| | Day of Martyrs Week observed in Kabul Pajhwok
09/10/2010
By Abdul Qaddir Siddiqi
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KABUL - Former jihadi commanders, parliamentarians and high ranking government officials observed the Day of Martyrs Week and the ninth death anniversary of Ahmad Shah Massoud, former jihadi commander, at the ten of Loya Jirga in the capital on Wednesday.
"The week is being celebrated to pay homage to the martyrs of the country," Defence Minister Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak told participants of the gathering. He asked the countrymen to get united and fight conspiracies against Afghanistan.
"We are being used as tools in the hands of outsiders, knowingly or unknowingly, to root out each other," he said.
Paying tributes to national heroes, Wardak said Ahmad Shah Massoud, Haji Abdul Qadir, Haji Abdul Haq, Abdul Ali Mazari and Abdul Ahad Karzai had sacrificed their lives for the country.
He said the assassination of Massoud was a big loss for the country. Massoud struggled for his entire life to protect the country's sovereignty and bring peace.
Massoud, who played significant role in war against the erstwhile Soviet Union's invading forces in 1980s and then blocked Taliban advance in 1990s was killed by two Arab suicide bombers who disguised themselves as journalists in September 9, 2001 in northeast Takhar province in the first-ever suicide attack in Afghanistan.
Massoud has been regarded as National Hero of Afghanistan and each year his death anniversary is observed nationwide. The day of Martyrs Week is public holiday in the country.
This year the government observed Massoud's Martyrdom anniversary one day before as September 9 is the religious festival Eidul Adha - the end of fasting month Ramadan and Afghans like other Muslims of the world celebrate Eidul Adha with fervor and solemnity.
Second vice president, Muhammad Karim Khalili, on the occasion said the era of jihad was a sacred period and the current government was a result of jihad.
He said that the killing of Massoud was a great example of sacrifice during the jihad era. This is our obligation to strengthen national unity, work for peace and ensure lasting peace and stability in our country," Khalili said.
Speaker parliament Muhammad Younus Qanuni also praised the sacrifice of Afghans in the jihad, saying all Afghans had played their part in the holy war.
"Marking the day of martyrs week is marking the history of Afghanistan," he said. The former jihadi commander and parliamentarian, Abdu Rab Rasoul Sayaf said only national unity could resolve the problems Afghans are facing with.
He said Afghans were hard working people and the government should have people support in order to succeed.
Former presidential candidate Dr. Abdullah Abdullah also addressed the gathering.
"As we have many times tried to defame the jihad and the resistance, I think it is of no benefit to celebrate the week and remember the martyrs," said Abdullah, who called Massoud a successful jihadi leader.
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