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PRESS RELEASE
Date: March 6, 2004
Subject: Terrorist Attack on Hazaras in Quetta, Pakistan
"Musharef must ensure the security of Hazaras in Pakistan. It is the third massacre of Hazaras which is intolerable. "
Minister of Planning of Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan and the presidential Candidate Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq has expressed his extreme anger and condolences over the
killing of Hazaras in terrorist attack in Quetta. He told that all these attacks are the series of the terrorist activities which is going on from last many years throughout the world. He told that and now it is
proved that the Hazaras either in Pakistan or Afghanistan are the prime target of the fanatics, which without any doubt are the various branches of the same Taliban and Al-Qaida. He asked the American and the other
anti-terrorist coalition countries to take the serious notice of these massacres and pressurize Pakistan who has failed to provide security to the Hazaras.
He told that the Hazaras are also the part of the global family so the international community should not keep silence over their massacres. He asked Pakistani authorities that this
is their last chance to prove that they are really a true partner in the war against the terrorism by capturing all those culprits who are behind this heart rending event.
He requested all the Hazaras and shias of Quetta not to lose their passions and do not react according to the wishes of the international terrorist. He advised them to pursue the
lawful ways to solve this problem and don't respond violently because in that case our peaceful society will be driven to the same path of disunity and hatred among the brotherly communities and tribes which is the
main goal of the terrorists.
At last he expressed his condolences and prayed that may Allah in His infinite mercy bless the souls of all those who lost there lives in the holy day of Ashoura in this attack and
grant the patience to all the affected families to bear these losses.
PRESS RELEASE
Date: June 16, 2003
Subject: Hizb Wahdat condemns (june 4, 2003) terrorist attack on Hazaras in Quetta, Pakistan.
Once again, the cruel and ugly face of terrorism and fanaticism has revealed by the latest cold-blooded massacre of the innocent Hazaras in Quetta, Pakistan on 8th of June 2003.
The international community once again witnessed the massacre of innocent Hazaras by the same terrorist circuits who are involved in
the killings of thousands of innocent human beings from the United States up to Indonesia, especially thousands of innocent Hazaras in
Afghanistan. These are the same barbaric people who sometime get together under the various names and flags like al Qaeda, Taliban, Sipah-e Sahaba, Lashkar-e Janghvi etc.
Unfortunately, all these terrorist groups have been flourishing in Pakistan with the help of some official authorities.
Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan shares the pains and sorrows of all those families and relatives who lost their loved ones. We
strongly demand the United Nations and all the human rights organizations to take the serious notice of this heart-rending and tragic
event and pressurize Pakistan to provide effective security to all religious and ethnic minorities in Pakistan especially the Hazaras. We
also strongly recommend the anti-terrorist coalition forces to take the serious notice of this tragic event and have a serious look into
Pakistan where the terrorists from Afghanistan have shifted their bases and started the same brutal and inhuman killings of Hazaras as
they did in Afghanistan. It is a matter of shame for the international community who still could not stop the ethnic cleansing of Hazaras in the region.
Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq
Chairman, Political Committee
Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan
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Dated: Oct 6, 2001.
Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq urges for the women participation in the peace processes for Afghanistan.
Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, Home Minister Islamic State of Afghanistan and the chairman Political Committee Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan urges the organizers of Loya Jirga to allow women to have a
role in that process. Through a press release, he requested the Excellency Zahir Shah and the organizers that females are the most deprived class of our society and they have already suffered most during ongoing war since last
two decades. He said that the women were the main victims of all the victories and
defeats in the battlefield. He further said it is time to rectify all the atrocities committed on the women of Afghanistan and pointed out that women constitute half the population of our society and their active participation in ongoing peace efforts would certainly increase the virtual value of Loya Jirga. Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq is a very strong supporter of the equal rights of women. If we have the opportunity to take part in that process we would certainly nominate some women on behalf of our party. He hoped that all the other concerned parties would also think seriously about this issue. He also emphasized all the human rights organizations to strongly pursue this issue because their support will further guarantee the cessation of dark period of the oppression of women in Afghan society. Lastly he said that without the presence of women, any of the ongoing peace processes would be absolutely imperfect.
