Moves to help Sikhs leave Afghanistan strengthened after Sikh girl kidnapped

The kidnapping of a 13-year-old Sikh girl in Kabul has led to increased efforts to help the Afghan Sikh community leave the country.

*Note – Some Indian media outlets have stated the girl is actually 15 years old, which still makes her a minor.

Salmeet Kaur, kidnapped from Gurdwara Baba Sri Chand on July 17, was found and is now back with her family whilst her kidnapper has been arrested, according to Afghan Sikh sources. Quotes in Indian media from her family claim she was “brainwashed” and “threatened” into getting into a car with a Muslim man in an attempt to forcibly marry and convert her.

The day following her kidnapping whilst she was still missing, the Indian government announced it will expedite visas and look into the possibility of long-term residency for the community.

Similarly, the World Sikh Organization also reaffirmed and updated the public on their efforts to have the Canadian government create a Direct Sponsorship Program for Afghan Sikhs. This was started in March after an ISIS attack saw the slaughter of 25 Sikhs in the Guru Har Rai Gurdwara of Kabul.

WSO has advocated for Sikhs in 🇦🇫since 2015.

The March terrorist attack in Kabul left 25 dead and the situation continues to deteriorate with attacks+abductions. WSO is urging the 🇨🇦 Govt to create a Direct Sponsorship Program to #SaveAfghanSikhs. Update in the video below. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/AtJVkT1arZ

— WSO (@WorldSikhOrg) July 19, 2020

All of this occurred just as good news for Afghan Sikhs broke, as community figure Nidhan Singh was released by his kidnappers, having been taken on June 22. The move by the Indian government to make it easier for Afghan Sikhs to leave for India was welcomed by many but still concerns many due to a fear of the standard of living in India.

An Afghan Sikh said in an interview with the New York Times “I may get killed here because of these threats to Hindus and Sikhs, but in India I will die from poverty”. You can read the piece in full here.

The latest incident just underlines the dangers Sikhs and all minorities in Afghanistan live under from the threat of Islamic extremist groups, as well as criminals that prey on the community because of their vulnerability due to their minority status in a country plagued by violent extremists.