Dr. Ashraf Ghani

Speech at the Joint Session of the Ulema Council and the High Peace Council

Faith-based legitimacy: Islamic teachings provide the foundation for peace.
National consensus: The people clearly support peace efforts.
Ceasefire unity: The ceasefire proved national unity and reconciliation.
Role of scholars: Religious leaders guide and legitimize peace.
Afghan-led process: Peace depends on intra-Afghan dialogue.
Consultation (Shura): Decisions follow consultation and participation.
Forgiveness: Reconciliation requires forgiveness and forward vision.
Regional support: Regional cooperation strengthens peace efforts.
Religious institutions: Strong institutions support social stability.
Peace as courage: Choosing peace reflects true courage.

Chahar Chinar Palace

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

Dear brother Ustad Khalili, respected Kashaf Sahib, distinguished Ulema, Minister Wardak Sahib, deputies of the High Peace Council, deputies of the Ulema Council, all esteemed religious scholars, attendees, sisters, brothers, and dear compatriots! First of all, I offer you the greeting of the leader of humanity: Peace be upon you, and the mercy and blessings of Allah!

Gratitude and Acknowledgments

I begin with words of gratitude. First, to Professor Khalili and the High Peace Council, with whom we have jointly prepared a clear roadmap for peace and worked comprehensively to build a national consensus on this matter. Today, it is evident that the entire nation of Afghanistan demands peace with a loud and determined voice. For this, I congratulate and thank the High Peace Council for fostering such an atmosphere. I specifically express my gratitude to the religious scholars. You may know—though some might not—that I have studied the prophetic biography (Seerat-al-Nabi) for a year and analyzed hundreds of fatwas, particularly those from various madrasas in Pakistan. I also thank the reciters (Qaris) who came to the Arg from all 34 provinces during the holy month of Ramadan, as well as the directors of Hajj and Religious Affairs from those provinces. In closing, I thank you all once again. Thank you, Mevlavi Sahib Achakzai—it was your request that I acted upon today.

Religious and Legal Justification for Ceasefire

Secondly, I am often asked: why did you declare a ceasefire at this time? My answer is simple: the commands of Almighty Allah, the prophetic biography (Seerat-al-Nabi), and the unified fatwa of our esteemed Ulema guided me to do so. Let there be no doubt or ambiguity—this is the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. As long as I, your servant, hold this responsibility, I will not only look toward the voice of the Ulema and the people but will act upon it. I am proud to say that the fatwa of our Ulema was not a fatwa of war, but a fatwa of peace. It was the unified fatwa of 2,907 Afghan scholars and the will of the nation, not a government-mandated decree. It was spontaneous, born of the will of the Ulema and consultation with the High Peace Council. Respected Qazi Sahib and all elders! This demonstrates Islamic civilization and our finest principles aimed at ending the war. You had other choices; you could have issued various fatwas that, God forbid, might have intensified the conflict rather than strengthening the national consensus for peace. The second question was: why at this time? Beyond the holy month of Ramadan—specifically its 27th night—and the auspicious Eid al-Fitr, the only other significant time was Eid al-Adha. Other days do not carry the same weight in our traditions and culture. We must realize that all our roots are planted in our holy religion. Does the prophetic biography not grant special importance to Ramadan? Is bloodshed not forbidden in this month? Did they not cease all hostilities with the pagans of Makkah during this time? Let it be clear that we stand by our beliefs and our traditions.

