How is it that in a Hanafi society, the war between the two peoples has now escalated again? Is it an ethnic war or is it the result of two ideas, two characters, methods, or a war of religion against religion?
Author: Mohammad Sadegh Amini
Iranian diplomacy: Dariush Sajjadi, an Iranian journalist and analyst living in the United States, said in an interview with the BBC and wrote in an article on his Telegram channel about the Panjshir Resistance Front: "Panjshir is not serious and it is a tragic repetition of Siahkal." At the same time, he addressed the reformists, with the view that they are the only spiritual supporters of the Panjshir Resistance Front!
But an answer to this opinion;
First, attributing the spiritual support of the Panjshir resistance to a particular faction, given the reality of Iranian society, means ignoring the historical memory of the Iranian nation and the nations of Central Asia, in other words, part of the great Iranian cultural heritage Is approaching.
Secondly, sometimes it is like a conflict!
The author's impression is that comparing the Panjshir stream with the Siahkal incident in 1349 is an injustice to history. History, which is supposed to remain intact to become a mirror of learning, has changed here. It seems that the claim of the mentioned expert is due to the poverty of the historical view, which has caused the two different situations and conditions to be seen as the same, and no result or solution has been presented.
Not to take seriously the active political currents in a society means not to see their effects on a part of the political process of a society, which as a result leaves us with a lack of analysis. Undoubtedly, the spread of Marxist-Leninism in Iran was largely due to the same armed movement of several people in Siahkal. Although we do not agree with the nature and method of the movement, we do not compare it with the Panjshir incident.
Why?!
Comparison of a moderate religious current in Afghanistan, which has never compromised with either the Marxist government of Mohammad Najibullah, or the monopolistic Shari'a, with the blind movement of a few Marxists in 1349 at a point in Iran and the type of political influence and fate and to equate them socially is far from fair, and it is unlikely that a mature political analyst would view it that way. Two different elements in a balanced result from a non-historical view, politicization and thus weakness of analysis.
This claim is like an Afghan saying, for example, that the Islamic Republic Party in Iran is a tragic repetition of the Afghan People's Party, while, regardless of their different nature, both have somehow had a tremendous political and military impact on their society. Is such a comparison real!? The statement of the Iranian journalist is at least an insult to the Tajik community of Afghanistan, which respects Ahmad Massoud and his predecessor.
Now, what happened that with the Taliban domination, the other side of the story has been taken lightly?! Do we not think that if one day a coalition government, or a government like the government of Burhanuddin Rabbani comes to power in Afghanistan, the Panjshirians will be a part of it? Why has the re-emergence of the Taliban so embarrassed some and forced them to analyze undocumented? Therefore, if we cannot respect the Panjshir movement and tell its essence and creed, at least do not despise it. History will take the collar of those who distort it.
On the other hand, this comment reminded me of the indifferent or so-called intellectual view of some of our patriotic politicians and cultures during the eight-year Iran-Saddam war, when they could not understand the nature of the enemy and the colonial goals of the enemies of Islamic Iran. They found that they ignored it, or because they did not know Iran's defence goals, opposed the war, or expressed enlightened sympathies.
Historical and cultural contexts of the discussion:
In order to better understand the epic of Panjshir and its relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran, we need to see it in its historical and cultural aspects. Therefore, to understand the roots of Iranians' interest in Central Asian societies, it is enough to take a brief look at the history of post-Islamic Iran to better understand the task of Islamic Iran today in relation to not only Panjshirians but all Central Asian societies.
After the arrival of Islam in Khorasan in the seventh and eighth centuries AH the reconciliation of Shiism and Sunni not only led to the spread of Shiism, but the Sunni mystic, believing in the legitimacy of the three caliphs, sat next to the Shiites and accepted the twelve Imams. Historically Khorasan spread to Iran and much of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and parts of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. This is the historical memory of all the people of great cultural Iran.
It should also be noted that in general, the common methods in the East, such as the methods of the Khajagans, have arisen from Islamic Iranian thought and have taken root. Therefore, what is happening in our time in this cultural field of civilization affects all cultural currents in the East.
