Poll: Political Oppression Tops Afghans’ Ashura-Related Concerns
DIDPress: As the days of Ashura and commemoration of Imam Hussein’s eternal movement approached, Did News Agency conducted an online poll asking its audience: “If Imam Hussein (AS) were present in Afghanistan today, against which problem would he rise up?” This question offers a comparative and thought-provoking reflection on the messages and objectives of Ashura in the context of Afghanistan’s current realities.

Poll Results
According to user responses:
• Political oppression and tyranny: 50%
• Religious extremism and sectarian division: 22%
• Poverty and social injustice: 14%
• Public apathy toward society’s fate: 14%
• Administrative and economic corruption: 0%
Political Oppression: The Era’s Defining Injustice
Half of respondents believe Imam Hussein’s (AS) stand would primarily target political oppression—reflecting deep public discontent with the current governance and political structures. The absence of genuine public participation, suppression of freedoms, systemic discrimination, and authoritarian policies have reinforced a shared sense of injustice among citizens.
Sectarian Division: A Deep Societal Wound
22% identified religious extremism and division as the priority, highlighting widespread concern over escalating sectarian fractures and extremist groups exploiting religion to justify violence, discrimination, and social fragmentation.
Poverty, Inequality, and Apathy: Forgotten Crises
Notably, poverty/social injustice and public apathy each garnered 14%. These intertwined issues reveal a structural crisis in social cohesion and civic responsibility: citizens grapple with poverty, unemployment, and class divides while feeling powerless, disillusioned, and disengaged from collective decision-making.
Corruption: Normalized or Overshadowed?
The poll’s most striking detail is that corruption received zero votes—despite being a root problem for decades. This suggests either that corruption has become normalized (reducing public outrage) or that it is now perceived as secondary to immediate threats like oppression and extremism.
Conclusion
The poll underscores how Imam Hussein’s (AS) message remains alive and relevant for many Afghans. Had he been present today, respondents believe his stand would continue against political tyranny, sectarianism, poverty, and social passivity.
Beyond commemorating Ashura, these results are a call to action: for awakening, accountability, unity, and challenging unjust systems.