Reflections on the Impact of the Ceasefire

You described the results in eloquent words, but I will put it simply: for the first time, there were smiles on the lips of our children, reassurance on the faces of our mothers, and hope on the faces of our elders and youth! The primary point the ceasefire proved is that this nation remains a great, magnificent, and united one. It believes in Almighty Allah and takes pride in its "Afghan-ness" and Islamic identity. [Audience chants: Takbir]. I especially thank the people. If this nation did not possess a sense of humility and a preference for the future over the past, then when thousands of Taliban entered the cities, hundreds would have been killed if it were any other country. This is the power of the nation; this is the wish of these people, and they showed it to you. They took them to the mosques, to their homes, to tea houses; they spoke with them. In this regard, I also thank the Taliban leadership. This was not an easy decision for them either, but it became possible because there was no counter-argument against the fatwa. If this initiative had come from other segments of society, it might not have been accepted in this way. It became possible because the Ulema made it possible, and the High Peace Council made it possible. During these three days, the entire nation was anxious, but that anxiety has, God willing, subsided. These three days proved two things: The ceasefire was implemented 99% without incident. In any peace agreement, the greatest concern is the ceasefire; this proves the great nation of Afghanistan is ready for peace. There was a serious concern that the people would lack the capacity to forgive or would not be ready for true reconciliation because so much blood has been spilled and so many tragedies have occurred. However, the spontaneous movement of the people showed that our citizens are forward-looking.

National Engagement and the Public Pulse

This country is a land of consultation (Mashwara). The consensus of this nation lies in gauging the public pulse, and every step I have taken has been by measuring that pulse. Before Ramadan, the protocol department calculated that 7,500 compatriots had visited the Arg in one month. [Asking staff:] How many thousands came during Ramadan? Every week of Ramadan, 1,500 people came, and during Eid, at least 4,000. You know my habit—I shake hands and greet everyone. 95% of those who came told me: we want peace! The voice of the people and the national consensus were clear. We did not perform any extraordinary act of bravery; thank you, Professor Khalili. This is not "bravery"; it is commitment to the will of the nation. It is submission to the will of Allah, the Quranic injunctions, the guidance of the Ulema, the prophetic tradition, and our Rightly Guided Caliphs. Therefore, it must be clearly understood that our decisions are not based on personal matters; the interests of the nation must always be preferred over the interests of a limited few. With all respect to their freedom and thoughts—national interests must prevail. Let me give you an example: if two Afghans meet on a bridge wide enough for only one car, which one should reverse first? It is a simple incident; either could make way for the other. But if we are stubborn—as Minister Wardak knows—once we dig our heels in, we say we won't go back. [Laughter]. Is it not so? The question was: who makes the first move? There is no loss of prestige in this. If thousands of people are being killed by one another, is it better to use reason, or to refuse to budge two minutes backward so that we can move a hundred miles forward? The courage lay in someone taking the first step, and that step was taken. Between yesterday and today, I have met with ten governors; by Thursday, I will see all thirty-four. We must clearly weigh the general public perception. Now, Professor Khalili, my proposal to you is this: Share every concern the people have regarding peace with the High Peace Council. Share every suggestion for improving the peace process with the High Peace Council and with me. All elders, unions, women's organizations, and segments of Afghanistan are involved in this. A point that worried some people was the thought that the work for peace was already finished. I tell you now—we have all come from the mosque, we all have our ablutions (Wudu)—I have not met a single Taliban member yet, but I understood the pulse of the nation, and that is why I acted. Every step for peace must be taken transparently. Peace does not come in the dark like a thief; peace comes in the light of day through the courage of Afghans and our unity and agreement!

