RAWA has always held that the destructive wars between fundamentalist factions are meant to seize total power in Afghanistan. The past and present wars between Taliban and Ahmad Shah Masood, which led to several deaths on both sides, particularly the side of Taliban, and drove our innocent people, especially women, from their homes, are again proving to the world the belligerence and anti-humanism of the two sides.

While both sides, which seek to outdo each other in destroying women, knowledge, culture, progress and democracy, have failed to keep their various cease-fires, agreements and treaties, the unfortunate people of Afghanistan have been left exposed to the vagaries in the recent action, while the Taliban were successful in expelling Masood’s forces from the important towns of the Shamali plains until yesterday, today they themselves have been beaten and driven out of these towns. W e understand that unless the external forces stop interference in Afghanistan, see- saw battles between the Afghan fundamentalists will continue, and the women’s rights will remain in Afghanistan a distant dream.

We and the people of Afghanistan are not only opposed to the idea of one of these factions scoring a total victory over the other and becoming the ruler of Afghanistan, we are also against any government constituted through an agreement between these forces of darkness and ignorance. We consider such agreement as a tragedy, and view all those individuals and organizations which support such an agreement in the interest of either of these factions as our enemies.

RAWA and other pro-democracy people of Afghanistan know that Taliban and their Jehadi opponents have no legitimacy because both are tied to foreign powers, and have no consideration for human and women’s rights, freedom and democracy. They cannot rise above their petty attempts to fuel sectarian, ethnic, linguistic and regional rivalries among people. If today the Taliban are treating the people of Shamali as prisoners of war, tomorrow Masood may do the same to people living in areas under Taliban’s influence. But they should remember that some day these people will unite and burn all fundamentalists, including Masood & Co. and Taliban, in the fire of their hatred for tyranny and oppression. We condemn these destructive wars, and express solidarity with our oppressed people, particularly the people of Shamali. We believe that the solution to these wars lies in the unity and dialogue among all nationalities of Afghanistan.

In these circumstances, if the United Nations and other human rights bodies continue to work for a rapprochement between the belligerents only, as the unfortunately have been doing so far, then it would mean that some countries are seeking to advance their own respective agendas in Afghanistan. If the United Nations really want to restore peace in Afghanistan, first and foremost they should help unarm the belligerents and other fundamentalists, and then prepare ground for Loya Jirga and work for the formation of such a government which would be able to introduce democracy and a free and fair elections in Afghanistan.

RAWA calls upon all the Afghan elements and organization opposed to fundamentalism and seeking democracy in Pakistan and the world to prevent by all possible means both the Taliban and the Jehadi fundamentalists from playing with the fortunes of Afghan people, especially women.

We have firm faith that the supremacy of the killers of innocent people, of freedom, of democracy and women’s rights cannot endure forever.