Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

The Need for National Unity in Afghanistan

|

The Need for National Unity in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a multi-national country where several beliefs, mentalities and mindsets are cherished and individuals live a peaceful life with the spirit of brotherhood. In this society, living a quiet social life will be impossible without national integrity. Therefore, struggles should be multiplied to strengthen national unity and all ethnic groups need to support it as a principle. They have to take effective step with bona fide intention for solidarity, unity and coexistence.
We need to realize that national unity is a crying need in Afghanistan and is considered a criteria and a significant element in bonding the nation and living a peaceful life. Campaigning against discrimination and monopoly, creating stability, ensuring peace, economic growth and cultural development and political participation will pave the ground for this issue. On the other hand, gaining access to democracy and social justice, maintaining human rights and ensuring public and fundamental rights and freedoms in the society will necessitate adhering national unity. In other words, harmony and integrity of Afghan nation, mutual respect, tolerance and respect towards the rights and beliefs of one another, lack of tendency towards sensational behavior will be the deciding factors behind national unity. Maintaining these standards will lead to forming a single national identity and state-building. In such a case, all will show tendency towards this land and will devote wholeheartedly for upholding their freedoms and independence. Hence, cherishing the spirit of tolerance, converging to a common point, feeling empathy and sympathy will smooth the way for being released from the clutch of enemy and spread peace across the country. This way, each and every individuals will be entitled equally and enjoy equal privileges, equal economic, social, cultural and political opportunities.
Afghan constitution has also stressed on maintaining national unity in the country as it is stated in the preamble that this constitution is approved to “form a civil society void of oppression, atrocity, discrimination as well as violence, based on rule of law, social justice, protecting integrity and human rights, and attaining peoples' freedoms and fundamental rights.” It is further said in article 4 for recognizing and introducing all tribe as, “National sovereignty in Afghanistan shall belong to the nation, manifested directly and through its elected representatives. The nation of Afghanistan is composed of all individuals who possess the citizenship of Afghanistan. The nation of Afghanistan shall be comprised of Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Turkman, Baluch, Pachaie, Nuristani, Aymaq, Arab, Qirghiz, Qizilbash, Gujur, Brahwui, and other tribes. The word Afghan shall apply to every citizen of Afghanistan.”
Based on the emphasis made in the constitution, despite sectarian, religious, ethnic, linguistic and racial varieties, Afghanistan belongs to all tribes who are considered brethren and equal. Hence, all are responsible to make effort in developing and advancing for the construction of this country and resist against any kinds of invasion and aggression. They also should avoid claiming monopoly, discrimination, racial or ethnic superiority which will result in disregard of citizens’ equal rights. And national resources and opportunities will be monopolized by a certain tribe.
Since Afghanistan’s law-makers legislated equal rights for all tribes in the country, it will never be logical to disregard the tribes and ethnicities and view every issues from the narrow lens of race and faction. Implementing national sovereignty, protecting national unity and human dignity, maintaining equality in rights and responsibilities, utilizing national assets, etc. are in need of collective view rather than personal or factional one. So, all tribes and ethnic groups are respectable and should not be treated in a way that will jeopardize national unity.
Furthermore, national unity necessitates that all honor and pride acquired by the brave individuals of this land in any social, cultural, economic, athletic or military arenas, should belong to all tribes and must not be viewed from ethnic perspective. That is to say, monopolizing the mentioned issues will also threaten national unity and will be a strong blow to the nation. Getting first position in entry test in university, or in educational Olympia such as math, physics, sport match, etc. will be an honor for the entire ethnic groups and all citizens of this land. Celebrating such issues and paying tribute to them are worthwhile; however, coloring them with the brush of ethnicity or using them as tools for humiliating other ethnic groups will be never acceptable since these are against national unity and will be considered violating national integrity and solidarity. Thus, the officials and nation’s attention in this regard is significant for they will trigger a sense of ethnic tendency among the public in our society. It is hoped that the aforementioned issues be held seriously so as to support national integrity.

Abdul Hamid Arifi is the permanent writer of the Daily Outlook Afghanistan. He can be reached at the outlookafghanistan@gmail.com

Go Top