Jihad’s “heir”

Instead of pointing fingers at the government of national unity, jihadist leaders should have introspected this April 27, the 24th Mujahedin Victory Day.

Those who consider themselves the heirs of jihad – the mujahedin who overthrew the communist government of president Najibullah in 1992 – must realise they are viewed with suspicion.

Instead of pointing fingers at the government of national unity, jihadist leaders should have introspected this April 27, the 24th Mujahedin Victory Day.

Those who consider themselves the heirs of jihad – the mujahedin who overthrew the communist government of president Najibullah in 1992 – must realise they are viewed with suspicion.

Afghan people believe that the victory against the government that was backed by the Soviet Union was the result of their devotion and effort and what came after – the civil war – was a disaster. It was led by jihadist leaders who are still trying to gain power and amass wealth.

Abdul Fatah, who lost family members in the civil war, is dismissive of the recent criticism by the jihadists. “They criticise the government’s performance when they are out of power. When they are in power you will not hear a word of criticism. Neither will they achieve anything,” he says.

Some political commentators think avarice has been the downfall of jihadist leaders. Mohammad Qarabaghi, a political analyst says that had they steered clear of sectarian and tribal one-upmanship there would have been no civil war. He also blames them for the rise of the Taleban with the clandestine support of their former mentor, Pakistan. Pakistan had been the conduit for arms for the mujahedin from the US. But did the mujahedin learn any lessons from their sidelining during the Taleban regime? They did not and consequently they had no role to play post-2001, says Qarabaghi.

Political observer Abbas Farasoo says the mujahedin could not set aside tribal differences and unite to form a government. “It was a terrible tragedy for Kabul. The city was divided into four parts – partisans of rival military and tribal groups shot and bombed each other.  The Afghan capital which was once a most beautiful city was destroyed and changed into a city of dead souls,’ he says.

The heirs of the previous jihad still only criticise instead of concretely trying to reform and rebuild the country.

Khalilllah Fakori, a civil society activist says jihadist leaders should be doing their best to stop the country’s slide into chaos.

People feel Afghan leaders are not thinking of the public but about their privileges. Sakina, 48, who was widowed during the civil war in Kabul in the early 1990s, says she has with considerable difficulty brought up three children. But the future has not got any brighter, she adds. She blames the “leaders” as the main culprits for her “black past and bleak future”.

“They have abused the blood of people, and also my husband’s,” she says. “My husband was killed; my children have faced such difficulties for no fault of theirs. Still the leaders boast about their loyalty to the country and jihad, and see themselves as heirs of jihad and live in marble palaces.”

Contested claim

She says that the rightful heirs of jihad are the people but they have always been forgotten and kept on the sidelines. The jihadist leaders claim to be defenders of citizens’ rights but the people are tyrannised frequently, she adds.

Hasina’s feelings find echoes in the comments of Ali Reza Hasani, a lecturer at the private Gharjistan University. “At every stage (in Afghanistan’s recent history) the credit for claiming independence goes to the people. Yet ordinary Afghans have never got real rights for the blood they have spilt. The leaders have earned food and fame from jihad,” he says.

Why can’t the jihadists use their amassed wealth to look after the offspring of martyrs? Since 2001 alone, nearly 30,000 civilians have died in the conflict.