The Sanctity of Sacrifice: Martyrdom, State Stability, and the Defense of the Republic

(Message on the Occasion of Martyr’s Week)

Keypoints: 

• Sanctity of Sacrifice: Honor those who gave their lives for national unity and freedom.
• Martyrdom: Recognize sacrifice as the foundation of pride, freedom, and values.
• Family Support: Protect the rights and dignity of martyrs’ families, orphans, and widows.
• Condemn Violence: Reject acts that terrorize civilians and disrupt social stability.
• National Security: Ensure forces effectively safeguard sovereignty and the people.
• Institutional Strength: Build strong state structures to honor sacrifice and maintain stability.
• Public Awareness: Educate citizens on the value of sacrifice and distinguish just from unjust deaths.
• Peace and Stability: Reduce societal suffering through security, justice, and national cohesion.

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Honorable Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, esteemed members of the family of the Martyr Massoud, respected Jihadi leaders, prominent political figures of the nation, honorable members of the Cabinet, Engineer Mohammad Khan, Chairman of the Martyr’s Week Commission, the leadership of both houses of Parliament, representatives of our diverse social strata, Civil Society, the esteemed Ulema, and brothers and sisters: Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon you all.

On the arrival of Martyr’s Week, I offer my profound condolences to the people of Afghanistan, and most specifically to the families of our martyrs. This week commences on the 18th of Sunbula, coinciding with the martyrdom of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the National Hero of Afghanistan. The selection of these days to commemorate our martyrs is highly appropriate, as the National Hero stands as the preeminent and true example of our oppressed martyrs over the last four decades. He was a pivotal figure in our contemporary history who struggled and campaigned until the final moments of his life for the establishment of an Islamic system, the independence of the country, democracy, national unity, and the territorial integrity of this nation.

Martyrdom is one of the purest terms, holding a specialized status and a transcendental meaning in the lexicon of Islam. The fact that the Holy Quran describes martyrs as living speaks to the role that the blood of a martyr plays in reviving a nation and breathing life into its aspirations. A martyr is the banner of a nation’s pride and dignity, serving as the ultimate proof of its liberty. The term Martyr possesses a vast meaning with multifaceted applications. It encompasses everyone from those killed while defending their rightful sanctities, to those who lose their lives in the pursuit of knowledge, to those murdered in a state of oppression, and even those who perish in natural disasters. Islam has granted this term such conceptual breadth so that the various dimensions of human life may be linked to transcendental values, allowing us to distinguish between a justified death and an unjustified killing.

Over the past few decades, due to oppression, tyranny, foreign aggression, and terrorism, millions of our compatriots have been deprived of the blessing of life. Millions of our children were stripped of their right to education, and hundreds of thousands of families were forced to abandon their homes and embrace a life of deprivation and poverty in exile. Those who offered their lives as a sacrifice for the salvation of their people and their country hold a profound right over the entire nation; honoring their memory is our moral and national obligation. Furthermore, the State and the Nation share a joint duty to ensure that the families of martyrs are never forgotten. In the radiant religion of Islam, the rights of the orphan are emphasized with great gravity. Necessary attention must also be paid to the rights of widows. Our tribal elders, Ulema, and the media are duty-bound to inform families regarding these rights, in total alignment with the spirit of Islam. The purpose of gathering for our martyrs is not merely to honor their sacrifices and express sympathy with their families; rather, the objective is to strengthen our resolve and raise our voices higher to end oppression, cruelty, and bloodshed.

We witness the terror, martyrdom, and massacre of our oppressed compatriots almost daily. Only last Saturday, thirteen of our citizens were pulled from vehicles in Balkh and massacred. Over the past decade, in Kandahar province alone, hundreds of tribal elders, religious scholars, socio-political figures, and intellectuals were assassinated by mysterious hands. The enemies of Afghanistan desire for Afghans to be terrorized, weakened, and rendered systemless. They want us to fail in rebuilding our homeland, to fall into despair, to become suspicious of one another, and ultimately to submit to tyranny and violence. But as per the Divine Promise, the Truth shall inevitably prevail. The greatest proof of our national success is this: at this time last year, soldiers from dozens of countries were responsible for Afghanistan's security. Today, that entire responsibility rests upon the shoulders of Afghanistan’s own soldiers and security forces. We see that our courageous soldiers and police are successfully defending the soil of this motherland at the cost of their own blood, fulfilling the aspirations of our martyrs.

Martyr’s Week is an opportunity to reflect on how some relinquish their own lives so that others may live a peaceful, dignified, and human life. The realization of the lofty ideals for which our martyrs sacrificed themselves is contingent upon having a stable society, universal security, and the strengthening of a state system that protects the life, property, and honor of its people; a government capable of assisting the survivors of martyrs, the victims of war, and the people who are poor. We must strengthen our sense of appreciation for sacrifice, but we must simultaneously lower the necessity for sacrifice by emphasizing the stability of our country.

Furthermore, we must remind those deceived by foreigners that not every death is martyrdom. A death that results in innocent people being dragged through blood and dust, where women and children are victims, and where the number of orphans and widows increases, is not martyrdom—as clearly stated by Islam—but is suicide. Such acts result in harm to the lives of others and the destruction of the perpetrator's own hereafter. The families, fathers, and mothers of these deceived individuals must be made to understand that such a death is a source of pride for no one, except for those who use them as tools for the further destruction of this country to secure their own sinister political goals. The expenses imposed upon the State and the Nation by this war in just the past year alone would have been sufficient to fundamentally transform the lives of our people.

In conclusion, I once again offer my condolences to the entire nation and specifically to the families of the martyrs. We pray to Almighty Allah to grant our martyrs the highest stations in heaven. 

Long live Afghanistan!