The National Flag as a Symbol of Pride and Unity

Speech at the One Million Signatures Flag Ceremony - Herat 

Keypoints: 

• National Identity: The flag represents Afghanistan as one united nation.
• Unity and Solidarity: All citizens are encouraged to stand together as one people.
• National Pride and Sacrifice: The nation honors sacrifices made by past generations.
• Youth Empowerment: Young people are seen as leaders of future progress.
• Development and Reconstruction: Economic growth and rebuilding are national priorities.
• Strong State and Rule of Law: Stability depends on lawful and effective governance.
• Regional Cooperation: Partnership with neighbors supports peace and development.
• Hope and Future Vision: Confidence is placed in a peaceful and prosperous future.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Youth, representatives of civil society, sisters, brothers, distinguished officials of Herat, Mr. Yari, Mr. Haidari, Mr. Taimori, the Minister of Information and Culture, all sisters and brothers, and the First Lady of the country; first and foremost, I offer you the gift of the Leader of Humanity: Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh!

Today is a day that I am truly joyful, and you, the people of Herat, have become the cause of joy for all of Afghanistan. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your patriotism.

The flag is our symbol, and the banner represents our continuity and constant transformation. No one gifted us this flag, and no one raised it for us; rather, it is the fruit of the sacrifices of generation after generation, after generation. For five hundred years, the martyrs of Herat have stood at the front line of Afghanistan’s defense. Secondly, this grand initiative of gathering signatures from men and women, elders and youth, nomads, villagers, and city-dwellers, is a sign of commitment and the belief that Afghanistan is emerging from inherited crises and is standing on its own feet. I specifically congratulate you on this initiative; its brilliance lies in the fact that you, the youth and the scholars of Herat, created a tool for unity. You changed the intellectual atmosphere of the Afghan people. Those who are narrow-minded and shortsighted want to divide us, divide us, and divide us until we turn into "nothing." But you unite, unite, and unite us so that we transform into a massive force.

Our flag is the sign of being a nation, and understand this clearly: This land was not gifted to us. A few foreigners did not sit in a conference somewhere and draw a map to name it Afghanistan. We have earned this land! And we shall maintain it! We have labored for this homeland; as a united nation, we preserve it and lead it toward comfort and progress.

Therefore, our flag is a symbol of our nationhood on one hand, and a sign of our statehood on the other. What is the fear of Afghanistan’s enemies? Their fear is that this soil should have a strong state, just as it has a great nation. And what are the obstacles? Those who do not have good intentions do not want the rule of law. We cannot allow those who oppose the rule of law to hinder our progress. This flag will always fly, and our path is only the path of progress. We cannot turn back. We have the experience of going backward; the memory is still vivid. All of Herat was flooded, and in those dark years, not even a single bulldozer could be found. Who wants those days? Is returning to the black days the wish of an Afghan or a Herati? No, no, no—and never until eternity!

Tomorrow I will be at your service; we have extensive meetings. Some of our colleagues said—though you shouldn't be annoyed with them—that I should go in the morning and return in the evening. I said that in Herat, I am the host to the world; I am not a guest for just one day. I will stay with you for two nights and we will have a proper heart-to-heart.

But I want to say a few words in advance regarding Herat. Five hundred years ago, Herat was larger than both Paris and Florence. Herat was the intellectual, artistic, and economic center of Central Asia. If you want to see the influence of Herat's art, consider the Turkish writer [Orhan Pamuk] who won the Nobel Prize in Literature and wrote a book titled My Name is Red. This book relates to the 18th century and the murder of an artist; it demonstrates the influence of Behzad on the Ottoman Empire even three hundred years after his death. We have a magnificent culture that we must take pride in. The city of Khwaja Abdullah Ansari will always carry the message of peace, tolerance, patience, and commitment for all of Afghanistan—a commitment born of firm faith that purifies all impurities.

Herat is the symbol of the Herati people's will in reconstruction. Between the year 501 and the final destruction brought by the Soviets during their bombings, which destroyed thousands of homes and martyred many, I saw those broken houses with my own eyes. This time, the prosperity of Herat must be sustainable, and Herat must once again emerge as a regional hub.

The arrival of TAPI is a hope that will be the first step in the fundamental transformation of Herat. In these two days, you will not only witness the TAPI project; you will see Torghundi reconnected to Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Europe via railway. Herat is in the midst of a major transformation, but this is only the beginning.

I hope to speak in detail in the coming days about a Herat that will once again be one of the vibrant economic, cultural, and political hearts of Afghanistan. A final point: it concerns your generation and mine. First, thank you for not counting the thirty years I was abroad toward my age; I am of your generation and I am with you.

What is our common ground? Setting age aside—it is hope, belief, and faith. Your generation, like me, is free of complexes (ungrudging). We do not surrender to complexes; we are believers in the future. For this reason, we do not think short-term. If I thought short-term, perhaps I would have built four bridges for you, but instead, I bring you TAPI.

Our duty and mission are not just this. A project is a tool; what is the goal? The goal is for Afghanistan to believe in itself, and believing in ourselves comes from thinking for ourselves. As Mr. Gulrani [youth representative] said, no one else can represent you; the young generation must represent itself.

Your youthful thought and energy, combined with the experience of past generations, must unite to change the lives of the majority. This is why this is a mutual renewal of our vow. Your initiative gives me heart so that regardless of any wave that comes, I will follow the straight line.

I am not a willow tree to sway with every wind, and you are a generation that, even if one or two waves hit you, can always ride and direct the wave. And what does this mean? We will develop the immense capital and treasure beneath our feet. I do not want Herat or any part of Afghanistan to have its hand stretched out to the world. We must envision the day when the world’s hand is stretched toward Herat and Afghanistan. This location of Afghanistan is one of its most important assets.

Mr. Kabarzani mentioned that I said I would start my policy from Turkmenistan. At that time, people laughed at me. Why? Because they do not see what is right in front of us—this hidden capital. Our policy is fundamentally linked with our neighbors. This policy is built on the basis that instead of being in conflict, we can change the region through cooperation. I want to truly express my gratitude to Turkmenistan, because the first country to understand the strategic importance of Afghanistan’s location was Turkmenistan.

This is the beginning. One billion cubic meters of gas will come, and Insha'Allah, we will see its results in every corner of the lives of Heratis and all of Afghanistan.

Furthermore, I express my gratitude for your message today to the rest of the people of Afghanistan: what has started today in Herat and reached its initial results is replicable in all provinces. In these few days, just as Afghanistan celebrated the inauguration of the Salma Dam without anyone instructing them to do so, Insha'Allah, hope will not only be created in Herat, but the hope of Herat will become the collective hope of the Afghan people.

There are still difficulties on the road and many problems, but remember our old proverb: "Mountains do not meet, but people do." I once again, in conclusion, express my gratitude for this grand initiative, your collective effort, and your committed, focused energy.

Insha'Allah, in the coming days, we will have other discussions in detail. My request is this: every time a good work is accomplished, the demand must go higher, not lower. Insha'Allah, with the immense energy that exists in Herat, we will speak of the next stage of transformation.

Finally, I thank you all once again. May God protect you, may God grant you success, and together we will overcome every problem.

Yeshesin Afghanistan! (Long live Afghanistan!) Zinda bad Afghanistan! (Long live Afghanistan!) Tel de wi Afghanistan! (May Afghanistan live forever!)