Civil rights activists and Afghanistan nationals, including politicians, living in exile came together in Washington D.C this week to mark the 22nd death anniversary of Ahmad Shah Massoud – Afghanistan’s national hero.
Massoud was assassinated on September 9, 2001, by militants posing as journalists.
“The supporters and lobbyers of the Taliban are taking better and smarter actions than us. I think we should have the courage to admit that the shame and humiliation remains within our hands as well as the historic responsibility,” said Asif Ashna, a political figure, who attended the event.
Mohibullah Noori, a political activist believes that the Doha agreement, which was signed between the US and Talian on February 29, 2020, should be scrapped in order to help pave the way to better the situation in Afghanistan.
Noori said the Taliban regained control of the country through the Doha agreement, but if scrapped, then the Taliban will be defeated. He suggested demonstrators should protest outside the White House in order to get their voices heard.
Referring to the severe restrictions imposed on women and girls in Afghanistan, women at the event said Massoud provided access to education for girls during Mujahideen rule.
“Commander Massoud ordered that there should be no problems for it (female education)” but that people should be in support of it, said Zainwara, another participant at the event.
Omar Sharifi, a university lecturer said that Massoud had been the “founder” of the anti-Taliban fight.
“It was not such a phenomenon which the Western media today say that it was; because of the US [the Taliban were defeated]. The founder of fighting against the Taliban was Ahmad Shah Massoud,” he said.
Twenty-two years after the assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the Taliban are back in power in Afghanistan and liberally issuing decrees that are stripping the public, especially women and girls, of their basic human rights.
Girls above Grade 6 are banned from attending school, universities are closed to girl, and numerous other restrictions limiting their freedom have been imposed by the Taliban.
