marginalization and forced evictions from their homes and land in recent years. The Baloch community has seen members detained and forcibly disappeared. In 2023, there were instances of Kuchi communities attacking Hazara residents; between June and August, six Hazara men were killed in the Khas Urozgan district, amid ongoing impunity for these crimes. In October, two Hazaras were killed at the border between Lal wa Srajangal and Dawlat Yar districts of Ghor province. Several killings of Hazara men, including religious leaders, were also reported in Herat province in November and December.210 The Taliban have also imposed restrictions on Shia – the minority in majority Sunni Afghanistan – at religious events, such as the Ashura commemoration, citing security reasons. On July 28 2023, in Ghazni province, Taliban forces killed four Shia Hazaras and wounded six others while dispersing Ashura commemorations. The Taliban have also excluded Shia jurisprudence from the education system, enforcing Sunnionly religious teachings.211 THE PHILIPPINES In the Philippines, the Catholic Church has historically held a strong following amongst the country’s population, with more than 78.8 percent of citizens identifying as Catholic today.212 The Catholic Church wields significant social, ideological, and political power, reinforced by its vast network of institutions and properties, including schools, hospitals, orphanages, banks, land, and churches.213 The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is the group of bishops (Episcopal Conference) that leads the Catholic Church in the Philippines in its pastoral and evangelizing work. ANTI-ABORTION CATHOLIC TEACHINGS ON THE ‘PROTECTION OF LIFE’ FROM CONCEPTION ONWARD ARE ENSHRINED IN THE 1987 CONSTITUTION, INFLUENCING PUBLIC HEALTH AND REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE POLICIES, DESPITE THE PHILIPPINES’ STATUS AS A SECULAR STATE. 210 Ibid. 211 Ibid. 212 “Catholics Make Up Nearly 79% of Philippine Population.” BusinessWorld, February 22, 2023. https://www.bworldonline.com/the-nation/2023/02/22/506351/catholics-make-up-nearly-79-of-philippine-population/ 213 Library of Congress. (2016). Philippines: Legal Provisions on Emergency Contraception. https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/gdc/gdcovop/2017343079/2017343079.pdf 59