Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Tuesday, March 19th, 2024

Reactions against Moscow Summit

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Reactions against Moscow Summit

These days, the Moscow summit is at the forefront of media news and public attention. From the top public media bases up to social media networks are full of comments, debates and analysis. Apart from the intentions behind the Moscow summit for Afghanistan, it reminded a bitter historical experience being hard for Afghan politicians to make political consensus on national agenda. Unfortunately, our emotions have always overruled on our wisdom. For example, due to personal detestation from Ashraf Ghani it is very easy in Afghanistan to proceed against the whole national interest and political system. When we talk about government dignity it is usually mistaken with Ashraf Ghani’s dignity.
On the other hand, in Afghan political culture when a tribe takes the power they consider themselves as though the absolute owner of the country; they think as if all the people are his/her personal sheep and can decide about whatever comes to his/her mind. They try recruit or trust on those people who belong to their own particular circle or family. While neither these are acceptable in 21 century and nor the dignity of government is equivalent to dignity of an individual. The real criteria must be national interests, and accordingly the empowerment of government institutions must be like redline for every politician. It is natural to have disagreements among various groups but when it comes to national interests we must forget about the personnel differences.  The government weakness and strength directly influence the whole nation, and so it should not be deemed like the property of any solitary person.
Fortunately, in the eve of Moscow summit there were some mature stances in the country. Following the disclosure of invited names for this summit, the reactions were interesting. Despite the anticipations that a long queue could be set up behind the Russian embassy gate in Kabul, many important political figures opposed the summit for the reason that it would legitimize the Taliban group. Zulfiqar Omid wrote in his face-book that he was invited to the summit, but he preferred not to attend; “my participating in such a summit would contribute to legitimatization of a terrorist group who have  killed thousands of our innocent youths”. Thus, some of the presidential candidates stood against the meeting, even though they were not happy with the president.
Consequently, an absolute consensus was established at the national level against the Moscow summit which was mainly initiated by Taliban and Taliban supporters.  Almost all analysis was at the axis of an obvious principle that compromise with a group who still persist to oppose all human rights and citizenship values is a sort of disrespect to the blood of hundreds and thousands of people were martyred in the path of independence and freedom of the land. The understanding of this situation is very simple. Anyone who has lived in Afghanistan understands that having problems with political faces, including having problems with the leadership of the current government, should not lead to any mistakes. In particular, the Moscow summit which took place in the presence of the Taliban and hosted by Russia. The Afghan people have not forgotten that the destruction of the Afghanistan which was caused by the Soviet Red Army. A number of those who have been very fond of attending Moscow summit they got their fame from the same fight, fighting against Soviet Red Army and Taliban.
Most notably, the role of the former president in facilitating the participation of some of the country’s political figures in Moscow summit is noteworthy. The former president of the country, who must defend the new achievements and interests of people, very simply accepted a dubious call and raised a lot of questions. He was expected to be the centerpiece of national consensus and unity in the country but practically he jeopardizes this position and degrades it to the zero point.  Are the unsatisfied brothers satisfied but the Afghan people do not know or another golden opportunity, this time from the East, knocked the door of the president?  If some of the other political figures who have painful heart of the current government leaders are justifying going to the Moscow summit with the fuss of their rivals, what is the former president afraid of? What did he feel when he flew to Russia from the “Hamid Karzai International Airport”?
The Afghan people have never forgotten the black era of the Taliban regime. A lot of blood has been spilled by this group that has not yet been dried up. Two weeks ago, dozens of youths were killed in a Taliban attack carried out on a military center in Maidan Shahr which resulted tens of families were hurt and may added to the number of orphans and windows of the country. There is no miracle that the Taliban have changed. Nothing has changed, and the Taliban will not be satisfied with anything other than the emirate government. The former president also knows this very well. So what has made him move fast towards Moscow?  What will be the cost of the Afghan people’s struggle for several decades and the democratic achievements which are parts of  of Karzai’s presidency?
The fact is that the Moscow summit was an important test for Afghan politician but not for the people of Afghanistan who have always sacrificed themselves for the sake of freedom and human values. It was an important test for our politicians and political elites. Afghans have historically proved that, at the level of political leadership, they have never been able to create a national consensus on a legitimated system and a political structure. The overwhelming acceleration towards Moscow summit illustrated this historic reality in its most explicable state and reminded a bitter historical experience.

Mohammad Zahir Akbari is the permanent writer of the Daily Outlook Afghanistan. He can be reached at mohammadzahirakbari@gmail.com

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