State of the World's Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2010 - Afghanistan

A significant part of 2009 was taken up by the presidential elections that were marred by widespread allegations of fraud, affecting the political stability of the country. The first round of elections was held on 20 August, the result of which was that the incumbent President Hamid Karzai was unable to stave off a run-off, while his side was tainted by widespread allegations of fraud. The second round was fixed for 7 November, but was called off when Karzai's main opponent, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, pulled out of the race. Karzai ultimately gained another term, but his reputation was weakened. Throughout the campaign and during the elections, ethnic issues played out, often causing tensions among communities. In the province of Balkh, in the relatively more stable northern part of Afghanistan, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting said in September 2009 that tensions between Pashtuns and Tajiks were destabilizing the province. Ethnic minorities, such as Hazaras and Uzbeks, also came under pressure as both candidates went all out to vie for their support, which had the potential to decide the election.

Karzai was declared president on 3 November. He has ahead of him an enormous task, as coalition force governments are under public pressure to bring home their troops, and Afghans are increasingly frustrated by the rising violence and the increasing numbers of civilian casualties. Amid domestic and international criticism over high levels of corruption and ineffective governance, the Taliban continues to grow in strength, posing a major security and human rights threat. Between January and December 2009, the civilian death toll rose to 2,412 compared to 2,118 during the same period the previous year, the UN Mission in Afghanistan reported.

In July 2009, President Karzai signed a new law that severely restricts the rights of minority Shia women. The Shia Personal Status Law was criticized by women's human rights groups for allowing a husband to withhold food from his wife for not having sex with him, restricting women from working without permission and denying women's custody rights over their children. Compared with an earlier draft, there were some changes, but many of the repressive measures remain. It was expected to be discussed in parliament but was approved by President Karzai, reportedly to win over the political support of senior Shia leaders ahead of the presidential elections. A separate family law for the country's Shia, mandated under the Constitution, had been a long-standing demand of the community, which feared the imposition of a family code dictated by the majority Sunni. Many Shia in Afghanistan, including Hazara, endured grave human rights abuses under the religious strictures of the Taliban. Minority Rights Group International (MRG) expressed concern regarding the impact of the law on Shia women. While it appears to have been passed in the name of protecting the rights of a religious minority community, it is in fact in violation of international women's human rights principles. The law also ignores non-discrimination provisions contained in the Afghan Constitution.