Political Committee
Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan
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Statement of Hizb-e Wahdat Regarding the United States of America's Declaration of War Against the International Terrorism:
Dated: 22/09/2001
The inauspicious, tragic and disastrous phenomenon of terrorism has a long history in human society. It flourished and developed in various shapes and forms during various time periods of human history. Most of
the time it was justified or legitimized under the garb of favorable issues and other values of the Human societies. Sometime it took the form of an individual action and sometime it was a collective crime. Sometime it
raised its head through a group, and at other times it took the cover of state, sect or religion. But in all of its shapes and methods, it always caused catastrophic and calamitous tragedies in human society. But terrorism
in any shape and venture is an antihuman act, and Islam very clearly not only rejects it, but also condemns any act, which leads to human disaster. The situation is Further complicated when the terrorist groups find state
support and religious sanction. Now unfortunately international terrorists are justifying their cowardly acts according to Islam.
During last two decades the whole international community has witnessed that in many countries that the religion Islam has played a significant role for the maintenance of peace and freedom in many
countries, and the best example in this regard is the righteous struggle of the Afghans against the former Soviet Union. Unfortunately Taliban and Pakistan and all the radical circles of terrorists headed by Osama bin Laden, in
order to fulfill their direr goals, mixed Islam with terrorism. They used the term "Jihad" to describe and legitimize all their crimes and activities against humanity.
Osama bin Laden and all the related circles to him a few years back claimed the leadership of the Islamic ideology and badly fabricated the peaceful messages of Islam into terrorism and passed decrees
calling for the assassination of innocent civilians of the United States of America and all the western world. The Islamic world and Muslims of the world were surprised and concerned about the call for this kind of terror in
the name of Islam because, according to the holy messages of Islam, the assassination of even a single civilian and innocent is equal to the assassination of the whole humanity. After passing this fabricated decree, a series of
terrorist activities started against the interests of the western world and their innocent civilians. The tragedy of the terror in New York is the latest of the harrowing and heartrending, and cowardly terrorist activities,
where terrorists connected to Osama hijacked four civilian planes and, without caring for the lives of innocent civilians, attacked the twin World Trade Centers and the Pentagon. As a result, the US government did not have any
other option except to declare war against the international terrorist network headed by Osama bin Laden
Regarding this war against international terrorism, Hizb-e Wahdat Islami, as an important part of Afghan society, which really believes in the humane messages of Islam, announces its policy as follows.
1. From the Wahdat's point of view there is no relevancy between the ongoing international terrorism and Islam. Islam is a religion of peace and friendship and condemns any violation
of human rights. The precious messages of Islam reject any type of terror on any pretext. We also believe that there is no connection between any religion and terrorism, and the terrorists should be punished for their crimes
against humanity.
2. Hizb-e Wahdat strongly condemns the cowardly terrorist act of Osama against the innocent American people, and deems the heartrending events of September 11th 2001 as the worst
tragedy of the new century and an attack on human civilization itself.
3. Hizb-e Wahdat, as the representative of the most deprived and oppressed class of afghan society, needs to mention that the people of Afghanistan on the whole, and the Hazaras in
particular, also suffer from the same tragedy of terrorism. More often than not, it has been our people that have been massacred and tortured by the same criminal gang of Osama and Taliban. The genocide of our people in Mazar-e
Sharif and other parts of northern Afghanistan, Bamian, Sangcharak, Rubatak Pass and Yakawalang, and the equally tragic demolition of the Buddha Statues are but a few examples of the atrocities of this criminal gang. We many
times in our letters to the United Nations and other bodies mentioned that this terror will not confine itself only to Afghanistan and our people and, very soon, it will become a global threat. But unfortunately nobody took
seriously our multiple requests and outcries for timely action.
4. Today when the international community is committed to fight this war against the terrorism, we completely support this move.
5. We suggest that immediate action be taken against the entire sources and bases of terrorism and their networks in Afghanistan, and this action should be in coordination with
the Islamic State of Afghanistan. The ordinary and the innocent people should not be hurt during any possible attack.
6. Independence, sovereignty and integrity of Afghanistan should be respected during the whole process.
Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq
Home Minister, Islamic State of Afghanistan, and
Chairman Political Committee,
Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan
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Attempt on AStatement of Hizb-e Wahdat-e Islami Afghanistan regarding the assassination Ahmad Shah Masood
On the 9th of September.2001 the grievous news of assassination attempt on the life of Ahmad Shah Masood, Defense Minister and the Vice President of the Islamic State of Afghanistan along with two of
his two colleagues shocked me. This cruel and inhuman action once again disclosed the Pakistan, Osama Bin Laden and Taliban as the international terrorist triangle.
