Sectarian Killings; A Dangerous Enemy Conspiracy

On the 11^th of Muharram al Haram in Kabul and Balkh, the ceremonies of ‘Ashura were attacked causing death and injury to dozens of participants. These attacks – no matter who perpetuated them and under what excuse – are primarily aimed at harming the Afghan people.

In Afghanistan, Sunnis and Shias have co-existed for centuries. They live communal lives and participate in their mutual festivities. And for centuries they have fought shoulder to shoulder against foreign invaders. Even now, while some political opportunists have aided the invaders under the guise of Shia representation, yet the majority of Shia populations in Bamyan, Daikundi and Hazarajat has actively aided and continue to support the Mujahideen against the foreigners and their puppets.

The foreign occupiers seek to ignite the flames of communal hatred and violence between Sunnis and Shias in Afghanistan. Those that want to ignite these flames should know that in any such communal violence, only Afghans will suffer and such a conflict will only weaken the resistance against foreigners and have grave long-term consequences.

Once the flames of communal violence are ignited, the Afghans will cannibalize each other, weaken their unity, actively seek foreign assistance, and ultimately welcome any foreign intervention that helps in repressing the opposition forces. Such an eventuality will only prolong the current or any future occupation of our nation, divide us politically, ethnically, militarily and ultimately facilitate the dismemberment of our beloved country.

It is said that humans usually only understand that which they can see with their eyes or sense with any of their five senses. Even then we don’t have to look very far to see the destructive effects of such divisive politics. Looking at the current situation of the Middle East or Western Asia, one can easily grasp the destruction caused by this Sunni-Shia divide.

The political aspirations of the people, the toils of the Islamists, and the blood and tears of the Jihadi warriors have all come to naught because the conniving enemy has divided us religiously, ethnically and politically, throwing one against the each, supporting one side then abandoning it for the other, simply to maintain a balance of power where each side brutally fights the others. This politics of bloodied stalemate has only bred hatred amongst the Muslims, exhausted them ideologically, physically and mentally all the while our enemies stand on the sidelines and enjoy this gladiatorial death-combat.

Allah Almighty has blessed us with the religion of Islam. A religion that does not recognize races, ethnicities, linguistic groups or any other forms of distinctions. According to this sublime religion, all humans are the offspring of Adam (PBUH) and Eve. There is no pride among humans based on their colors, races, languages or other such singularities. If one human wants to pride himself on others, then he or she can only do so through their piety and sacrifices for the sake of their Lord Almighty. The followers of Islam will only ever reclaim their rightful place in this world if they forgo their petty differences and unite as a single egalitarian body.