“The Yazids of our time want to turn Afghanistan into another Karbala, but the Afghans’ unity would not let them succeed,” said President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday, marking the Day of Ashura.
Addressing a gathering marking the 10th of Muharram, the Day of Ashura in Hazrat Rassoul-i-Akram mosque here, Ghani said the Day of Ashura had equal importance for the Sunni and Shiite sects as the day offered the lesson of resistance to tyranny, corruption and misuse of public wealth.
“I have come to the place which was many times put in the harm’s way, I acknowledge the danger you face, we have come here to renew our pledge to follow the path of Imam Hussain (RW).”
The president said the Yazids of the current time wanted to turn Afghanistan into another Karbala by staging terrorist attacks on mosques, worship places, schools, academic and social centers.
Ghani said innocent and defenseless citizens were massacred in recent attacks in Zabul, Helmand, Paktia, Nangarhar and more recently in Momand Dara and Barchi area of Kabul.
He said the enemies of Afghanistan wanted to give these attacks the name secretarin strife, something dangerous for the Afghans. “We can defeat this threat in cooperation with the people.”
The president urged the people to stand together in the fight against enemy designs and take wise steps against those fueling hatred in the name of religion, language and tribe.
“The blood of a Shia and a Sunni has the same color, in this country the Pashuns and the Tajiks have the same fate. The honor of Hazara and Uzbeks is the honor of all.”
He said despite repeated enemy attacks, the religious harmony in Afghanistan remained a model for others.
The president said his government was fully prepared to deal with the enemy and dividing Kabul into four security zones, categorizing threats, consulting different sections of the society in this regard and focusing the Kabul’s west were part of those measures.
He said police and intelligence cover had been increased in the Kabul’s west where operations were ongoing in affected areas.
“Our success in the war against terrorist depends on mutual cooperation between the government and the people, as seen in developed countries.”
