The Long Way for Peace in Afghanistan
By Prof. Abdul-Satar Sirat

This text from 1982 was kindly provided to the Afghan Observer by Mr. Mahmud Nafai to be added to our archival records.

THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN ISLAM AND ATHEISM IN AFGHANISTAN
By Prof. Abdul Sattar Sirat
Muslim World League (Rabita)
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
1982

CHAPTER 1: Afghanistan before the Marxist military
coup d'etat 1978

2. The Relations between Afghanistan and the Soviet
Union

Due to the special geographical position of
Afghanistan and as a result of the three wars between
Afghanistan and the British Empire up to 1919,
relations of friendship between Afghanistan and the
Soviet Union continued during the period from 1919 up
to 1965, with little suspension and few problems
particularly after the Soviet occupation of the States
of Bukhara and the imposition of Russian Communist
colonialism on the neighboring Islamic states.

The Muslim people of Afghanistan supported their
Muslim brothers in Central Asia during their
resistance against the Soviet aggression and also
welcomed half a million Muslim refugees who fled to
Afghanistan and where they lived. It is notable that
the Afghan side negotiating the friendship treaty
between Afghanistan and the Soviet Union in 1921 had
managed to include in that treaty the right for
liberation of Bukhara.

So the Afghani Muslim people became aware of the ill
will of the Soviet Regime because he has witnessed the
events that happen to the Muslims in Central Asia.
The relations between Afghanistan and the Soviet Union
continued with taking the necessary precaution and
carefulness and also with following the policy of
positive neutrality, and keeping the appropriate
balance in the relations of Afghanistan with the East
and the West.

During the period 1955 to 1963, the relation between
Afghanistan and the Soviet Union changed due to the
following reasons:

1) The Western countries and the United States refused
to give economic assistance to Afghanistan.
2) A man called Mohammad Daoud who was a husband of
King Mohammad Zahir Shah's sister was the Prime
Minister of Afghanistan.

Mohammad Daoud approved the proposal of the Prime
Minister of the Soviet Union Khrushchev regarding the
projects of economic cooperation, building roads and
streets and agriculture reclaimation. He also
approved sending of two hundred Afghani youth for
military and scientific studies to the Soviet Union
every year.

Mohammad Daoud also exercised historical dispute with
Pakistan regarding self-determination of Pathan tribes
living at the borders between Afghanistan and
Pakistan. The Soviet Union was behind this case and
exploited it for its own benefit.

Under this kind of relations the Soviet Union
distributed books and publications containing
communist thoughts and ideology among students of
schools and universities. And the Afghan government
did not take any action to stop such activities and
did not pay attention to the supply of Islamic books
and publications among the youth. The Government also
did not encourage schools, faculties and the Islamic
Centres in Afghanistan to exercise proper Islamic
activities. This tragedy was not indeed a phenomena
in Afghanistan alone, but also in most of the third
world and the Islamic countries, where doors were
opened to subversive thoughts and ideas without giving
sufficient opportunity and support to the Islamic
teachings and the spiritual values. Moreover, there
are Regimes and Islamic governments who are trying to
liquidate the Islamic existence and the movements in
their countries.

1963-1973 Period

Mohammad Daoud was forced to resign after he paved the
road for infiltration of the Communist thoughts in
Afghanistan and when he became an undesirable person.
Then King Mohammad Zahir Shah consulted Scholars and
Thinkers regarding a democratic system for the country
by setting up a new constitution; forming a government
comprising members selected outside the Royal families
and also forming a liberal Parliament and Independent
legal system as well as the Press.

It was easy for the Marxist elements for the Agents of
the Soviet Union as well as the Soviet Communist Party
to work underground for the establishment of the
Afghanistan Communist Party under the name of the
Khalq and publishing a leftist newspaper under the
same name. Thus the political communist organization
started in the name of the Progressive Movement and
other Marxist known slogans. This organization
received secret support of the Soviet Union and its
friends, notably Mohammad Daoud, Noor Mohammad Taraki,
Hafizullah Amin and Babrak Karmal who were among the
Marxist elements that appeared at that time.

1973-1978 Period

After 10 years since he resigned and in the absence of
the King Mohammad Zahir Shah, with the support of the
Soviet Union and the Communist elements from the Army
Officers, Mohammad Daoud proclaimed democratic system
for Afghanistan replacing the Royal one and proclaimed
himself President and Prime Minister. He also
appointed members of his Cabinet from Marxist elements
and people loyal to him personally. The Soviet Union
was the first State to recognize the new regime in
Afghanistan. This was followed by the neighboring
States, Islamic and Western countries, who also
recognized the Republic of Afghanistan.

This first attempt exercized by the Communist through
various ways and means was dismissing of Muslim
officials and the non-Communist personnel from key
posts in the State and replacing them with Marxist
element. In the framework of this aggressive policy
they have executed a former Prime Minister (called
Mohammad Hashim Maiwandwal) and a number of VIPs and
military officers on a charge that they attempted to
revolt against the Republic of Mohammad Daoud.

A great number of Muslim youths and students were
forced to flee and take refuge in neighboring
countries, while many of them were put in jails. From
those refugees come the pioneers of the Afghani
Mujahideen. They had fought against Mohammad Daoud's
Regime, who previously paved the road for the
Communist and allowed them to give severe strike to
Islam and Muslims.