most of these have occurred between the Hazara and Pashtun communities. There is no caste system in Afghanistan- and everyone is supposed to be equal in their rights, but sadly it hasn't been the case and has resulted in violence (Schofield, 2007, pp. 208).

People from different ethnic groups speak different languages and there is a continuous issue of arising conflicts. The British tried to colonize Afghanistan many years ago, but it didn't work. However, it gave rise to the ethnic conflicts that are still evident today.

Pashtun- Hazara Conflicts

According to Monsutti (2005), the Hazara people in Afghanistan have never enjoyed a good relationship with the Pashtuns. The government of Afghanistan consists of a vast majority of Pashtuns. Hence, the Hazara people have been subjected to injustice and animosity has increased between the two communities. After the communist revolution in Afghanistan more than two centuries ago, Hazara people have formed overt alliances with militant groups to counter the Pashtun dominance in the region.

The old Hazara settlers in Afghanistan did notice the political rise of the Pashtuns in the country. Their increased power did alarm the Hazarans and later they were evicted from their agricultural lands and were somehow forced to live away in the mountainous regions. Due to a troubled governmental set up, issues of autonomy were serious. And, the government as an institution enjoyed little control over the country.

The community of Pashtuns has been subjected to many researches. A widely recognized belief is that as they had political power ...