Eighth Saur is regarded as the national day of freedom and sovereignty, when the traces of an invader were removed from the country and power fell into the hands of Mujahedeen. Until 2007, the day was celebrated on government levels but after that, security threats deterred the undertaking of this event. However, this day is regarded as the day when the efforts of Afghan Mujahedeen against a foreign invader became fruitful.

This year and a last few years, we have seen continued controversy and argument between the two factions or groups of country who talk in favor and against this day. On one side, there are those who talk in favor of this day, regarding it the most important day when the efforts of Mujahedeen ended all the traces of foreign occupation in the country. On the other hand, there are those who talk against this day and term it as one of the darkest days of our history because the following events were even more disastrous. According to this group, following the withdrawal of the soviet union a long list of genocide, torture, factional clash and civil war that finally ended in the emergence of Taliban and made country a safe-haven for different criminal and terrorist organizations. Different factions of Mujahedeen also allowed a number of international powers to fund different groups to safeguard their motives and benefits and made them fight against each other. Some regard the time before Mujahedeen safer and less destructive as there was security and safety in major cities of the country but after Mujahedeen came into power crimes against humanity spread to different parts of the country and pushed the country many decades backward. However, such remarks can be termed as true jeopardy against true Mujahedeen who fought without any greed of appreciation and only for the sake of Islam and to end the occupation of an invader.

This argument between the two groups heated up on the social networking sites and once again, we got a reason to be divided as a nation.

However bitter and harsh they maybe, both the sides must face and accept some of the realities and facts in this regard. The most important is the recognition and admiration of the sincere and dedicated efforts of Mujahedeen. Shah Muhammad is also one of those Mujahedeens who belongs to Kandahar province. He expresses his feelings in these words, ‘When Soviet Union occupied our country and we stood up for Jihad, we understood and experienced the true spirit of Jihad. Wherever we went, we noticed Mujahedeen who fought only with the spirit of freeing the country of a foreign invader and following a command of our religion. People who were with us had great characters and we took care that no one should be disturbed by our actions. We had nothing to do with any Afghan and our sole enemy was the Soviet forces. Only objective was to force them out of the country and nobody thought of any other gain. We never cared about anything; we starved, had left our families without any supporter, spent months in mountains or jungles, and suffered all the difficulties. Due to our sincere efforts, we were very successful as well. Soviet Union had all the necessary equipments and weapons but they were afraid of us. At last, we heard the good news of the withdrawal of Soviet forces. We had achieved our target and there was no reason to continue this war on the name of Jihad so we put down our guns and returned to our routine businesses. But there were also present those who thought that Soviet Union left the country but left behind those who followed their agendas and it was felt necessary by some of us to pick up our guns so that we should clean the country of all the remnants of an occupier.’

Comments against Jihad and Mujahedeen becomes extremely painful for those who lost their fathers, brothers, sons, husbands or other family members in this holy war or those who became orphans or widows and had to endure the difficulties of life without any father or husband. In the same way, it is a painful fact that an important teaching of Islam should be left for the ridicule of those who don’t have even the slightest idea about the importance of this religious teaching and who never bothered to study or acquire any information in this regard.

On the other hand, the conditions after Soviet Union withdrawal were also not stable. It was also not the situation that was expected by people or the Mujahedeen. Until that time, Mujahedeen were considered a group of people with high moral values and character and who were fighting for a noble cause against all the odds. They had the respect, support and admiration of every single Afghan but after that, things started getting worse.

In the years that followed 8th of Saur, our country and fellow citizens experienced a dark era of history, replete with numerous crimes. Economy and general security and progress of the country came to halt and people started praying for a savior.