RAWA statement

The Criminal Zardad a Procreation of Gulbaddin Hekmatyar's Polity

These days we are once again witness to the truth of RAWA's oft repeated assertions regarding the beastly nature of the entire gamut of Islamic fundamentalist parties. At long last the lid of the sealed chest of dark secrets concerning Afghanistan has been raised a fraction, and the ensuing stench is overpowering. Now the world community has got to know the name and is learning about the sickening crimes of one of the key figures of Gulbaddin Hekmatyar's Hezb-e-Islami [Islamic Party] -not through RAWA's constrained efforts but through one of the most prestigious media channels in the world.

Simpson's World on BBC World TV recently ran an investigative report on Zardad, an infamous lieutenant of Gulbaddin Hekmatyar. Watching the programme, one can retain little doubt in regard to the veracity of what RAWA has constantly been asserting all along; namely, that all fundamentalist Jihadi groups -and Gulbaddin Hekmatyar's Islamic Party in particular- are superlative in viciousness and criminality and have grouped together the most murderous thugs and criminals imaginable under one ideological umbrella.

Zardad a commander of fundamentalist party of Gulbaddin Hekmatyar one of the most wanted criminals in Afghanistan. He tortured and killed thousands of our innocent people in 1992-96 and even before the fall of puppet regime in Afghanistan. -RAWA

RAWA wishes to highlight and reiterate the fact that Zardad is only one tree in a nefarious jungle. Now that an influential media channel like the BBC, and by extension the British government, have woken up to the existence on British soil of a rabid dog from one of the wildest and most infamous of the fundamentalist Jihadi packs, they must not and cannot stop there and are legally and morally bound to extend and pursue the investigation to its logical conclusion.

Zardad as an individual could never have been in a position to strike terror into the hearts of all who passed through his domain. He was the end product of an organized fundamentalist-terrorist party. He was bred, fostered, couched and groomed to become what he was by a "political" party. He could not have been the "wild dog" he was and could not produce countless character-clones of himself without the arms and support he received in abundance from his party. Zardad could not have led his luxurious lifestyle and maintained his investments in Britain had it not been for the approval and blessings of the gang he belonged to. Therefore, unrelenting prosecution should first and foremost target Gulbaddin Hekmatyar himself together with his clique of party topdogs and ideological comrades-in-arms who currently lead opulent lives in Western countries and live off the millions of blood-drenched dollars they stole and extorted from the ravished people of Afghanistan.

If so much hype is raised about a criminal like Zardad, but deafening silence is maintained in regard to Gulbaddin Hekmatyar and bigwigs of his Islamic Party -whose unspeakable crimes and brutalities would put Zardad and his like to shame any day-then such investigations and possible ensuing prosecution would be nothing but a veritable smoke screen conspiring to rescue Gulbaddin & Co. from the clutches of justice.

Exposing Zardad is a most welcome -albeit much belated-beginning. Indictment and prosecution of Zardad should include his godfather and mentor, Gulbaddin Hekmatyar. The International Court of Justice in the Hague, Amnesty International and/or other international bodies working to bring war criminals and perpetrators of crimes against humanity to account, as well as human rights organizations, should demand of the Iranian regime -the only regime in the world to grant asylum to such an infamous fundamentalist Jihadi butcher-to extradite Hekmatyar. The Iranian regime must be effectively castigated for such manifest patronizing of terrorist and murderers.

If Western countries are honestly and truly committed to peace and justice in Afghanistan and wish to aid and support the people of Afghanistan, particularly Afghan women who are the prime victims of fundamentalist-terrorist tyranny and terror, then they are morally bound to extradite each and every Khalqi, Parchami, Jihadi and Taliban bigwig holed up on their territories and deliver them to an international tribunal to answer for the unspeakably cruel wounds they have inflicted on the collective body and soul of the Afghan people -wound which go much deeper than the rabid fangs of "dogs" such as Zardad and his like.


Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA)
August 24, 2000