III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 513 

Recognizing the growing threats against women and children, religious and 

ethnic minorities, and LGBTQI persons in Afghanistan and against 

allies of such individuals, such as civil society leaders and activists, 

scholars, former government officials, journalists, and media workers, 

and expressing solidarity with and reaffirming the dire need to protect 

vulnerable and minority populations and their allies in Afghanistan under 

Taliban rule. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 

Mr. MARKEY (for himself, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. BOOKER, 

Mr. SCHATZ, Mr. CASEY, Ms. SMITH, Ms. WARREN, and Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the growing threats against women and children, 

religious and ethnic minorities, and LGBTQI persons 

in Afghanistan and against allies of such individuals, 

such as civil society leaders and activists, scholars, 

former government officials, journalists, and media workers, and expressing solidarity with and reaffirming the 

dire need to protect vulnerable and minority populations 

and their allies in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. 

Whereas the Taliban have a history of prohibiting women 

from receiving an education and pursuing jobs outside 


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•SRES 513 IS 

their homes and have publicly executed women who were 

accused of adultery; 

Whereas a 2001 report by the Department of State noted 

that, from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban ‘‘perpetrated egregious acts of violence against women’’ as part of a ‘‘war 

against women’’; 

Whereas, in some Afghan provinces taken over by the Taliban 

beginning in May 2021, there are reports that the 

Taliban have forced women into marriage with Taliban 

fighters and have led targeted killings against women; 

Whereas United Nations High Commissioner for Human 

Rights Michelle Bachelet has expressed concern with the 

Taliban’s contradiction of ‘‘stated commitments,’’ their 

exclusion of women from the public sector, and their restrictions on women, such as not allowing women to appear in public without a male chaperone; 

Whereas, since 2018, the Secretary of State has designated 

the Taliban as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom pursuant to section 301 of the Frank R. 

Wolf International Religious Freedom Act (22 U.S.C. 

6442a) for having engaged in ‘‘particularly severe violations of religious freedom’’; 

Whereas, in October 2021, the United States Commission on 

International Religious Freedom reported on deteriorating conditions for religious minorities in Afghanistan, 

noting growing fear among Hazara Shi’a Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Ahmadi Muslims, Baha’is, and 

nonbelievers, and stating, ‘‘Afghans who do not adhere to 

the Taliban’s harsh and strict interpretation of Sunni 

Islam and adherents of other faiths or beliefs are at 

grave threat’’; 


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•SRES 513 IS 

Whereas the Hazaras constitute approximately 10 to 15 percent of the national population in Afghanistan and are 

considered a minority religious group; 

Whereas the Hazaras specifically, along with other religious 

and ethnic minorities, have historically been explicitly targeted by the Taliban and have been abused with impunity; 

Whereas Amnesty International reported that on August 30, 

2021, 13 Hazaras were unlawfully killed in the village of 

Kahor in the Khider district by Taliban fighters, with 

one of the victims being a 17-year-old girl; 

Whereas, in 2021, the Taliban forcibly displaced approximately 4,000 Hazaras from their homes and ancestral 

lands in Daykundi province while a Taliban court expelled approximately 2,000 families from the city of 

Mazar-e-Sharif; 

Whereas, in 2021, more than 30 instances of violence and 

threats of violence against Afghan journalists were recorded; 

Whereas activists, journalists, civil society actors, and scholars face threats and intimidation and risk being unlawfully detained or tortured or becoming a victim of targeted killings by the Taliban; 

Whereas adherence to the rule of law and protection of 

human rights is rapidly deteriorating under the Taliban, 

which are reportedly targeting judges, prosecutors, lawyers, human rights defenders, journalists, former parliamentarians, and individuals who previously advocated for 

human rights and the rule of law, particularly women; 

Whereas there are reports of the Taliban conducting houseto-house searches and tracking individuals who served the 


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•SRES 513 IS 

previous authorities and then carrying out targeted revenge killings; 

Whereas, during the previous period of rule of the Taliban, 

the Taliban reportedly executed Afghan men alleged to 

have engaged in sexual activity with other men; 

Whereas the current Acting Prime Minister of the Taliban reportedly stated in 1996 that ‘‘homosexuality is a great 

sin’’ and ‘‘some say we should take these sinners to a 

high roof and throw them down, while others say we 

should dig a hole beside a wall, bury them, then push the 

wall down on top of them’’; 

Whereas a Taliban judge, Gul Rahim, stated in July 2021 

that ‘‘[f]or homosexuals, there can only be two punishments: either stoning or he must stand behind a wall that 

will fall down on him,’’ and a spokesman for the Ministry 

of Finance of Afghanistan noted that LGBT rights would 

not be respected under the Taliban’s interpretation of 

Sharia law; and 

Whereas, in 2022, many LGBTQI individuals in Afghanistan 

are forced to live in hiding due to reports of threats and 

attacks against such individuals in the community: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) stands in solidarity with the people of Af3 ghanistan and with vulnerable groups including 

4 women and children, religious and ethnic minorities, 

5 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and 

6 intersex (LGBTQI) persons, civil society actors, 


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1 journalists, and other at-risk populations in Afghani2 stan; 

3 (2) reaffirms the longstanding commitment of 

4 the United States to advance human rights world5 wide; 

6 (3) calls on the Taliban to uphold the protec7 tion of universal human rights, including the com8 mitments set forth in the Universal Declaration of 

9 Human Rights and enshrined in the International 

10 Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Af11 ghanistan is a party; 

12 (4) encourages the executive branch to continue 

13 to call for the protection of women and children, re14 ligious and ethnic minorities, civil society actors, 

15 journalists, and LGBTQI persons under Taliban 

16 rule; 

17 (5) calls for the international community to 

18 condemn human rights violations committed by the 

19 Taliban; 

20 (6) reaffirms the commitment of the United 

21 States to support Afghan civil society, individuals 

22 who assisted with the war efforts of the United 

23 States and allies of the United States, and individ24 uals who advocate for universal human rights; and 


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1 (7) calls on the United States Government to 

2 work closely with the international community and 

3 nongovernmental organizations, particularly such or4 ganizations based in Afghanistan, to support at-risk 

5 Afghan minority populations and other vulnerable 

6 communities, including through efforts to stem the 

7 growing humanitarian crisis that will disproportion8 ately impact already vulnerable groups. 

Æ 


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