Note from the Hasht-e Subh Daily: On the eve of the fifth anniversary of the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban’s return to power, the Hasht-e Subh Daily is publishing a series of exclusive interviews. As part of this series, the following interview was conducted in writing with Sami Sadat, leader of the Afghanistan United Front (AUF). The questions in this interview were posed by a number of female reporters and writers at Hasht-e Subh Daily. Due to their presence and activities inside Afghanistan, the names of the Hasht-e Subh Daily’s reporters and writers have been given as pseudonyms.
Ilya, Hasht-e Subh Daily reporter
Ilya: As a girl living in Afghanistan, I will ask my questions directly. What guarantee is there that, if the fronts come to play a role in power, women will not once again be sidelined from leadership and political decision-making?
Sami Sadat: In the political thinking of the Afghanistan United Front, there is no distinction between women and men in politics, the economy, and society. The capacities that women possess must be used effectively in building Afghanistan. The next matter belongs to women themselves, namely to what extent they can join men from Afghanistan in a shared struggle. Of course, we do not expect women to fight, but in the political and civil spheres, I want them to coordinate with us.
Ilya: How do the fronts fighting against the Taliban differ from past governments and exclusionary structures, and how will they prevent the repetition of past mistakes?
Sami Sadat: In the Afghanistan United Front, we have studied the history of Afghanistan repeatedly, learned from past mistakes, and for this reason have taken the time to develop a comprehensive strategy to defeat the Taliban, not only through war but also through politics and civil struggle. We have already drawn up our roadmap through to the stabilization period, and every section knows what it must do and at which point in time.
Ilya: What is the Afghanistan United Front’s specific political plan for Afghanistan’s future? What kind of political system, electoral process, and power-sharing arrangement do you propose?
Sami Sadat: The Afghanistan United Front has drawn up a roadmap titled “The Path to Freedom,” which envisions the following stages: the stage of war and the defeat of the Taliban; the transitional stage, during which the people’s traditional Loya Jirga will be convened in Kabul, and the people will determine the shape and political priorities of the transitional government, including reviewing and amending the constitution if they deem it necessary. The Afghanistan United Front will support whatever decision is reached at this jirga. Throughout these stages, fundamental Islamic and Afghan national principles will be taken into account, and these stages will be carried out through an orderly process. To go through these stages, we are prepared to make sacrifices and provide strong leadership.
Ilya: If you come to power, what specific measures will you take to reopen schools and universities and to bring women back to work, particularly within the first 100 days?
Sami Sadat: Reopening schools and universities must be a priority for any new government. Of course, depending on the conditions at the time, a new educational and academic curriculum aligned with modern standards must be introduced in schools and universities. All the religious schools (madrassas) that the Taliban have established must be closed. The first step is to formulate an effective and practical political system for governing Afghanistan.
Ilya: How will the rights and freedoms of political opponents be guaranteed, and are the fronts prepared to negotiate and reach a comprehensive political agreement with their opponents to end the war?
Sami Sadat: The Afghanistan United Front is committed to order within the framework of the constitution, and it also considers itself the heir to the 2004 constitution ratified by the Loya Jirga, in which the rights and duties of citizens are set out as law. We consider ourselves committed to respecting the individual freedoms of all citizens of Afghanistan. We want to be free and to respect the freedom of others. We are fighters for the return of freedom; it is the Taliban who are against freedom.
Mina, Hasht-e Subh Daily reporter
Mina: My questions for you are brief. Do women have a real presence in the decision-making and leadership structures of the resistance fronts? If so, at what level and with what authority?
Sami Sadat: Yes, women play an active role within the framework of the Afghanistan United Front and are part of its leadership. Right now, the Afghanistan United Front’s humanitarian assistance program is being led by a woman. In addition, another large section of the Afghanistan United Front has established many online schools for girls, which, for security reasons, we cannot discuss further.
Mina: If you were in the place of a girl from Afghanistan who has been deprived of education, work, and many of her basic rights for four years, what would you demand of yourself?
Sami Sadat: I cannot answer from a position I am not in.
Khorshid, Hasht-e Subh Daily reporter
Khorshid: I too will raise my concerns through a few questions. First, how do the anti-Taliban fronts guarantee that their armed struggle will not harm civilians, and what responsibility do they accept regarding the Taliban’s retaliation against the people?
Sami Sadat: The Afghanistan United Front conducts its military operations according to a strategic directive called the “Combat Operations Directive.” This directive sets out the principles of conduct during war and includes specific prohibitions aimed at protecting civilian lives. This directive was drawn up in accordance with the principles of Fiqh al-Jihad, United Nations law on war and armed conflict, and the Geneva Conventions. As for the Taliban’s retaliation, the Taliban themselves are responsible for it.
Khorshid: Why have the anti-Taliban fronts, despite having a shared goal, still not been able to unite, and what are the main obstacles to this unity?
Sami Sadat: We believe in the political concept of pluralism, but we do want coordination. We want to unite with any individual or force that accepts Afghanistan’s national values, such as the national flag, individual freedoms, and justice for all.
Khorshid: What guarantee is there that, if the Taliban step aside, these fronts will not enter into armed conflict with one another, and that Afghanistan will not once again fall into civil war and fragmentation into fiefdoms?
Sami Sadat: The Afghanistan United Front has a plan for the war against the Taliban and a plan for the day after the Taliban, and we have a detailed plan to prevent civil war. In the Afghanistan United Front’s roadmap, the establishment of a political system that responds to Afghanistan’s conditions and needs has been taken into account.
Khorshid: Does your front have a single, clear political program and strategy for reaching the shared goal with fewer casualties and greater gains?
Sami Sadat: The Afghanistan United Front will use military, political, and civil means to achieve freedom.
Adrina Behzad, Hasht-e Subh Daily reporter
Adrina: Why should the women and girls of Afghanistan trust the resistance fronts today, and what difference is there between your outlook and conduct and past political experiences?
Sami Sadat: There is a very great difference. We began our struggle on the day Afghanistan fell under occupation, and we are devoting our time, our lives, and our capabilities to its freedom. We are advocates of freedom, and at present we thank those who support us. Now it is we who support you.
Behnia, Hasht-e Subh Daily reporter
Behnia: I want to know how prepared you are to make sacrifices, and how much support you receive from the people?
Sami Sadat: In the Afghanistan United Front, we are prepared to use all means and resources for the freedom of Afghanistan, and whatever sacrifice and however much time is required, we will bring this struggle to victory. The Afghanistan United Front enjoys comprehensive and broad support across Afghanistan, especially from the new generation, and we take pride in that.
Mahtab, Hasht-e Subh Daily writer
Mahtab: Do the resistance fronts have a specific plan for the real and equal presence of women in the leadership, political structure, and decision-making of Afghanistan’s future?
Sami Sadat: In the Afghanistan United Front, the views of women and men carry equal weight and power, and this will continue to be the case.
Mahtab: If the Taliban step aside, will the Afghanistan United Front hand over power to an interim government and then to an elected, inclusive system, or does it consider itself entitled to govern?
Sami Sadat: The Afghanistan United Front will hand power over to the Loya Jirga during the transitional period, but as the founder of the national foundations, it will also retain its own power in order to prevent anarchy and warlordism.
You can read the Persian version of this interview here:
