Afghan Religious Minorities too, the Sunnis are the majority at around 80-85 per cent of the population compared to Shias who are considered to be between 15-19 per cent.8 However, these numbers are merely estimates and are disputed. Shia leaders estimate the Shia population of the country at around 20-25 per cent while Sunni leaders claim that the Shias constitute only 10 per cent.9 The majority of the Shia population are ethnic Hazaras.10 However, several other ethnic groups are also Shia by religion. There is no statistical information on the number of Christians and Jews in Afghanistan, and the Hindu-Sikh community is generally believed to be less than 0.3 per cent of the entire population. In Afghanistan, ethnic boundaries are so strong that it has overshadowed the perception of majority and minority in terms of religion and language. In practice, the issue of discrimination against some ethnic minority groups—whose members are also religious minorities—is plethoric. Some ethnic groups are under constant and systematic discrimination and repression such as the Uzbeks, Hazaras, Ismailis, Pamiris, Shughnanis, and Baluchis. There is no protection measure in place to safeguard the minorities and their rights.11 This chapter delves into the issue of religious and ethnic minorities in Afghanistan. Although the theme of this year’s report is ‘refugees, migrants and stateless’, including minorities among them, in Afghanistan, there is no data available on the number of refugees, migrants and stateless. The chapter is based primarily on a review of the literature, supplemented by some group discussions and interviews. Finding data is a challenge in Afghanistan given the absence of any accessed November 11, 2019, https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2011/ sca/186457.htm. 8 ‘Country Profile: Afghanistan, August 2008’ Library of Congress-Federal Research Division, accessed February 22, 2020, https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/cs/ profiles/Afghanistan.pdf. 9 US State Department, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2011, accessed November 11, 2019, https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2011/ sca/186457.htm. 10 ‘Hazara | Definition, Culture, History, & Facts,’ Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed November 11, 2019, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hazara. 11 Focus Group Discussion. Civil Society and Human Rights Network., October 22 2019. 3