RNA – In an interview, Heshmatullah Nazari, an Afghan scholar in Islamic history, spoke about the Hazara Enlightenment Movement, saying it formed as a result of the 23 July double suicide attack on peaceful marchers in Kabul, where in 80 people were killed and about 230 wounded.
The majority of those killed were from the country’s Shi’a ethnic Hazara minority who were protesting against a new power line and the discrimination and oppression they face in the underprivileged provinces where they live.
He said that in recent days, millions of Afghans, especially Hazaras, participated in peaceful protests in order to achieve their legitimate rights.
Nazari explained that ISIL terrorists took advantage of this opportunity to kill a large number of people and also, another terrorist group, the Taliban, used their opposition to NATO’s presence in Afghanistan as a pretext to carrying out extensive attacks in Kabul, which didn’t harm any foreign forces and only caused fear and panic among the Afghan people.
He explained that the protesters were demanding a planned power line be rerouted through their poverty-stricken Bamyan province to ensure electricity in the relatively isolated area west of Kabul.
The Afghan affairs expert said that the Enlightenment Movement formed for this reason and was a loud cry for justice among all segments of society and several members of parliament and leaders of political parties also participated in the protest.
“Athough,” he said, “Unfortunately some political leaders sold the people out halfway through the protest, which took away some of the movement’s potential.”
He added that the government hasn’t fulfilled the demands of the people, except offering a few suggestions on paper and answering their demands in a lethargic manner. “Through this, they have prepared an arena for the evil forces of the ISIL and Taliban, who are both the enemies of Afghanistan,” he said.
Nazari said this is not the first time that such a tragic incident has occurred at the hands of ISIL, which is the most fanatical and bloodthirsty terrorist group in the world. With the support of Western countries, Arab countries’ oil money, the Wahhabi ideology and the support of religious schools in Pakistan, they have killed innocent people in Afghanistan.
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