As the second anniversary of the assassination of Martyr General Soleimani, Commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Resistance Front against Global Arrogance, Zionism and Terrorist Groups in the Region, approaches, a press conference was held to review the “The unique role of Martyr General Soleimani in the developments in Afghanistan” at Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) Office in Tehran, with the presence of Hojat al-Islam Sayed Issa Hosseini Mazari, a member of the General Assembly of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly and Director General of Tebyan Center for Socio-Cultural Activities.
In this press conference, which was attended by a group of Afghan immigrant elites and activists of the Tebyan Center, as well as journalists, Hosseini Mazari, referring to the history of the bitter developments in Afghanistan, said, “December 27 is a historic day that reminds us of a bitter reality. On that day in 1980, the Soviet Red Army invaded Afghanistan and occupied our country, and for more than forty years, it founded the misery, pain and suffering of the country and the people of Afghanistan.”
Referring to the anniversary of the ISIL terrorist attack on the headquarters of the Tebyan Center and the AVA news agency, he stated, “December 28 marks the anniversary of the 2017 suicide attack on the offices of the Tebyan Center and the Afghan Voice Agency (AVA), which left more than 50 martyrs and about 140 wounded and broke the hearts of the Afghan people, especially Muslim fighters.
But, according to the head of the Tebyan Center, “The most important and painful incident took place on January 3, 2020, in Baghdad, during which the greatest figure of the Islamic world Resistance, the martyr General Soleimani, as well as another great figure, the martyr Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, were taken from us and martyred.”
Regarding the motive for holding this press conference about the character of Martyr General Soleimani, he said, “The motive of today’s press conference is to pay more attention to the character of Martyr Soleimani for several reasons. First, we want the name and memory of this great commander and his companion, Martyr Abu Mahdi Al-Mohandes, to remain forever.”
According to Hosseini Mazari, “Although the whole Islamic world, especially the real and legal personalities and those involved in the axis of Resistance, especially Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq, have commemorated and will commemorate Martyr Soleimani, we are also interested in participating in this issue. We want to share in reviving the name of a figure, or the figures who created an epic in the axis of Resistance, participated in jihad, and created security for Islamic countries and the axis of resistance.”
“The second reason for holding this meeting is praying for Martyr Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes. On this day, we wanted to send special blessings for the souls of these two martyrs and other martyrs of the Resistance, and we ask God Almighty to keep us as the followers of such martyrs and guide us,” he added.
“The third reason is to mention the personality traits of Martyr Soleimani, because he is really a role model, especially for our youth, whether in the field of anti-arrogance struggles and to lead Islamic societies, or in personal life,” said the head of Tebyan Center, regarding the third reason for holding this press conference.
“The fourth reason is to mention the services of Martyr Soleimani for the Islamic world, particularly the countries of Resistance, especially Afghanistan. This martyr provided countless services to Afghanistan and its people,” added the Afghan member of the General Assembly of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly.
“Another purpose is to advise and emphasize to our people, both those who are in Iran and those who are in Afghanistan, that in commemoration of General Soleimani and holding gatherings and ceremonies for the anniversary of this martyr, they should take serious care. They must passionately be present in this glorious arena,” Hosseini Mazari mentioned as another purpose of holding this meeting.
“This year, in order to honor Martyr General Soleimani, both in the provinces and cities inside Afghanistan, especially in Kabul, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Bamyan and some other provinces, as well as abroad, especially in Iran and the cities of Mashhad, Tehran and Qom, Tebyan Center for Socio-Cultural Activities has special programs. To commemorate this martyr and the introduction of Martyr Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, the Afghan Voice Agency (AVA), as in previous years, has done very good and worthy work to enlighten public opinion, especially Afghans,” he clarified.
Following the meeting, the Director General of the Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) answered press questions. In response to a question about the approach of Martyr Soleimani, specifically in relation to the Taliban, he said, “Certainly, the Taliban in the early days of their five-year rule over Afghanistan in the 1990s were not endorsed by this great martyr, and he was present alongside other resistance groups against the Taliban. He was a supporter of the resistance against the Taliban. But after the Taliban's approach gradually changed, especially as a result of its relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran, attitudes toward the group also changed.”
“If we see today that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s approach to the Taliban has changed and the path of cooperation has been chosen instead of confrontation, it is not an early achievement. Rather, it started from the past and during the life of Martyr Soleimani, and its continuation has changed the attitude of the Islamic Republic of Iran towards the Taliban, as, at present, Iran does not support any confrontation with the Taliban inside Afghanistan,” Hosseini Mazari emphasized.
In response to a question about the details of the role of Martyr Soleimani in Afghanistan, the Afghan member of the General Assembly of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly said, “Before Martyr Soleimani was appointed as commander of the Quds Force, he was a senior Quds Force official, and was present in Afghanistan. Initially, after the victory of the Afghan people’s jihad against the Soviet Union, he was present in Kabul along with the Mujahideen Islamic government, Burhanuddin Rabbani and Ahmad Shah Massoud in various fields and assisted the Mujahideen government. Even in 1996, the day before the fall of the Mujahideen government, there was talk of General Soleimani in Kabul. I am sure that even the retreat of Ahmad Shah Massoud and the Mujahideen Islamic government to Panjshir was not without coordination and consulting General Soleimani. When the resistance group announced its existence in Panjshir, Martyr Soleimani again appeared there along with Ahmad Shah Massoud and other leaders of the resistance and supported the Panjshir resistance.”
“We believe that if General Soleimani had not been present in Afghanistan, especially in Panjshir, and had not provided economic aid, facilities and political assistance in the field of diplomacy, the resistance would certainly not have won and the Taliban would have taken control of the whole of Afghanistan in that time,” emphasized the head of the Tebyan Center.
“The defeat of the Taliban and the victory of the resistance against them and the presence of the resistance front in Kabul, and then the atmosphere that the Westerners claimed had created democracy, were due to the efforts of martyr General Soleimani in support of the Afghanistan’s resistance front at the time,” he said.
“After the establishment of Western puppet governments in Afghanistan, namely the Karzai government and later Ashraf Ghani, martyr Soleimani did not hesitate in providing services and assistance Afghanistan, even to this puppet governments of the West and it was just for the sake of Afghan people. Martyr Soleimani’s vision was not to help American mercenaries. But because he saw the need to establish these governments for the security of Afghanistan and to help the people of Afghanistan, he helped them,” Hosseini Mazari continued.
The Afghan member of the General Assembly of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly stated, “Until his martyrdom, martyr General Soleimani had a significant role in various areas of Afghanistan.”