Statement by H.E Hamid Karzai President
of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan On the occasion of 13th
Anniversary of The Victory of the Afghan people in their Holy
Jihad
H.E. President Hamid Karzai
04/28/2005
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Peace and Praise be upon Prophet [Mohammad] the Messenger [of
God].
Dear fellow countrymen,
Dear guest and President of Tajikistan, Esteemed
Emomali Rahmonov,
Esteemed Jihadi leaders,
Esteemed Hazrat Saheb [Sebghatollah Mojaddedi],
Esteemed Pir Sahib [Gailani],
Esteemed Professor [Abdorrab Rasul] Sayyaf and
those leaders who are absent from this ceremony,
May peace be upon you!
I congratulate you all on the 13th anniversary
of the victory of the Afghan people's Jihad. Also, I congratulate
the whole nation on the celebration of this jihad victory and
our heroic Mojaheddin. Jihad is the great epic of our Muslim
and freedom-loving people. They created this epic with their
unforgettable commitment and devotion, and recorded it in the
history of contemporary Afghanistan. Our Jihad was an uprising
against the invasion [of Afghanistan] by the former Soviet Union,
international imperialism, and was aimed to defend our religion,
homeland and national interests. Thirteen years ago, right on
Saur the 8th, the Mojaheddin entered Afghanistan after 14 years
of continuous war. This was the beginning of a new chapter in
Afghanistan's history. But unfortunately, the enemies of Afghanistan
did not tolerate this victory, so the people were unable to
benefit from the achievements of this Jihad due to the civil
war and enmity caused by foreign intervention.
Dear Compatriots,
Today we celebrate the thirteenth anniversary
of the Jihad of Afghan people to glorify the eminent stand of
Jihad and the memories of the martyrs of this enormous and memorable
event, and we must keep in mind the unpleasant and doleful incidents
of the last two decades.
As a result of years of war our people lost their
civil freedom; peace, stability, security and enforcement of
law diminished; the human rights were trampled; public funds
and peoples' properties were looted; our country faced with
numerous destructions, afflictions and problems, and finally
turned to a haven for the terrorists and enemies of the national
and cultural values of the Afghan nation.
During such period of anarchy and distraction,
with the assistance of the One Allah, and endeavors and bravery
of the Mujahid people of Afghanistan, and unsparing cooperation
of the international community, our country was saved from the
evil of malice. So, we have to learn from the bitter experience
of the past incidents.
Over the past two decades, our nation has been
through very painful times. These years were very sad for our
nation, and we hope we will not have to face such incidents
in the future. We hope that our people will not be forced to
emigrate, Afghan children will not be sold at foreign markets
and we will not have to face foreign interference. We hope that
we will not have to face anarchy. Instead, we want permanent
peace, security and stability to be ensured in Afghanistan.
To achieve this, we need the international community, especially
the U.S.A., which is a country that can play a positive role
in this field, to work together with us. We want the U.S.A.
to faithfully promise to help us in this respect.
We have launched a number of programmes to carry
out this plan. After discussions with the people, we will design
a programme and submit it to the Parliament. If we do not do
this, the international community will not help us. We will
not be able to stand on our own feet and once again the way
will be paved for other countries to interfere in our internal
affairs. We will once again face anarchy and disorder. This
is because the formation of the national army and police requires
tremendous patience and takes many years. Until we are able
to protect Afghanistan on our own, we will need the help of
friendly countries and the international community.
Dear compatriots,
National unity, joint efforts and cooperation
are very important for us if we are to reconstruct Afghanistan
and improve our economy. We have embarked on various operations
in order to reinforce security and implement national unity,
law-enforcement, peace, and to ensure people's rights, as well
as to provide opportunities for the people to take part in Afghanistan's
reconstruction and solve its problems. Esteemed Hazrat Saheb
is in charge of this task. We believe that with his guidance
and skills, this programme will be carried out successfully.
On this holy day, the proud day of Afghanistan's victory, I
would like to ask all our fellow countrymen abroad who believe
that they will be unsafe in Afghanistan, to return and enjoy
living in their homeland, and take part in the reconstruction
of Afghanistan. There are no major dangers to threaten them.
To conclude, I once again congratulate the Afghan
nation on the 13th anniversary of the victory of our jihad.
May God bless the souls of the martyrs of this Jihadi resistance.
I should reiterate that this National Army
and Police parade has proved that, God willing, Afghanistan
is gradually able to stand on its own feet, and wants to rely
on its sons. If this process continues, our dear Afghanistan
will be self-sufficient and reliant on its own skills and abilities.
We are optimistic and are doing our best. We pray to God to
bestow success upon us. May you be happy and prosperous.
