Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Cross Communal Sympathy: Strong Step towards Nation Building

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Cross Communal Sympathy: Strong Step towards Nation Building

The growing fundamental changes at ground level are promising particularly among new Afghan generation. Despite serious challenges are still ahead that need to be overcome, Afghan youngsters have reached to conclusion to work together irrespective of their language and communal differences. While only 13 years ago, the gap among communities was such large that the possibility of building Trust Bridge was really hard. But now any incidents anywhere in the country irrespective of the casualties’ communal linkage spark overwhelming sympathy cross ethnic groups. Series of demonstrations were held in big cities for the victims of suicide bombing in Paktiya province where around 80 people were killed and more than hundred wounded. The demonstrators only voiced out anger against main culprits behind and were mixed of all ethnicities.

Similar sympathies sparked for victims of Ghor province. On early Friday, Taliban militants stopped minibus of passengers on the way and shot them all dead including three women and a child. They were in minibus heading from Cheghcheran toward Kabul but stopped 25 Kilometers away from the city and were shot dead  indiscriminately. Anwar Rahmati, the provincial governor of Ghor province has told to BBC that these people were heading toward Kabul in order to pass their Eid festival, one of the holiest celebration for Muslims across the globe in this city and Taliban stopped them and separated them on account of their identity card. Taliban then shot dead all those who were Hazara and released the rest of them.

The incident sparked anger among various communities. Many youngsters not from Hazara community suggested that they should conduct campaign of “I am a Hazara”. Such voices are still limited but of course the raw material to build a strong and integrated nation. Such campaign and express of sympathy on one hand show that how different communities in Afghanistan who just years ago used to point weapons toward each other and pierces one another’s chest have come far in terms of acceptance and brotherhood and on the other hand cause to fuel fraternity in the country. So, instead of blaming each other, people have learned how to feel each other’s pain and look to problems from different angles.

However, it is not the first time that Hazara are targeted due to ethnicity militants frequently separated Hazaras and then shot them dead. Taliban always tortured, kidnapped and shot dead Hazara passengers who are going in or coming out of Hazarajat in order to fuel the old communal enmity which would easily drag the country to the edge of disintegration.

Indisputably, one of the key intentions of Taliban is fuelling communal distrust. By killing Hazaras they want to dictate this concept to rest of community that they are bad and evil and should be targeted. While on the other hand strengthen the suspicion among Hazara community particular ethnic group(s) have linkage with Taliban and want to target and eliminate Hazara community. Such suspicion and misunderstanding would easily lead to communal animosity and inflame of tragedies as happened during the history.  

Now the generation of Afghans clearly understands the true intention of Taliban-minded groups. They understand they are not killing particular community for their sake but rather make water dusty in order to catch fish. They detect that cursing one and appreciating the others is not designed only to prolong instability and keep the week in order to be easily controlled. Moreover, unlike previous period, Afghans have better understandings of the global situation. They understand that it is no in body’s hand to decide in which community he/she gets born. But it is Allah Almighty who creates human beings and meanwhile created equally. By gender and ethnicity no one becomes inferior or superior, nor curse and appreciable in the front of Allah Almighty. One’s status rises only through personal pursuit of spirituality and has nothing to do with race, nationality, language and etc. such constructive and positive effects on nation building process and will enrage Taliban further.

Additionally, another factor which causes Taliban to commit inhuman and barbaric crimes against Hazara is this community’s role in developing a positive democratic environment. Taliban blame Hazara community for cooperation with government unfortunately government has not did anything for this community during years.

Certainly, Taliban are right to some extent. Hazara community played indisputably effective role in strengthening of democracy. While others always wanted to achieve their objective through warning and threat, Hazara embarked to democratic measures and held series peaceful demonstrations and civil disobedience which affected people across the country to learn and appreciate. Despite violation of their rights, the community leaders and members never threatened to take arms and go to mountain but asked for their rights through democratic channels. Major chunk of international community and Afghan officials always say that one of the key factors of becoming a Talib or join terrorist groups is poverty. Who can ever ignore that Hazarajat is the poorest of all and meanwhile they never joined any terrorist groups nor cultivated opium. Instead they cut their rations and sent their children to school, the positive process which government employees struggle to hinder or even stop.

It is highly possible if Hazara community played same like others, reaching to current level of democracy and liberty was far from likely. This is what exactly enrages Taliban militants. They truly understand that government does not recruit much Hazara in the security establishments meanwhile target them anywhere possible because support of the community for democracy and human rights are what exactly challenge the ideology of Taliban.

Masood Korosh is the permanent writer of the Daily Outlook Afghanistan. He can be reached at outlookafghanistan@gmail.com

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