Participation of the two Arabs in this attempt proves
two unimpeachable facts. First the Connection of Pakistan, Taliban and Bin Ladan with the international terrorism and second the righteous resistance of the United Front for Salvation of Afghanistan against the Foreign invasion
and the international circles of terrorism on our dear country.
Yes, Ahmad Shah Masood who struggled at least quarter a century against the foreign invasion, always has an excellent resisting performance against the
bludgeoners, is a hard obstacle in the way of disastrous, inauspicious and devil goals of international terrorist headed by Osama and supported by Pakistan. He not only stood like a mountain against the evil objectives of this
criminal triangle but also led and expedited the national resistance against this invasion through out the country. Without any doubt his name is already written as one of the historical heroes who always struggled and fought
for the freedom of his country against the foreign invasion. So it was the main reason why the criminal triangle of Pakistan, Taliban and Ossama Bin Laden made this attempt.
On behalf of Hizb-e Wahdat and as a member of
ongoing resistant move against the international terrorists I strongly condemn this criminal attempt and pray from almighty God for sooner recovery of the health of Ahmad Shah Massod from the injuries.
At last I revise
the commitment of all the freedom fighters of Afghanistan that by this cruel attempts they cant dishearten the Mujahideen and till the last breath we all will keep continue our struggle against the aggression of this criminal
triangle.
Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq,
Home mister, Islamic State of Afghanistan.
Chairman Political Committee,
Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan. Dated:12/09/2001
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To : The Prof. Drs. Rudolphus (Ruud) Franciscus Marie Lubbers,
The Honorable High Commissioner UNHCR.
From : Dr. Abdul Wahid, In charge International Relations,
Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan.
Subject:Discrimination against the ethnic Hazaras of Afghanistan even by
the UNHCR office in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Excellency, UNHCR under your wise leadership knows better about the ongoing human crises in Afghanistan. So I will not waste the valuable time of the Excellency in stating the inhuman conditions, which the
Hazaras are facing by the quarrelsome and the prehistoric Taliban.
Here by this letter I just want to invite the kind attention of the Excellency to the discriminatory role of the UNCHR office based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Where some narrow-minded ethnic Pushtoons are trying to
misuse the UNHCR resettlement program by their influence in the local UNHCR office like the Naikyak and his family. They have enlisted the name of the ethnic Pushtoons who are already the green card holder of the republic of
Uzbekistan.
Excellency, this is the one part of the tragedy. The second part is worst then this is that in this resettlement program from the seventy families there is only one Hazara family, which belonged to Ismaili sect
from Baghlan province. All the other families who were under consideration are dropped from the list.
Excellency, I think that Hazaras of Afghanistan are the people who really full fill the definition of the refugee according to the 1951 convention relating to the status of the status of refugees, which is "a
refugee is a person who "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his
nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country." The OAU convention in Africa and the Cartagena declaration in Latin America also verify the refugee
status of ethnic Hazaras. Both of which define refugee in ways that cover many war victims.
Excellency, the process of the resettlement through UNHCR Tashkent, Uzbekistan Branch should be immediately stopped and the investigation should be carried out for enlisting the undeserving people for this
program.
*The name of the green card holders of Uzbekistan enlisted in the resettlement program and the brief history of the ethnic Hazaras along with some authentic document is attached with this letter.
We hope that the Excellency would certainly take some immediate steps to stop this injustice against the ethnic Hazaras, temporarily based in Uzbekistan.
Thank you
(Dr.Abul Wahid)
In charge International relatins,
Hizb-e Wahdat Afghanistan.
Dated 18/06/2001
feedback@wahdatmagazine.com
Names of the non-deserving ethnic Pushtoons enlisted in the UNHCR
resettlement program through the UNHCR office in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
1)- Abdul Qayum – Green cardholder of The Republic of Uzbekistan.
2)- Aziz ur Rehman _ Same
3)- Jabbar Momand _ Same
4)- Abdul Karim _ A fanatic Wahabi and a wealthy businessman based in
Tashkent. He belongs to Qunduz province and his father
is on of the famous and rich man of the same province.
