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Read this thesis yesterday.
The largest population of Afghan Hindus lives in Germany, mainly because of immigration laws of Germany in 1990s.
Majority of Hindus who left Afghanistan did so only in 1990s after the Soviet withdrawal and Taliban takeover. Before that they formed 1% of the population.
"Many left their large mansions, their cars, their clothes hanging in the closet, hoping that their stay away was going to be temporary and they would return when the fighting ended. Unfortunately, that day never came."
Most of the Hindus leaving Afghanistan first came to India.
"In India refugees are typically denied any officially recognized status"
Hindus learned Hindi in Hindu schools in Afghanistan.
"Most Afghan Hindus eat lamb or chicken but not beef or pork."
Hindus used to live together in enclaves in Kabul and Kandahar.
In Afghanistan, Hindus used to have a Panchayat to settle disputes.
No marriage with Muslims.
Any man marrying a Muslim woman was cut off from the community.
"Afghan Hindus frequently used the term “mazab bachana” or “protecting our religion”, to describe how they had collectively preserved their religion and culture"
One man mentioned that they used to go to the temples near Ghazni during Navaratri.
This is the Asamai temple in Kabul mentioned in above snippet.
https://afghanhindu.wordpress.com/2006/09/27/the-ashamai-temple-in-kabul/
https://afghanhindu.wordpress.com/2006/09/27/the-ashamai-temple-in-kabul/
The place of temples in daily routines of Hindus in Kandahar as remembered by one man who used to live there.
Hindu children used to attend Hindu school run by the temple in Kandahar.
"Although they had separate places of worship, it was not unusual for Hindus and Sikhs to intermarry"
Big part of thesis is related to the struggle of Afghan Hindus to live in Germany, maintain their identity and prevent the next generation from losing it entirely. They went from living in big joint families in Afghanistan in the '90s to an anti-family country like Germany.
It was a big culture shock and Afghan Hindus are still coming to terms with it.
Finished.
Finished.
