Taliban force Hindus to wear ID tags

Hindus will be required to wear an identity label on their clothing in Islamic Afghanistan to distinguish them from Muslims, a Taliban minister said today.

The hardline militia, who control 95% of the country, will enforce the edict soon though an exact date has not been set, according to Mohammed Wali, religious police minister.

The law will also make it mandatory for Hindu women to veil themselves - just like Muslim women of Afghanistan, Wali said.

It prompted an angry statement from Hindu-dominated India.

‘‘We absolutely deplore such orders which patently discriminate against minorities,’’ Press Trust of India quoted an unnamed Indian foreign ministry official as saying.

‘‘It is further evidence of the backward and unacceptable ideological underpinning of the Taliban,’’ the news agency quoted him as saying.

The decision could further isolate the orthodox Islamic militia, already under fire from the West for alleged discriminatory policies toward ethnic and religious minorities, human rights abuses and poor treatment of women.

But Wali said criticism will not make the Taliban withdraw the edict.

‘‘The decision is line with Islam,’’ he said. ‘‘Religious minorities living in an Islamic state must be identified.’’

The Taliban have not yet taken any decision what sort of an identity label Hindus will have to wear.

There are at least 5,000 Hindus living in the capital Kabul.

It was unclear whether foreigners living in Afghanistan would be required to wear the identity label.

Anar, an Afghan Hindu in Kabul who uses just one name, said he does not want to wear a label.

‘‘It will make us vulnerable and degrade our position in the society,’’ he said.

But Munawaar Hasan, general secretary of a major Islamic political party called Jamaat-e-Islami, or Islamic Party, said the move aimed to give protection to Hindus.

‘‘The Taliban should win praise for this step,’’ he said. ‘‘Providing protection to religious minorities is a must in any Islamic country and this step seems in line with this concept,’’ he said.

The Taliban follow a harsh version of Islam that bars women from most jobs and education, and makes it mandatory for men to have beards and pray five times a day.

All forms of light entertainment, including television and music, are outlawed.

The Taliban drew worldwide criticism when in March they destroyed two ancient statues of Buddha in central Bamiyan, calling it their religious duty.