Strategic Roadmap and Future Proposals

It is essential to know which stage we are in. We are in the first stage: making peace negotiations possible. We have various views, and as your servant and the person responsible, I have spent days and nights figuring out how to pave the way for every problem. I hope you are witnesses to this. Has there been any issue raised by the Taliban for which we haven't tried to find a path? Regarding international forces—come, let us talk a thousand times. Which issue is it that you want to discuss? I say to you again, as I said to the Peace Convoy: wherever in Afghanistan you want to meet me—on my eyes (with pleasure)! Wherever you want to meet Professor Khalili—on my eyes! Meet with Mr. Khpalwak, with the Ulema Council, with Kashaf Sahib, or the National Assembly... Minister Wardak and all his colleagues are present and at your service. We must accept our "Afghan-ness," and these three days proved that we are all Afghans. Now we must come together to take big steps. As the Professor said, peace does not come in a single day, but the direction of peace is positive. Other actions are necessary to accelerate this. Based on their request, not only will hundreds of thousands of copies of the fatwa be distributed across all provinces, but we will also deliver one million copies of the Holy Quran to all Afghan madrasas in the coming months. Following that, work will begin on collections of the Hadith based on this committee’s proposal. I invite you to propose how we can establish a unified curriculum, bring organization to the madrasas, and take every possible step to protect the dignity of our scholars. The assessment from the directors of Hajj and Religious Affairs is that out of 146,000 mosques, only 3,000 are supported by the state. I have heard their voices clearly. Today is not the day for a formal announcement, but we are working specifically on how to restore the prestige of the Ulema—who have always been at the heart of our society—and fulfill their needs. Step by step, God willing, we will move forward.

Dimensions of the Peace Process

The issue of peace in Afghanistan is not one-dimensional; it requires comprehensive, collective effort. One dimension is the intra-Afghan aspect. The peace issue must be resolved between Afghans, and there is no alternative to an intra-Afghan solution. We must reach a conclusion on where and when to begin negotiations. Once this is decided, the High Peace Council will appoint the negotiating team, supported by a government delegation, similar to the process initiated in Murree. The scope of this team's authority will be defined by consensus. When the day comes that we reach a peace agreement, it is understood that the nation must endorse it. The subsequent steps regarding how and by what means we ratify it are matters the nation must discuss. At the same time, a peace agreement has international and regional dimensions. These must be agreed upon simultaneously once we achieve an intra-Afghan consensus. In this regard, our international partners will have clear roles and responsibilities, as will our regional partners, particularly Pakistan. The third stage is the implementation phase, which must be clearly outlined within the peace agreement itself.

Regional and Islamic Consensus

In addition to the national consensus, I hope it has been proven that a strong regional consensus is emerging. Look at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference four years ago compared to today. For regional countries, deciding on war is very difficult, but deciding to strengthen peace is far easier. A full regional consensus exists, except for some problems you all know of, which we must work on. Second, a consensus exists within the Islamic World. I express my particular gratitude to my dear brother, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the King of Saudi Arabia, and to the great scholars of the Holy Mosques. Their declaration and fatwa were unprecedented. I say this with the utmost respect for the Afghan nation: this was made possible by the fatwa of Afghanistan’s own Ulema and the decision of the Afghan government to earnestly prioritize peace over war.

Forward-Looking Vision and Systemic Change

Unfortunately, we Afghans can wage war against each other at any time. Can we not even do it within a family? We are always ready for that... [Laughter]. But today, courage is not found in war; courage is found in peace. Honor is in peace, and dignity is in peace. God has given Afghanistan everything. If there is peace, just imagine—my entire education has been focused on how to bring prosperity and development. If we have even one year of peace, you will see that, God willing, all the demands of the esteemed Ulema will be implemented, and we will be able to have a congregational mosque in every province of Afghanistan. Our nation possesses an immense capacity; it does not look back, because we know what lies behind us. Perhaps a hundred years from now, history will be ready to judge—today is not that time. My request is that we look forward, not backward. The level of our Jihad was clear; it belongs to the whole nation. No one in Afghanistan should be allowed to look down upon the Jihad. However, the potential for future tragedy is clear, and this is no time to waste hours and days. The question must be: how do we achieve a just and fundamental system that is secure and inclusive of the entire nation? We must prepare for this, and it can only be achieved through democracy. We need further consultations. Your advice will always be viewed with precision; that is why I issued this decree. Whatever proposal you have, there is a listening ear here. I hope it has been proven that what I said during the elections is true: the Arg is a place for the Ulema and the High Peace Council. Distance in this country is unacceptable. Our national consensus is built on ensuring our beliefs and interests are clearly protected.

May God protect you! Long may you live. Long live Afghanistan!

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