Were you surprised to learn about the racial tension between the Pashtuns and Hazaras in Afghanistan? Can you think of any culture in the world without a history of oppression? Why do you think minority groups are oppressed so often?

Given the reader is aware of the ongoing War in Afghanistan following the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the presence of the Taliban is not surprising. The ongoing conflict between Pashtuns and Hazaras is lesser known and has a religious basis. The Hazaras are a Shi'a Muslim minority, while the Pashtuns are a Sunni Muslim majority.
Every country in the world has experienced oppression in some form. Whether it is between races, such as slavery in the United States before 1865; between social classes, such as poor working conditions and wages of the lower class during the Industrial Revolution; or ethnic groups, as was the case during the persecution of the Tutsis by the Hutus during the Rwandan Genocide. Oppression is a very general word, encapsulating any unjust treatment or form of control.
Minority groups are often subject to oppression because their smaller numbers are more easily exploited by governments and opposing groups. Differences established by minorities, such as religion, culture, and physical characteristics, can be interpreted as inferiority or a threat to the majority. This makes minority groups vulnerable to discrimination and prejudice, resulting in hate crimes, violent acts, segregation, and other forms of oppression engaged in by both the public and government institutions.