The other day I happened to be watching the news and I was overcome with grief after seeing a horrific video of mothers and babies being slaughtered and maimed in Afghanistan. I would like to share the video with you.

Note: This video contains graphic images – viewer discretion is advised.

According to eyewitness and many of the mainstream media, the perpetrators broke into the Dasht-e-Barchi maternity ward with one objective – to kill as many mothers and their newly born or soon to be born children as possible. The women who were killed were Hazaras.

Afghanistan’s Hazara community, a mostly Shia Muslim minority accounting for up to 20 percent of the population, has been attacked by Sunni militants from ISIS in the past and has faced decades of oppression and persecution.

Among the many victims of that tragedy were the frontline medical staff running the hospital in the midst of their very own COVID-19 challenges.

We are all under the impression that there will soon be a peace agreement in Afghanistan – as there have been discussions between the Afghan Government and the Taliban. Unfortunately, we continue to see these terrible things happening.  I just cannot imagine what would compel an individual to attack vulnerable mothers and babies in a maternity ward.

We cannot wait until another horrible attack happens before we act. As a nation that champions human rights on a global stage, we must stand up for the rights of our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan.

If not now then when, if not us then who?