26th of Dalwa, a reminder of the indomitable spirit of innocent Afghans in resistance against invaders

By: Khairkhah Samangani

 

44 years ago, on 26th of Dalwa in the year 1357, a hundred thousand Soviet troops, armed with the most advanced weapons, invaded Afghanistan from the “Hirtan” border.

After a decade of occupation, committing war crimes and inflicting historical tyranny upon this nation, they were ultimately driven out by Afghan fighters. The failed decision of the Red Army to invade Afghanistan dealt such a blow to its political body that not only were they expelled from Afghanistan, but their blanket of control was removed from all the lands they once held dominion over.

 

Why do great powers risk their foundations by venturing into Afghanistan? Could it be that modern military weaponry and economic prosperity have blinded and deafened them in their quest for global dominance? Or perhaps they fail to believe in the true essence of something without experiencing it firsthand?

 

Despite Britain’s defeat against the Afghans and the worldwide recognition of the saying “Afghanistan, the graveyard of empires,” why do the contemporary empires continue to make fruitless decisions? Why do they inflict renewed wounds upon the innocent people of Afghanistan through their unlawful actions, destabilizing the country and pushing the region and the world into various crises?

 

These questions remain unanswered, as the Western and Eastern worlds find themselves trapped in the quagmire of their own grandeur and tyranny.

 

It is our hope that the lessons of the past will serve as a wake-up call, preventing the repetition of such irreparable mistakes by occupying nations.

 

The resilient people of Afghanistan understand full well that resisting the invading forces will indeed have repercussions on their country’s foreign policy, economy, and progress, causing destruction, loss of life, financial strain, and backwardness. However, their nature and unwavering faith reject slavery and obedience. They firmly believe that their sincere jihad, guided by the verse«وَلَا تَهِنُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ إِن کُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِینَ» (And do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are true believers), is the only path that will shatter the military and political might of the brutal aggressors.

 

History bears witness to the fact that nations who forget their duty to liberate through “Islamic Jihad in the Cause of Allah” risk losing their identity and independence. Those who slumber under the shadow of colonialism imposed by foreign occupiers, end up kindling fires in Muslim lands one after another, even reaching the heart of Central Asia (Afghanistan), famously known as the “graveyard of empires” in the world.

Throughout history, Afghanistan has witnessed individuals who, in pursuit of power and trivial worldly gains, have sacrificed the religious and political values of their country to appease their external aggressor masters.

In the struggles of the Afghan people and the successive defeats of three global superpowers in Afghanistan, particularly the Soviet Union, the main instigators of war and countless atrocities, the educated individuals who emerged from Western and Eastern schools have played a significant role. These individuals were imposed upon the Afghan people under the guise of being Afghan intellectuals.

 

The world at large is aware that major world powers, especially the Soviet Union, committed heinous crimes against the defenseless people of Afghanistan. They never allowed the Afghan nation to savor the taste of victory and live in the security and independence of their own country. Instead, they manipulated certain individuals, turning them into slaves and leaving disastrous consequences for themselves and the innocent people of Afghanistan.

 

When the Soviet Red Army entered Afghanistan to support the puppet administration and expand its political influence, those affiliated with the “School of Communism” took control of the political seats of power. They facilitated the occupation, tyranny, selfishness, and arrogant aggression of the invading army. From the very beginning of the occupation, they shamelessly violated the fundamental human rights and religious values of the Afghan people, subjecting them to brutal bombardments from both the ground and the sky.

 

The Afghan people’s ancestral legacy, characterized by a deep-rooted “xenophobia,” prevented them from remaining silent in the face of this occupation. The tyranny of the Soviet Red Army persisted for ten long years, wreaking havoc on the country’s economy and plunging the Afghan people into poverty and oppression. Islamic countries and international human rights organizations witnessed the terror inflicted by the Red Army and the massacre of innocent Afghan civilians. The anger and innate nature of Afghan men and women reached a tipping point, leading to a widespread uprising. People armed themselves with agricultural tools such as axes, shovels, and pickaxes, and rallied behind the Mujahideen who were engaged in combat against the Soviet Red Army.

 

Ultimately, on the 26th of Dalwa in 1367, the force wielded by those armed with pickaxes and shovels dealt such decisive blows to the great superpower of the time that they were shattered like the army of Abraha. They were shamefully expelled from Afghanistan, leaving behind a legacy of disgrace.