The fact is that the Panjshirians and most of the people of Central Asia, like us Iranians, read the Shahnameh and always carry the name and memory of Imam Hussein (as) as a hero in the struggle against oppression and a model of freedom. An example is the mourning of some Sunni people in the month of Muharram, especially in Tajikistan. If we refer to the history or documentaries after the Islamic Revolution, then we will know that this region in Afghanistan is not just a valley, but a symbol of Iranian Islamic culture; In other words, both Islam and cultural history, which is a symbol of Afghan society.
On the other hand, if historical studies show that the Pashtuns are originally Iranian, it is necessary to understand why these people are far from their origin and have less bio-culture with it! And why and for what reasons has this tribe distanced itself from its religion and national identity!? And it is necessary to know in a Hanafi society, how the war between the two peoples has now risen again. Is it an ethnic war or is it the result of two ideas, two characters, two methods, or a war of religion against religion?
The result of such a study will show why today Hanafi people fight against other Hanafi people, do not submit to the burden of their rule, and have a uniform rule of oppression, which has its own contexts and reactions; That is resistance. The story must be seen in another way. When religious extremism erupts from ISIS in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan in Central Asia, the context is what it could be, except for closed political systems and, most importantly, far removed from the historical-cultural thought that is part of their identity. Been; A tolerant identity set aside in the name of Islamism. Is the root of the Taliban's war with the Panjshirians other than that one seems to have ignored part of its cultural identity and seen it as contrary to religious tradition?!
Now, we and the Panjshirians
It seems that the Iranian people and their government support spiritually Panjshir, but why in our society, for whatever reason, it has not yet become an international social and political concern? It should be noted that part of this is due to the weakness of media work. Iran, which in the words of Bano Golrokhsar, the great Tajik poet and politician, is the "mother", can it not remain indifferent to what is happening to its sympathetic and like-minded neighbour? In the eyes of the Iranian people, the country's political officials are responsible for the Panjshir war, therefore, it is necessary to use their maximum diplomatic efforts in this case and prevent the continuation of the war, a war that unfortunately an Iranian has called only tragic! And it seems that there is no war! While there is, the war of two mindsets whose end cannot be predicted!
We think that there is an epic in Panjshir which has a lot to do with our historical and religious conscience as Iranians. Therefore, his support is unquestionably necessary. In this regard, the issue is more cultural than political. We feel culturally close religiously and culturally to this valley, a valley where the echoes of Islamism and patriotism and the poetry of Hafez, Saadi, Ferdowsi, and Rumi can be heard from the length of history and everything that magnifies Iran's cultural heritage. His name is inseparable from us, even if his heirs are killed. In that valley, there is a corner of the mystical epics of Central Asia that is related to Iran today. The voices of the heroes who raise their heads one after the other and sing arrogantly for the enemy have a divine will, their national and social pain is a common pain, and these are familiar to us. That is why the story of Panjshir is not a tragedy for us because it is not a story or a legend that comes one after the other and ends somewhere and its people play an empty role! These roles are the result of their thinking, as they are, they do not play the instrument, but they make the instrument of just peace to inform the enemy, they do not exaggerate, and they do not seek heroism and catastrophe, for That is why in the first days of the Taliban-Panjshirian conflict, many Taliban prisoners were taken, but when the war was about to take place in the mountains, they released the Taliban prisoners, while we have heard and read that when the Taliban in Panjshir towns and villages They go in search of military people or their opponents, what harm they do to ordinary people when they do not reach the goal and what murders they did not do with this goal! This is the hero who can kill but does not kill, and this is the warrior who only seeks murder!
The tragedy is when the protagonist dies and is left with only one story called resistance. Panjshir, but it seems to be inexhaustible. This is the collective story of the Sunni Hanafi Aryan Muslim. Why should we separate ourselves from them?!
It is enough to express the feelings and points of this Iranian who is interested in Tajiks of Panjshir descent, let's read the words of an anonymous compatriot who represents a part of Iranian society about the leader of the National Resistance Front in Panjshir and conclude:
"Why do many Iranians like Ahmad Massoud?" Because at the height of the weak escape of the elements, he returned to his homeland so that he would not leave his people alone because he is connected with our mythical stories. He has a sweet accent, he reads Hafez, Saadi, and Shahnameh because the hero sees in our time, adherence to principles and standing on the ideal is rare. "So far, he has overtaken all Afghan claimants by returning to the perilous danger."