5)- Salaam Safi _ Relative of the Hafiz Ullah Amin the Second head of state
of Afghanistan and the killer of the thousands of innocents.
Pushtoons are only the 12% of the afghans settled in The Republic of Uzbekistan but around 20 families of the same ethnic group is enlisted in the resettlement program by the UNHCR. The ratio of the other Afghan
ethnic groups settled in Uzbekistan is like this, Uzbeks and Turkmen 35%, Tajiks 30% and Hazaras 15%.
Origin of the Hazara people of Afghanistan
The Hazaras of Afghanistan inhabit the central part of Afghanistan known as the Hazarajat or Hazaristan. The Hazarajat consists of
valleys, towering rugged mountains, cold winters, beautiful scenery, and raging rivers. The majority of the Hazaras live in the Hazarajat
region but due to war and segregation by the discriminative Afghan government, some of the Hazara people live in cities throughout
Afghanistan making them the second largest Afghan ethnic group. The destruction of villages and crops caused by the civil war have
forced many Hazaras to live in near by countries Iran and Pakistan.The Hazaras represent a mixture of Turkish, Mongol and other races
dating back from the very beginning of Afghanistan. The Hazaras are one of several ethnic groups of Afghanistan and are one of the
oldest inhabitants of the region. The buddi-Bamiyan's, the buddha statues carved into cliffs in Bamiyan and other artifacts of such kind
prove this fact, when Khorasan, presently Afghanistan, was a buddhist country (before the introduction of the great religion of Islam) and
Bamiyan as well as the whole central Afghansitan was it's "florish". They speak Farsi with their own significant dialect called "Hazaragi"
(Ha-za-ra-gee), which is composed of Mongoli, Turkish and Farsi words. Additionally, the majority of the Hazara people live a peaceful life in villages in the Hazarajat and they are Muslims.
They are very brave, strong, peaceful and trustworthy people who have been discriminated and segregated againist for more than 200
years in Afghanistan. The estimated population of the Hazara tribe is an estimated 6 million. They were once the ethnic majority in
Afghanistan, with an estimated 67% of the country's population. However due to the blood trusty murderer, Abdur Rahman who was a
servant to Britain and who massacred more than 60% of the Hazara population in the 19th century, many Hazaras were forced to segregate
to nearby countries and cities in Afghanistan. But the Hazaras remain brave and strong in the defense for their equal rights, peace, unity
and for the defense of the Hazarajat that they much deserve, after 200+ years, under the discrimination and segregation of the Afghan
fundamentalist government. Hence, many Hazaras are seeing to it that the harsh history of Afghanistan on it's ethnic groups does not repeat itself, for Afghanistan is a diversed
country composed of more than 20 different ethnic groups.
These are massacres reported by international human rights organizations. However, throughout the years many genocides and
massacres have been committed in Afghanistan without international investigation and the public's knowledge except those within Afghanistan.
Massacres of Hazaras
Intro.
The horrible and inhuman massacres committed in Afghanistan on it's ethnic groups by warlords, fascists, and fundamentalists have left a
deep scar on the perpetrators. The criminal act of ethnic genocide has not yet brought the murderers to justice nor has it caught the public's eye, till now.
For decades, the ethnic Hazaras have been targeted by the hatred and discrimination of the Afghan central government and other political
parties. They have always been discriminated against because the majority of the Hazaras are of the Shiite' sect of Islam. But is it right to
kill another Muslim? Is it right to kill another Afghan? Will this help in the future of Afghanistan and it's future? The answer is NO.
Innocent little children playing in the streets were kidnapped and killed. Mourning mothers wipe as they sat near their loved one's dead
body. Men forcibly would be stuffed into crowded metal containers for days without food or water and sadly they would suffocate and
die. Others would be dragged from their homes to the streets and publicly being tortured, women raped, humiliated and shot to death without any mercy.
AFSHAR AND KARTEH SAHE MASSACRE 1993
Victims: Innocent Hazara residents of Afshar and Karteh Sahe and members of the Hezb-e-Wahdat (Unity Party) who defended the Hazara people and fought for equal rights.
