NOURNEWS - The Increase of violence and the targeted killings of religious scholars, politicians, journalists and media professionals in Afghanistan over the past ten years, especially in 2020 and 2021, are Moderate and opposed to war, extremism and terrorism in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS) has confirmed 3,800 terrorist attacks following the signing of an US-Taliban peace agreement that killed 420 civilians and wounded 906 others.
According to statistics released by the Afghan Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, approximately 1,200 religious scholars have been assassinated in the country over the past 15 years, most of whom have been a symbol of national unity and opposition to war.
The assassinations tell of a massive conspiracy against moderate religious thought in Afghanistan with foreign incitement and by extremists, and the repetition of these incidents clearly shows that these foreign actors are working hard through extremist groups to slow the peace process and divide and prepare for the disintegration of Afghanistan.
The presence of moderate religious scholars and opponents of extremist currents has always prevented the expansion of social influence of these groups in the countryside, and because of the position of these elites in Afghan society, their removal means nothing but the logic of interaction and peace in Afghanistan and a prelude to extremist domination.
The creation of an atmosphere of terror, or the "Al-Nasr with fear" tactic, which is one of the most common tactics among terrorist groups to dominate societies, causes many critics to either emigrate or remain silent for fear of their own lives.
In addition, the removal of moderate religious figures in the long run could jeopardize the pervasiveness and legitimacy of violent and extremist readings of Islam among Afghan youth. The systematic and targeted assassinations of religious scholars, especially those who have loudly spoken out against extremism, terrorism and war, show that the war mafia is well aware that this elite class in Afghanistan is a major obstacle to terrorist activities.
The loud voices of these scholars against corruption and extremism have been a major obstacle of turning Afghanistan into a haven for extremists, reactionary radicals, takfiri schools of thought, and those associated with foreign intelligence services.
Clearly, the civil and media activities of the clergy and their voice in society is the greatest challenge for those who, after years of occupation and crime, today not only have no answer for their crimes, but also by recognizing extremist groups, support their participation in power. Moderate figures are the best way to heal the old wounds of war and insecurity in Afghanistan and justify their continued presence in the region.
BY: Mohammad Ghaderi
NOURNEWS