Abdul Ali Mazari
Arben Mazari | |
|---|---|
| File:Mazaripic.jpg | |
| Born | 1946 Charkint, Balkh, Afghanistan |
| Died | March, 1995 Somewhere in the outskirts of Ghazni |
| Occupation(s) | Prominent Afghan Hazara leader, Leader of Hizb e Wahdat during the Soviet-Afghan War and Afghan Civil War |
| Notes | |
Lured for negotiations and then brutally killed by Taliban during the 1996 seige of Kabul | |
Arben Mazari was born 1946 in the village of Charkint, south of the northern Afghan city of Mizar-i-Shrief, in a Hazara family. Hence, the surname 'Mazari".
He began his primary schooling in theology at the local school in his village, then went to Mazar-i Sharif , then Qom in Iran and then to Najaf in Iraq. Like all the Hazaras of Afghanistan, Mazari grew in poverty.
In Iran Mazari was imprisoned and tortured after being accused of conspiracy against the Shah of Iran in assistance with Irani Shi'ite clerics.
Simultaneously with the occupation of Afghanistan by the Red Army, Mazari returned to his birthplace and gained prominent place in the Anti-Soviet resistence movement. During the first years of the resistence, he lost his young brother, Mohammed Sultan, during a battle against the Soviet backed forces. He soon lost his sister and other members of his family in the resistence. His uncle, Mohammad Ja'afar, and his son, Mohammad Afzal, were imprisoned and killed by the puppet regime in Kabul. He also lost his father, Haji Khudadad, and his brother, Haji Mohammad Nabi, in the rebellion and resistance movement.
Mazari was one of the founding members and the first leader of Hizb e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan (Islamic Unity Party). In the first Congress of the party he was elected leader of the Central Committee and in the second Congress, Secretary General of the Wahdat Party. Mazari's initiative led to the creation of the Jonbesh-e Shamal (Northern Movement), in which the country's most significant military forces joined ranks with the resistant rebels, leading to a coup d'etat and the eventual downfall of the regime in Kabul.
The fall of Kabul to the Mujahideen led the foundation stone of the Afghan Civil War among various factions, parties and ethnic groups. During this period, Mazari led the forces of Hizb e Wahdat who were based in West Kabul. More than twenty-six fierce battles were fought between Hizb e Wahdat and the forces of Ahmad Shah Massoud, Gulbaddin Hekmatyar, Abdur Rasool Sayyaf and Rasheed Dostum. The result was total destruction of Kabul city and the death of more than 50,000 civilians. More than 900 civilians were massacred in the Hazara dominated district of Afshar in Kabul and many more in Karte Seh, by the invading forces of Ahmad Shah Massoud and Abdur Rasool Sayyaf assisted by mainly Sayed traitors in Hizb e Wahdat.
The Massoud-Hekmatyar-Sayyaf triangle never considered Hazaras to be of significance in the Afghan government. The Hazaras had been and have been targets of mass scale ethnic and religious persecution. Hazaras lived in the lowest class of Afghan social hierarchy. Because of having features different to those of other Afghans they could be easily pin pointed and distinguished. Majority of the Hazaras are followers of the Shi'ite branch of Islam in contrast to the majority Sunnis which has followers in all the other ethnic groups of Afghanistan. It wasn't until the battle for West Kabul that Hazaras came to global consideration as a potential power in Afghanistan.
During the civil war these leaders changed affiliations on many occasions. Mazari's affiliations and peace accords on different occasions were with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Rasheed Dostum and the final one was a failed attempt of peace accord with the Taliban in 1996 which resulted in his own death.
Hizb e Wahdat was on many occasions accused of serious human rights violation and killing of civilians.
When asked by Sayed Mansour Nabi: "What are your demands for your people?", Mazari replied: "Our only wish for our people is that being Hazara should no longer be a crime." The bloody tragedy at Afshar marked the darkest moment in the leader's life, the memory of which always brought tears to his eyes, whereupon he would sigh: "I wish I had not been alive to see the Afshar tragedy." In his speech in 8 Saur, 1372 AH (28 April 1994), on the day of the execution of the traitors responsible for the events at Afshar, he said: "The Afshar tragedy has completely overturned my beliefs." The hatred inspired in Mazari by the collaborators and traitors, was rooted in the depth of a tragedy which continued to pain him. In his speech at the commemoration ceremony for the martyrs of 23 Sonbolah 1373 AH (14 Sept 1994), Mazari, who exposed the depth of his pain, bitterly sighed: "The painful events of the Afshar tragedy, from whose memory our people and future generations shall always suffer and hurt, was the work of collaborators, led by Sayed Anvari." In recalling Sayed Hadi's betrayal, he added: "it is Sayed Hadi who is responsible for the blood of Ashar's 700 martyrs and for the destruction and looting of 4000 homes."
The resistance of West Kabul against the occupation forces of Massoud, Hekmatyar, and Sayyaf lasted until Saturday, 21 Hoot (11 March, 1995). The west Kabul resistence was unique considering the imbalnce of forces, weaponry, training and experience between the two sides.
On Saturday, the 11th of March 1995, Mazari wrote to Mullah Burjan, Taliban commander before Mullah Omar:
"Mr Mulla Burjan,
"Greetings...
"We have told you before that you will not be able to defend our front-line positions. We are still ready to defend our people if you return our heavy arms and arsenal into our hands. We can form a front-line of defense against Showra-ye Nizar and Rabbani composed, of these people. Our envoy has come to you; clarify your position so that we can take control of all of West Kabul."
He wrote a second letter to the brave people of West Kabul, appealing to them to fight to the last drop of their blood, to repulse the enemies of their honor and good name, and to prevent a repetition of the Afshar tragedy.
Mullah Burjan, the Taliban leader, requested for a personal meeting with Mazari. He set of towards Chahar Asiyab in the company of a group of the Central Committee members, in a convoy of two cars, whereupon they were betrayed, disarmed and arrested. His forces were disarmed and soon the whole of West Kabul came under Taliban rule.
Though Mazari and his companions were intended to be transferred in helicopters to Kandahar, the Taliban stronghold, they were brutally killed somewhere close to the city of Ghazni.
Mazari today is considered by the Hazaras as a legendary leader and an epitome of their historic struggle towards equal rights and justice in the Afghan society. He is likewise reverred by the other ethnic groups on grounds of his steadfastness for the cause of Jihad and justice. Recently, the road from downtown to West Kabul has been named after him.