The conflict and civil war, in Afghanistan which has been raging for 40 years has meant that many Afghans have fled to other countries, including Iran, to look for protection from the war, and to live in peace and quiet. The Iranian government has put our Afghan brothers living there under pressure with the threat of deportation, and then induced them into serving as soldiers in the Syrian war, with offering small amounts of money. They have been exploited as an easy target by the Iranian government, and sent to their death in Syria. It’s a disgrace, and a violation of human rights, and also against the teachings of Islam, that Afghans fleeing the Afghan war and looking for protection are then sent to the Syrian war.

We demand that the Iranian government brings back our brothers deployed in the Syrian war, and stops sending any more there.

We have been made aware of deliveries of Iranian weapons to the Taliban. The Taliban are sent to Afghanistan to carry out destruction and kill people. So, Afghans are being used to kill Afghans. Iran wants to use this process to create unrest in Afghanistan to create an advantage for itself, or further its own interests. We demand that Iran immediately stop this action, improper behaviour and tactics targeted against Afghanistan, and to stop interfering in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.

The Iranian government is responsible for the unrest in Afghanistan and a number of other countries. The Afghans love the people of Iran, and are very aware that over 90% of Iranians want freedom and don’t want the current government. So, the Iranian government would be well advised to change their policy immediately.

We demand that the Afghan government immediately take the traitors working for Iran in Afghanistan into custody, and put them on trial.

If the Iranian leadership believes that Afghanistan has become weak due to the war which has been raging for 40 years, then they are seriously mistaken. On the contrary, our heroic soldiers are always ready and able to defend their homeland, and fight the enemy. The Afghan army is extremely well-equipped and has many years of combat experience. The entire Afghan people supports the Afghan army with hearts and minds. We do have some minor ethnic conflicts in Afghanistan on occasion, but in the face of a threat from outside, we are all Afghans together.

Afghanistan has many friends around the world, including Saudi Arabia. We would like to warn Iran from declaring war against Saudi Arabia, for in this case the Afghani army would stand shoulder to shoulder with the Saudi Arabian army.

When the Taliban demands that the USA and the rest of the global community should leave Afghanistan, then in reality, this ideology does not come from the Taliban. Iran is behind this, as this is how it aims to reach its strategic objectives in the region. 

It seems the Taliban now understand that their war is being controlled and led in the background by the enemies of Afghanistan, in order to destroy their homeland, and to stir up animosity between the ethnic groups. The Taliban should feel disappointed by Iran, as Iran only supplied weapons to further Iranian interests, and sent them to Afghanistan to kill their compatriots.

We welcome the fact that the Taliban are now thinking of peace for the reasons above. In the event of a peace agreement, they could help our brave army and participate in rebuilding the country.

Best regards,

Hayatullah Maiwand

1.Chairman of the FDPA