Mohaqiq Urges World Not to Engage With or Support Taliban

DID Press: Mohammad Mohaqiq, leader of the People’s Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan, has called on countries around the world not to engage with or support the Taliban and not to abandon Afghanistan during its current difficult circumstances.

Mohammad Mohaqiq made the remarks in a message marking Martyrs’ Week, in which he criticized what he called a “treacherous collusion” between the United States and the Taliban.

Mohaqiq commemorated the anniversaries of the deaths of Burhanuddin Rabbani and Ahmad Shah Massoud, while also remembering Abdul Ali Mazari, Mustafa Kazemi, Haji Abdul Haq, General Abdul Raziq Achakzai, Abdul Matlib Beg, Ahmad Khan Samangani and dozens of other commanders, as well as millions of known and unknown Afghan martyrs. He said they had lost their lives in the struggle for the country’s freedom and independence.

Referring to the concepts of faith, migration and jihad in Islamic culture, Mohaqiq described these values as factors behind the power of Muslims throughout history. He said Afghanistan, too, enjoyed status and dignity as long as it remained engaged in what he described as “jihad and resistance.”

Mohaqiq further said that after Afghan Mujahideen defeated the Soviet Union, they were deceived by the “glitter and glamour” of the United States and laid down their weapons. As a result, he said, the values of jihad and resistance were questioned and the cultural and political humiliation of the Mujahideen began.

He described the U.S.-Taliban agreement as a “one-sided memorandum of understanding and treacherous collusion,” alleging that the United States handed Afghanistan’s territory and military equipment to the Taliban. He added that regional countries, because of the Taliban’s dependence on the United States and their fear of the group, are competing with one another to engage with the Taliban.

Mohaqiq said Afghanistan’s geopolitical circumstances remained unfavorable and criticized U.S. influence over regional policies.

In conclusion, Mohaqiq called on Afghans to rise up for the country’s freedom and the restoration of its dignity. He also urged the international community not to engage with the Taliban over what he described as the “dark and tragic fate” of the Afghan people, particularly the Hazara and Shia communities, whose living conditions he said had become increasingly difficult.

He also referred to Afghan women, saying they had been deprived of their rights in politics, employment, the economy, education and other areas. Mohaqiq called on countries either to help the Afghan people achieve freedom or, at a minimum, not to support the Taliban or “sharpen their sword against our oppressed people” by legitimizing the group.