ISLAMABAD - The Afghan opposition alliance on Friday joined an international chorus of condemnation of the Islamic Taliban for ordering the country's Hindu minority to wear yellow badges to identify themselves.
The Taliban's ruling, made earlier this week, has evoked memories of Nazi Germany when Jews were forced to wear yellow stars.
"We protest against this and condemn it strongly. Islamic laws have given freedom to the religious minorities and that should be observed," Mohammad Asim Sohail, an anti-Taliban spokesman, said by a satellite phone from an opposition enclave in the northeast of the country.
Sohail said the order was part of a move initiated by Taliban's supporter Pakistan in order to fan religious hatred and discord in Afghanistan and its arch-rival India where Hindus are a majority.
"By such deeds through the Taliban, Pakistan wants to stir religious war between Hindus and Muslims living in India," Asim told reporters from northeastern Afghanistan, which is controlled by commander Ahmad Shah Masood, who was ousted by the Taliban in 1996.
Sohail said the destruction of Buddha statues three months ago by the Taliban despite an international outcry was a similar attempt that inflamed the world and led to the burning of some copies of Koran in India, causing Hindu-Muslim tensions there.
"Muslims and Hindus have lived for centuries in relative harmony in India and probably Islamabad wants to give a blow to its arch rival by such means for creating instability in India," he added.
The Taliban say they are attempting to protect the estimated 1,700 Hindus -- by telling them to wear the yellow badges as an identity -- from its religious police which imposes rules on Muslim Afghans, such as herding them to the mosques for prayers.
The Taliban have also termed the international outcry as an interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.
Some Hindus living in Afghanistan have protested against the decision, but some others say they will follow the order and that the Taliban have not interfered in their religious rituals or traditions.
Hindu representatives said on Friday they had not yet worn the badges and would discuss the issue with Taliban's religious police, the powerful Taliban organ which directly acts under the orders of its reclusive leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar.
04:41 05-25-01
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