In a landmark legislative decision, the Parliament of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia has passed a motion officially recognizing the late 19th-century genocide of the Hazara people in its state records and designating September 25 as “Hazara Black Day.”
Introduced by Legislative Council member Anthony D’Adam, the motion received broad multi-partisan support across the upper house. The legislative document explicitly acknowledges the state-sponsored campaigns carried out under the rule of Amir Abdur Rahman Khan between 1888 and 1893. During these violent campaigns, more than 60 percent of the global Hazara population was systematically massacred, with survivors subjected to mass forced displacement, land confiscation, and widespread enslavement.
The resolution further records that the Hazara community has faced continuous systemic repression, sectarian massacres, religious discrimination, and targeted sexual violence into the modern era. The document explicitly cites escalating security threats, including targeted bombings and attacks perpetrated against Hazara civilians, educational centers, and places of worship by Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) and under de facto Taliban rule.
Lawmakers emphasized that official recognition aims to document historical atrocities, honor victims, and prevent organized violence against vulnerable ethnic and religious minorities from being erased. Following the state-level passage, Anthony D’Adam called directly on the Australian federal government to follow suit by formally recognizing the Hazara genocide at the national level.