Francis denounces discrimination in Afghanistan and Pakistan

"The force of law" must prevail over "the law of force," explained Pope Francis as he addressed a delegation from the Afghan community in Italy on August 7, 2024. Without explicitly mentioning the role of the Taliban, who have been back in power in Kabul for three years, the Pontiff addressed the "complicated and dramatic history" of Afghanistan.

In the presence of Afghans who have chosen "the path of exile," Pope Francis noted that Afghan and Pakistani societies are "made up of many peoples, each proud of its culture, its traditions, its specific way of life."

But this multi-ethnic character has become "a source of discrimination and exclusion," and even of real "persecution," the Pope lamented.

He noted that particularly in the tribal areas on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, "the party that is or feels stronger tends to go beyond the prescriptions of the law or to override minorities, protecting itself with the so-called right of force rather than relying on the force of law."

The head of the Catholic Church expressed his sadness at seeing religion becoming "a factor of confrontation and hatred, which can lead to violent acts." Referring to the Abu Dhabi Document signed with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar on February 4, 2019, Pope Francis explained that "the religious factor, by its very nature, should contribute to softening the harshness of contrasts, should create the necessary space so that everyone can be granted the full rights of citizenship on an equal footing and without discrimination."

Referring also to discrimination against the Pashtun ethnic group in Pakistan, the Pope expressed his hope for the beginning of a "new era, in which the force of law, compassion, and collaboration in mutual respect will give rise to a more just and humane civilization."

He pointed in particular to the fraternity between Christians and Muslims in certain African countries. For this, he drew on his experience of Muslim-Christian dialogue during his visit to Bangui, Central Africa, in November 2015. He invited his Afghan interlocutors to "fight" for "true brotherhood."

At the general audience a few moments later, the Pope called for the elimination of "ethnic discrimination in Pakistan and Afghanistan," targeting in particular discrimination affecting women.

It's worth noting that no women are to be seen in the photos released by the Vatican media of the Pope's meeting with the Afghan Association in Italy, the delegation being made up of just a dozen men.

In November 2021, three months after the Taliban entered Kabul, an agreement involving the Community of Sant'Egidio and the Italian Episcopal Conference provided for 1,200 Afghan refugees to be received in Italy. Some were taken in by Salesian communities.

Historically, Italy was also the land of exile of Afghanistan's last king, Mohamed Zaher Shah, who reigned from 1933 to 1973 before being overthrown by his cousin. He lived in exile in Rome for almost 30 years, until his return to Kabul in 2002. He was given the honorary title of "Father of the Nation," and supported the new regime of President Hamid Karzai until his death in 2007.

The Holy See has never maintained diplomatic relations with Afghanistan, but President Karzai attended John Paul II's funeral on April 8, 2005. 

This landlocked Central Asian country has no stable Catholic presence. The country's only priest, the Italian Barnabite missionary Giovanni Scalese, was evacuated in August 2021 when the Taliban returned. Linked to the Italian embassy, the small Catholic mission in Kabul was essentially dedicated to the spiritual care of expatriates working in humanitarian efforts, but the country is also said to have several hundred, if not several thousand, clandestine Christians.