Date: February 1993
Perpetrators: Then former President Rabbani, his chief military commander and son-in-law, the so-called "lion of Panjshir" Ahmad Shah
Massoud (both from Jamiat-i-Islami political group who participated in the murders) and Abdul Rasul with his political party, Ittehad-i-Islami.
Location: Afshar and Karteh Sahe, West Kabul. Majority of Hazara residents. (central Afghanistan - Hazarajat).
Deaths: Detailed:
"...hundreds of its Hazara residents were massacred by government forces, under the direct order of President Rabbani and his cheif commander, Massoud."
"At one o'clock on the morning of 11 February, while the inhabitants of Afshar lay asleep in their beds, the Institute of Social Sciences
was attacked from three sides: from the west by Sayyaf's Ittehad-e-Islami forces, and from the north and south, by Rabbani's forces, helped by traitors within the Party, who had already been bought off."
"Following this withdrawal, forces loyal to Sayyaf and Ahmad Shah Massoud raided the area. For the next 24 hours they killed, raped, set
fire to homes, and took young boys and girls as captives. By the time the news was broadcast in Kabul and internationally the following
day, some 700 people were estimated to have been killed or to have disappeared. One year later, when parts of the district were retaken by
Hezb-e-Wahdat forces, several mass graves were unearthed containing a further 58 bodies..."
(S.A. Mousavi: The Hazaras of Afghanistan)
Hence, Human Rights Watch reported that civilians had their throats slit and leg or arm cut off. More than 1,000 were killed and/or disappeared.
MAZAR-I-SHARIF ETHNIC CLEANSING 1998
Victims: Hazaras and members of the Hezb-e-Wahdat (Unity Party).
Date: August 1998
Perpetrators: The fundamentalist extremist Taliban Militia who was highly supported by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Location: Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan (northern Afghanistan - Hazarajat).
Deaths: More than 8,000 men, women and children. Human Rights Watch reported that Taliban with their Arab and Pakistani fighters left
Hazara bodies to rot and be fed to vicious dogs. Many were buried in mass graves by the Taliban who tried to cover it up. Also,
thousands were displaced, tortured, and women were taken to unknown destinations. Futhermore, once the Taliban took control of the
city, they destroyed everything in their path, including the sacred grave of Baba Mazari that was bombarded by the Taliban. Saudi, Pakistan and UAE are the only three countries in the world that recognize the terriost Taliban.
The Taliban considered themselves good Muslims when in the fact they close schools and forbid women to receive education, they sell
drugs such as opium and poppy, they ban the use of modern everyday need technology and they commit massacres and then try to deny
it. That is not what Islam is about but political ignorance, hatred and discrimination of one terriost militia.
BAMIYAN MASSACRE 1998
Victims: Hazaras and members of the Hezb-e-Wahdat (Unity Party).
Date: August 1998
Perpetrators: The fundamentalist extremist Taliban Militia after the takeover of Mazar.
Location: Bamiyan, Afghanistan (central Afghanistan, west of Kabul - Hazarajat).
Deaths: Residents of Bamiyan and members of the Hezb-e-Wahdat were tortured, beaten and killed in public. Many had their hands tided
together as their homes were set on fire. Many children were burned to death and others disappeared.
Yakawalang- massacre of 300 hazara civilians
The detailed report from the Human Rights Watch is recommended by
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/afghanistan/
Yakawalang- Thousands of shops and houses of ethnic Hazaras are burnt by the Taliban.
For detailed report Human rights Watch news article
"Afghanistan: Inquiry Needed into New Abuses
Arrests, Burnings of Homes Reported in Yakaolang District is rcommended by
http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/06/taliban-0614.htm
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Dated: 06/06/2001
Statement of Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan,
With regards to the Recapture of Yakawlang in central Bamyan
Monday, 06th June 2001 United Front forces recaptured the strategic district of Yakawalang in central Bamian province. Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, Interior minister of the Islamic State of Afghanistan announced that 18:00 local time the United Front forces launched a successful attack on Yakawalang district of the cultural and historical province of Bamian and after three hours heavy battle at 21:00 our forces captured Nayak the district head quarter of Yakawalang and till the last reports from the front line our forces were advancing toward the culturally worldwide famous Bamian city. The other details will the announced very soon.
