Afghan Political Figures Mark Ahmad Shah Massoud Assassination Anniversary
Marking the 25th anniversary of Ahmad Shah Massoud’s assassination, a number of Afghan political figures and movements have posted messages on social media describing him as an influential figure in the country’s modern history. The messages were published as memorial ceremonies for him inside Afghanistan have been halted since the Taliban returned to power.
Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai described Massoud as a “heroic mujahid and patriot” in a message, saying he deserved respect for his jihad, his efforts to free the homeland and his presence among the people. Abdullah Abdullah, former head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, also described him as a “truthful and selfless son of Afghanistan,” saying Massoud preferred collective interests over individual, group and ethnic demands.
Abdullah added that Ahmad Shah Massoud considered division and a lack of trust among Afghanistan’s ethnic groups as among the factors behind the collective failure of the people and the country, and that he worked until the end of his life to build unity and consensus among the country’s communities. The Jamiat-e-Islami Afghanistan party, of which Massoud was a prominent member, described him as an “unwavering, brave and moderate fighter,” saying he stressed the link between faith and civilisation as well as ethics-based politics.
The party also said Massoud fought for a democratic, stable, prosperous and pluralistic Afghanistan, and considered justice, the people’s basic freedoms and a political system based on the participation of all citizens to be fundamental principles of his struggle. In other messages, the Afghanistan Freedom Front and the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan also stressed his role in the fight against the Soviet Union and the Taliban administration.
The Afghanistan Freedom Front said Ahmad Shah Massoud stood against “terrorism and Taliban despotism” and left behind a legacy of struggle for freedom and defence of independence. The front added that, five years after the Taliban returned to power, Massoud’s path and fighting ideas have become more important than ever.
The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan also called his assassination a “turning point in Afghanistan’s modern history,” saying the event turned the struggle for freedom and social justice into a shared responsibility for the country’s citizens. The front also claimed that under the Taliban’s renewed rule, Ahmad Shah Massoud has become more than ever a symbol of national resistance and the shared aspirations of a nation.
Ahmad Shah Massoud was assassinated 24 years ago in Khwaja Bahauddin, in Afghanistan’s Takhar province, by two al Qaeda-linked attackers, and the former Afghan government had given him the title of “National Hero.” In past years, the anniversary of his assassination was marked with large memorial ceremonies in Kabul and other provinces, but after the Taliban took control, such events are no longer held inside the country, and his tomb in Panjshir has also been destroyed.
