Hazara Athletes Win Big at 2024 Paralympics Amid Taliban’s Genocidal Regime

Paris, September 2024 — Against all odds, three Hazara athletes—Zakia Khudadadi, Abbas Karimi, and Rohullah Nikpai—have won medals at the 2024 Paralympic Games, bringing global attention to their people’s plight as they face genocide, forced displacement, and brutal oppression in so-called Afghanistan and their occupied homeland, Hazaristan.

Zakia Khudadadi’s bronze medal in taekwondo is a stunning achievement, especially considering the horrors her people face daily. As a Hazara woman, Khudadadi’s victory is a direct challenge to the Taliban’s ruthless regime, which seeks to erase women from public life entirely. Under the Taliban’s extremist rule, shaped by a radical interpretation of Islam and the oppressive Pashtunwali code, women are banned from schools, barred from workplaces, and cut off from any form of social life. Khudadadi’s success is not just a sporting victory—it’s a defiance of tyranny.

Abbas Karimi’s silver medal in swimming is another powerful symbol of Hazara resilience. Born without arms, Karimi’s journey to the Paralympic podium is a story of grit and unbreakable spirit. His triumph comes while his people endure unimaginable suffering under Taliban control—a regime that systematically targets the Hazara for their ethnicity and faith, driving them from their homes and attempting to erase their identity.

Rohullah Nikpai, who has long been a symbol of Hazara pride, adds to this legacy. As the first-ever Olympic medalist from the region, Nikpai’s continued success in taekwondo serves as a beacon of hope for his people, who are relentlessly persecuted. His achievements highlight the immense potential within the Hazara community, even as they face severe oppression.

Adding historical depth to this narrative is the legacy of Muhammad Ibrahim Khedri, known as Pahlawan Ibrahim. Born on April 11, 1938, and passing on May 22, 2022, Pahlawan Ibrahim was a legendary Hazara wrestler who represented his people on the global stage by competing in the featherweight events at the 1960, 1964, 1968, and 1972 Summer Olympics. His distinguished career and steadfast courage have left an indelible mark on the Hazara community, embodying their enduring spirit of resistance and pride.

These athletes’ accomplishments starkly contrast with the brutal reality faced by the Hazara, a stateless nation enduring the Taliban’s genocidal campaign. The Taliban, driven by ethnic supremacy and extremist ideology, have seized control of Hazaristan, committing atrocities ranging from mass killings to forced displacement. The Hazara are systematically targeted and erased, yet their resilience remains unbroken.

The victories of Khudadadi, Karimi, and Nikpai are more than just personal triumphs—they are acts of defiance against a regime determined to annihilate their people. These athletes have shown the world that the Hazara spirit is unyielding, even in the face of genocide.

As the Hazara continue their fight for survival, these Paralympic medals stand as powerful symbols of resistance and a call for global recognition of the ongoing atrocities. The world must not only celebrate these athletes but also stand with the Hazara people in their struggle against erasure and oppression. Their courage and determination are a testament to the enduring strength of a nation that refuses to be silenced.