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Dated: 09/03/2001
Statement of Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan,
With regards to the demolition of the inimitable Buddha statues.
9th March 2001 is the day of tragedy for human community and our dear country Afghanistan. 9th March can be titled as the day of assassination of history, art, culture, civilization, concinnity, quality, patriotism, intra-religious brotherhood and human heritages, values, credence, gentility, capacity and even the humanity. This is the day of open insult to the thousands years old Afghan culture and the whole human society. The notorious and quarrelsome group of Taliban, to fulfill the order of their Pakistani masters held a stagy meeting of the religious scholars on 27th February, 2001 in which after the approval of Mulla Umar, the so called scholars decided to destroy all the sophisticated historical heritages of Afghanistan including the two largest standing statues of Buddha in Bamian. This barbaric decision of Taliban was widely opposed by the Afghans and the international community. United Nations, OIC, UNESCO and most of the UN members unanimously requested Taliban not to destroy the inimitable human heritages of Afghanistan. Taliban not only didn't care these requests but also insulted general values of the human society. They once again proved that the sanctions from UN Security councils and the other approved rules and regulations of the human society don't mean anything for them.
Hizb-e Wahdat Islami (Islamic Unity Party) of Afghanistan as an important part of all the political and military events of Afghanistan and member of the United Front for salvation of Afghanistan synchronously
with all the world community condemned this illogical, inhuman and barbaric decision of Taliban and proposed United Nations to immediately interfere to preserve these invaluable human heritages of Afghanistan, declare Bamian as
the "City of Peace" and pressurize all the warring factions to vacate Bamian. Unfortunately the reaction of United Nations and international community didn't cross the soft verbal request from the deaf Taliban and at last on 9th of March 2001 they demolished more than the 90% of those statues. The people of Afghanistan especially the local ethnic Hazaras hopelessly witnessed another tragedy. After the demolition of National army, national integrity and sovereignty, the demolition of these statues was really another heart-rending shock for our people.
Through this statement Hizb-e Wahdat proudly claims that the Muslims of Afghanistan respect the world viewpoints and all the religions of the world. This action of illiterate Taliban doesn't have any correlation
with Islam or the Muslims of Afghanistan.
Hizb-e Wahdat believes that this irritant action was a well-conceived conspiracy of criminal triangle of Taliban, Pakistani military rulers and international terrorist supreme leader Osama bin Laden against our
dear country. The people of Afghanistan didn't have any role in this barbaric and illogical event, which is a great loss for the world culture, heritage and especially the Buddhist through out the world.
At last Hizb-e Wahdat once again invite the kind attention of the United Nations and the world community to the depth of the human crises from continuous massacres, genocide up to the demolition of the human
history and culture in Afghanistan and seeks their humanitarian assistance for the cessation of the ongoing terror from Afghanistan.
Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq,
Home Minister Islamic State of Afghanistan,
Chairman Political Committee,
Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan.
Dated: 09/03/2001
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To: His Excellency Kofi Annan,
Secretary General, The United Nations
D-378 New York, N.Y. 10017 Dated:07/03/2001
Your Excellency,
First of all, I would like to express my warm greetings and best wishes to you and to all the concerned bodies of the United Nations. Secondly, on behalf of the culture loving and patriotic Afghans, I would like
to thank you for the active role of the United Nations for the protection of the historical heritage of our country especially the efforts to protect the inimitable ancient Buddha Statues of Bamian. In this regards I deem it
necessary to explain the point of views of Hizb-e Wahdat Islami (Islamic Unity Party of) Afghanistan as an important part of the Afghan nation.
Our dear country is situated in the heart of Asia and it has been the link between the great civilizations like India, China and Iran and because of the historical silk route, it has been the center of various
culture and civilizations. In pre-Islamic period the majority of our people were either Buddhists or Zoroastrian. After the emergence of Islam, the people were attracted to the new religion and now more than 95% the population
of the country is Muslims.
From pre-Islamic eras, we have valuable relics as our national heritage, which like the majestic statues of Buddha are the symbols of dignity and richness of the cultural, historical and religious periods of
human beings. These inimitable statues, one of which is the largest standing statue of Buddha in the world, are unique masterworks of art. In addition to the spiritual and religious importance for Buddhists around the world,
they are the symbols of pride and very important witnesses of vastness in our human history. So we believe that the protection, conservation and the maintenance of these statues are the duty of all the world community and their
destruction, damage or the demolition would a loss and misfortune for the human family.
