In the wars of recent decades in Afghanistan, a number of figures were introduced to the public’s minds as heroes, champions, and saviors of the country as a result of the games of politics, war, and foreign powers, as well as propaganda campaigns. One of these figures is Ahmad Shah Massoud, whose supporters have tried to make him a hero and an irreplaceable figure. This is all while his true life’s work is in complete contrast to this propaganda image, and some figures in these wars were artificially elevated to the level of heroism. The name of Ahmad Shah Massoud is considered among the ranks of heroes created in this way, whose supporters have tried to present him as a national hero and an unparalleled leader.
Massoud was not fighting for the independence of Afghanistan but rather for the power of a specific region and a particular group. Those wars were never for the salvation of the entire nation, but for the monopoly of power and personal status, and Massoud was a major factor in prolonging the war and sabotaging peace, as he never accepted national consensus in the division of power, and behind his heroism lay only power-hungry desires.
Thousands of civilians were killed by his group during the 1992-1996 civil wars, homes were destroyed, and the city was reduced to ruins. If he were truly a peacemaker, he would have made a permanent compromise with other groups instead of monopolizing power. However, on the contrary, Massoud was the leader of a war machine that considered it permissible to kill civilians in Kabul city for the dominance of his group.
Many figures have passed thru the history of Afghanistan who possessed great skills and influence due to the wars of their time. Massoud’s achievements were also solely due to the intelligence agencies of foreign countries (India, Iran, Russia, and France). Without this foreign support, he would have been nothing more than a limited commander in a specific region, but he was a pawn of foreign intelligence, systematically and extensively promoted, and thru this propaganda, he was made to appear great, but in reality, he never had national independence.
Ahmad Shah Massoud gained particular fame during the Soviet invasion, but this fame was largely created by foreign media funded by Western interests and by certain French journalists, with his image being promoted thru propaganda and pro-Western portrayals.
Massoud’s power was only effective in limited areas of the north, and he pursued ethnic and regional policies against other ethnic groups. This actually paved the way for the division of the nation instead of nation-building, and Massoud was a fundamental figure in undermining national unity, sowing seeds of doubt and hostility among the region’s ethnic groups instead of trust and unity, and pitting the people against each other.
During his internal political rivalries, Ahmad Shah Massoud remained embroiled in civil war not only with Hizb-e-Islami but also with many other jihadist groups, rivalries that were fueled by the intelligence support of other intelligence agencies.
The popular heroic narratives about Ahmad Shah Massoud do not align with historical facts, nor was he a national hero, a peace seeker, or a unique leader. His actions prolonged the war, created ethnic divisions, and advanced foreign agendas, as the civilian casualties of the Kabul battles are the greatest refutation of his heroism.
The propaganda efforts of Ahmad Shah Massoud’s supporters are a form of historical distortion used to conceal the facts about the war, civilian casualties, foreign support, and the division of national unity. Afghanistan’s future can only move toward the light when true history is accepted instead of false heroism, and the nation’s memory is organized based on real national values.
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