Racial Slur in Afghanistan: Equating Hazaras with Dogs

No one comes short regarding the prejudice and dehumanization of the Hazara people in Afghanistan. Since the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, racism and hatred against the Hazaras have been on the rise and social media platforms have amplified it. I have tried to stay away from Twitter, but today, when logged in again, I accidentally stumbled upon a few racist tweets. One of them was by a person who claimed to be a Tajik commander of Panjshir valley. He created a Twitter poll by asking:
" Who is conscientious and loyal? Dog or Hazara." 

Here is the screenshot:

Equating Hazaras with dogs and other animals has a history of racism, exclusion, dehumanization, and genocide. I have written a blog post about this racial trope used against the Hazaras by the Tajiks, Pashtuns, and other ethnic groups. This kind of racial slur carries the echoes of ethnic hatred and deep animosity against the Hazara people, who are right now facing genocide. 

Oftentimes, people point the finger at Pashtun atrocities against the Hazaras. That is true, but it distracts us from widespread systemic racism that goes beyond one ethnic group and its elites. Remember, I'm adding "elites" to highlight the elites' role, which I believe is responsible for peddling racism against the Hazaras. 

Racism against the Hazaras grew among Tajiks faster than other among other ethnic groups. Just look at the number of racial slurs that exist in Farsi. Who created them? In atrocities against the Hazaras, the Tajik leaders did not fall short either. An obvious example is the Afshar Massacre in 1993 (HRW report here)by forces and militias led by Ahmad Shah Massoud and the Ittihad-e Islami (Islamic Union) led by Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf. We are living in the 21st century, and yet a Tajik residing in Sacramento, CA, cannot hold back her racist feelings against the Hazaras. This is dangerous, and with such racist and egregious attitudes, we cannot stand against the Taliban. Racism is as dangerous as the Taliban. 

Related post
The semantics of racial slurs in Afghanistan

Bahar Jalali: An Educator or a Racist?

Bahar Jalali is a well-educated Afghan-American woman. According to her Linkedin profile, she has received her MA from the University of Chicago and studied her doctorate at the University of California, Berkeley. She has taught at American University of Afghanistan for six years.

I was hoping that those Afghans who grew up in the West have skipped the inherited hatred of the Hazaras, but it turns out that I have been wrong. Here it is an evidence from an American born Afghan woman:

What makes Bahar Jalali, an American born Afghan to harbor such hatred towards the Hazaras who have been persecuted throughout the history? She says that the Hazaras should leave Afghanistan. That is exactly what the Taliban wanted almost two decades ago.

In November 1998, when the Taliban force took over the city of Mazar-e Sharif for the second time, the Taliban/Pashtun governor of Balkh, Mullah Manan Niazi, announced that the Hazaras are infidels and killing them is not a sin. Niazi then gave Hazaras three options: convert to Sunni Islam, leave the country, or die.

It is surprising to read such a racist tweet by an Afghan-American woman regarding the Hazaras who have been oppressed by her people for centuries. She must know better than anyone else what the Hazaras have been through. I can't help but to surmise that she has is a racist and she hates the Hazaras; the same people who have been working hard to rebuild the country. The sons and daughters of the same people whom she hates serve in army and police. In fact, when Jalili worked at American University of Afghanistan, the Hazaras have been protecting her from danger. The Hazaras were security guards at the compound where she held her classes.

I might write another blog post on this, but for now what can be done about it? What would you do to help her learn that she must take responsibility for her actions?
Remember she is an American citizen and she lives and works in the US.