The Taliban with the blessings of Pakistan, have initiated a dual policy of ethnic cleansing and the destruction of cultural identity of the country. They systematically massacred thousands of people in the
north; enforced a policy of displacement of the people from their fields and farms; and through a scorch earth policy, destroyed orchards, vineyards, irrigation systems and houses of the innocent civilians. And now, they have
decided to target the icons of culture and the history of our society by razing the most valuable human heritage.
The possibility of idolatry is a pretext by which they want to provoke and gain the support of innocent Muslims otherwise no one worships these statues in Afghanistan and the Afghans like them as their monuments
and historical heritage.
Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan has some suggestions to prevent this expected cultural tragedy, which is of concern to the world community.
1)- We suggest that a commission made up of the representatives of the permanent members of the Security Council of the United Nations and the neighboring countries except Pakistan, which is directly
involved in this matter and a real destabilizing factor, should be formed and immediately be sent to Bamian to look after, secure and preserve those inimitable human heritage as soon as possible.
2)- Bamian should be declared as the "City of Peace" and it should be immediately vacated from the warring and armed groups.
We assure you if the above-mentioned suggestions are accepted we will not take any military action to recapture Bamian.
We hope that you and all the concerned bodies of United Nations will consider our suggestions sympathetically and take some serious steps to protect these valuable and precious human heritage in Afghanistan which
does not only belong to Afghans but to humanity as a whole. With best wishes, I remain,
Sincerely,
Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq,
Home Minister, Islamic state of Afghanistan,
Chairman Political Committee, Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan.
---
Press Release from
Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan
Political Committee
Dated: March 2, 2001
Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, Home Minister Islamic State of Afghanistan, spokesman and chairman Political Committee Hizb-e Wahdat expressed his sadness over the destruction of the largest sculptural statues in Bamian.
He told that the indifference of the international community against the insult of the historical and cultural heritages in Afghanistan, is heart rending and tragic. He further increased that repeated massacres of ethnic
Hazaras, promotion of terrorism and religious fanaticism, continuous human rights abuses, open enmity against human culture and civilization and now the destruction of the largest standing statues of the Holly Buddha has proved
that the quarrelsome group of Taliban has completely lost their human identity and they have started an open war against all the human phenomena. He demanded UNO, Human rights Watch, Amnesty International and all the other
concerned bodies to take some serious practical steps to stop the Taliban from continuous barbarism as soon as possible otherwise this destructive phenomenon will soon engulf the region and then the international community will
be responsible for the disastrous consequences. At last he thanked all the organizations and the countries, which tried to prevent the Statues from the prehistoric Taliban and expresses his determination that we will push out
the Taliban from Bamian very soon and then these statues will be repaired.
Foreign affairs Department,
Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan
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Press Release from
Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan
Political Committee
Dated: Feb 27, 2001
Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, spokesman and the chairman political committee Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan expressed his great concern and worries on the Taliban's Supreme Court decision to demolish the invaluable
historical heritage of ancient times. He said that the nations are recognized by their history and culture and the Taliban decided to destroy the cultural infrastructure of Afghanistan. This decision of Taliban clearly proves
that they are just the puppet of the foreigners, who want to occupy Afghanistan indirectly by destroying the culture, historical monuments and national heritages. He further told that Statues of the Holly Buddha in the Bamian
are not only the symbol of pride for our people but also the most important witness of our historical vastness. He said that the cultural and historical heritages are the most important linkage various communities of the word
and those statues, which are the largest sculptural statues of the Holly Buddha don't belong only to Afghanistan but to the whole human being. He further increased that the continuous illogical and inhuman activities of Taliban
in Afghanistan has become a danger not for the region but for the entire world community. He demanded United Nations to take serious steps to stop the Taliban from such type of inhuman actions. He also demanded UNESCO to
immediately enlist these statues in the World heritage list and take some serious steps to protect these statues otherwise the people of Afghanistan will loose their faith from the agenda of UNESCO to promote the collaboration
among the nations through education, science, culture and communications. At last he expressed his hopes that all the concern cultural, religious and human rights organizations of the world will help us to protect these
invaluable heritage of human being.
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