Twenty-four years ago, on September 9, 2001, Afghanistan lost one of its most renowned political and military figures. Born in the shadow of the Hindu Kush Mountains, Ahmad Shah Massoud began his struggle as a guerrilla fighter against the Soviet Red Army and, over time, emerged as one of the leading commanders of the Afghan resistance. He spoke of peace, democracy, and the participation of women in political life, yet he is no longer here to witness how the Taliban have stripped the Afghan people of these very rights, denying women and girls their most basic human freedoms: education and work. For this reason, Massoud’s legacy has remained a matter of debate, scrutinized by both his supporters and his critics.
Massoud is best remembered for his resistance against the Soviet occupation and later against the Taliban regime. His opponents, however, often portray him as one of the parties to Afghanistan’s civil war, invoking this history to challenge and criticize his leadership.
Given the complexity of Afghanistan’s civil conflict, absolving any party of responsibility is difficult. Each side considers its own narrative legitimate while dismissing the accounts of others, a reality that only deepens the conflict’s intricacy.
Although Massoud spent most of his life in war and never experienced the stability of peace, he did not remain estranged from the values of the modern era. He adapted himself to them, viewing these principles as an opportunity for Afghanistan’s progress. To defend these ideals against extremism, he stood firm until the end, choosing to fight to safeguard culture and dignity.
Recognition of freedom, mutual responsibility between state and citizens, the legitimacy of government through popular consent, the rights and duties of both rulers and the governed, democracy, and human rights are the cornerstones of the social contract as envisioned by Enlightenment philosophers. The essence of this contract lies in the sovereignty of the people, respect for the general will, and the rejection of inequality and domination. In this light, it can be said that Ahmad Shah Massoud believed deeply in the social contract. He embraced governance based on the people’s vote, the enactment of just laws, the rule of law, the active participation of women in society, and the fundamental rights of citizens. Above all, he valued human rights and the preservation of human dignity.
The issues of political participation and the distribution of power remain contentious and unresolved in Afghanistan. Equitable and inclusive participation in decision-making fosters national consensus and strengthens governance. Massoud consistently emphasized that resolving Afghanistan’s crisis required the fair participation of all ethnic groups in political structures and decision-making. He argued that the continuation of conflict stemmed from the unequal distribution of power and national resources and from the divisions imposed between communities. He also strongly supported the meaningful role of women in political structures and decision-making processes.
Throughout Afghanistan’s history, various political and religious movements have emerged, some moderate and centrist, others deeply extremist. Ahmad Shah Massoud, though rooted in an Islamic framework, embodied a moderate and balanced religious vision. He consistently emphasized the importance of a middle path in Islam, rejecting extremism as contrary to the true principles of the faith. Massoud believed that moderation in religious beliefs and the rejection of fanaticism were essential prerequisites for social justice, peace, and stability. He also argued that adherence to moderate Islam, respect for civil rights, and understanding among ethnic groups could strengthen Afghanistan’s relationship with the wider world.
During the political and military upheavals of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Massoud emerged as one of the most prominent figures opposing the leftist movements in Afghanistan. In the 1990s, during the Taliban’s first regime, he managed to establish a broad political and military framework that united diverse political and social forces under a common banner. Recognizing the urgent need for national trust and rejecting divisive politics, Massoud played a pivotal role in building solidarity among resistance groups against the Taliban’s extremist agenda, believing that national trust was vital to Afghanistan’s survival.
Amid the turmoil of war and crisis, Massoud’s influence extended far beyond the role of a military commander. His political thought continues to resonate in Afghanistan’s public life, particularly his consistent call for resolving the Afghan conflict through dialogue and just compromise.
With his belief in the social contract, popular legitimacy, and citizens’ rights, Massoud demonstrated that authority and power could not be secured solely through force or ethnic dominance. Rather, justice, equitable political participation, and respect for the public will formed the true foundations of stability and progress. He insisted that people must remain realistic, adapt to their surrounding realities, and embrace unity and convergence among Afghanistan’s diverse ethnic groups as a shared obligation. To Massoud, the fair distribution of political power and national wealth was a necessary condition for national cohesion and for reducing Afghanistan’s chronic structural crises.
His vision of religious moderation, symbolizing an Islam of balance and tolerance, offered a striking counterpoint to extremism. Massoud’s example showed that religion could serve as a source of social cohesion, justice, and peace—not as a justification for violence or domination. He saw religious moderation as the essential precondition for Afghanistan’s sustainable stability and political development.
Twenty-four years after Massoud’s assassination, the Taliban have once again seized political and military control. They have curtailed individual and social freedoms, imposed a traditionalist, religion-driven order, dissolved political parties and civil society, and stripped independent media, once a cornerstone of Afghan public life, of their autonomy. Women have been denied the right to education and employment and pushed to the margins of political and public life. All democratic processes and the legal framework of the previous system have been dismantled, replaced by laws and institutions shaped by the Taliban’s rigid ideology.
Resolving Afghanistan’s crisis requires acknowledgment of today’s social realities: respect for pluralism, institutionalizing religious tolerance, ensuring the fair distribution of political power, practicing genuine democracy, and guaranteeing meaningful participation of women in governance and decision-making. Achieving this will demand the emergence of a charismatic leader in the mold of Ahmad Shah Massoud, someone capable of inspiring hope amid crisis and mobilizing Afghanistan’s political and military forces. What endures in Afghanistan’s collective memory of Massoud is not only his military skill but also his remarkable organizational ability. In today’s circumstances, such a figure could play a decisive role in helping the country navigate its way out of crisis and toward a viable future.
You can read the Persian version of this analysis here:
