The recent remarks of Mawlavi Mujiburrahman Ansari against the republic government has outraged the public conscience and triggered backlash. A large number of people have reacted against his remarks on social media and hurled insults on him. His remarks were irresponsible and unbecoming of a religious figure. Ansari’s statements were similar to those of the Taliban and indicate his radical ideology and parochial mindset as he said that supporting the current government is un-Islamic and “great sin”. Social media users said that he was supported by outsiders as a photo of him with a foreigner was circulated widely.It comes as former jihadi leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who signed a peace agreement with the Afghan government few years back, threatened earlier to besiege the Presidential Palace if his fighters were not released. Afghan ordinary people and high-level officials, including Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum, reacted to Hekmatyar’s statements and first vice president Amrullah Saleh called it “a political joke”. Although threatening the republic system openly is against the law, the government has not taken practical actions against the two figures.Both Ansari and Hekmatyar are radical ideologists. Hekmatyar is a highly notorious figure as he destroyed Kabul city through firing rockets during the civil war and allegedly killed a number of people. Hekmatyar’s men fought against the government for years and is said to kill civilians. Except for his party members and few associates, the public view Hekmatyar as historical pariah and his fighters, who are in jail, were caught red-handed. The government gave Hekmatyar concessions when signing peace deal with him as he lives in luxury apartment in Kabul with a number of bodyguards safeguarding him.Mawlavi Ansari has also turned notorious after his outrageous and irresponsible remarks. A number of clerics also reacted against his rhetoric. In reaction to Ansari’s recent words, a video clip of Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf, a high-level religious and jihadi leader, is widely shared and retweeted as he addressed a gathering in support of the Afghan military ranks and soldiers. In the gathering, a number of high-level clerics and jihadi leaders including the late Sibghatullah Mujaddadi, Nazir Ahmad Hanafi, etc. were present, Sayyaf said that Afghanistan was a “thorny morsel” and no one would be able to swallow it. He called the militant fighters “stooges of the stooges” and said that they would not be able to “occupy” Afghanistan. He voiced his support to Afghan soldiers and police officers, saying that their jobs were the most “honorable”.Sayyaf, who is nationally known as “Sheikh-ul-Hadith” for knowing and memorizing a large number of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), is a well-known cleric and challenged the Taliban to come and debate their ideology if they really practiced upon the Islamic tenets. But the Taliban attempted to assassinate him.It is self-explanatory that Afghanistan is an Islamic country and the post-Taliban Constitution was endorsed by high-level clerics and religious figures. Article 3 stipulates, “No law shall contravene the tenets and provisions of the holy religion of Islam in Afghanistan.” Afghan Ulema Council and clerics support the republic system and have constantly condemned anti-government activities, mainly the deadly and destructive activities of the Taliban militants.On the contrary, the Taliban and their associates have been killing soldiers and civilians, including women and children, under the name of religion, which is highly disgusting. Ansari seems to spread Talibanic mindset and radical ideology and capitalize on religious sentiments of the people. Similar to Taliban, he is likely to pursue his political objectives under religious terminology. Living in the country and utilizing the facilities and services of the same country, but seeking to trigger public sentiment against the government is a real betrayal. Suppose if the current government is not Islamic, he is free to leave the country and take refuge to his favorite Islamic country and pray peacefully from dawn to dusk. So, he should stop misleading the people and radicalizing the youth.Herat provincial governor Sayed Wahid Qetali showed strong reaction to Ansari’s remarks, saying that he is spreading the radical ideology of the Daesh (Islamic State) in the country. Qetali said that Ansari had had exploded the electric pillar by his nephew with impunity, adding that Herat province is not the place for “producing Daesh”.It should be noted that no one is beyond the law. Anyone, be it cleric or military general, has to be prosecuted in case of hurling harsh rhetoric against the government. Meanwhile, the government has to scrutinize such figures to find out where they are supported from ideologically and financially. Those who seek to pave the ground for militancy and radical mindset are legally criminal and has to be brought to justice. Ansari or Hekmatyar is not exception and the government should no more be tolerant to them. If they continue their threatening remarks, the ordinary people are likely to show stronger reaction against them. With this in mind, they must stop their illogical and irresponsible remarks and do not abuse religion for their political objectives and self-interests.