In the turbulent history of Afghanistan, the name of a mysterious traitor carries the title of hero. Ahmad Shah Massoud, a two-faced coin who was called a “Hero” on one side and committed crimes on the other, the wounds of which still remain on the body of Kabul and northern Afghanistan.
Among Ahmad Shah Massoud’s crimes, the Afshar tragedy holds a special place. In the winter of 1992, his forces and allies attacked the Afshar region west of Kabul, an attack that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians, mainly from the Hazara ethnic group.
Numerous reports of rape, looting, and massacre on that day tell the story. This event is considered a shameful stain and a symbol of cruelty and lawlessness during Massoud’s era.
However, Ahmad Shah Massoud was recognized as the “National Hero” of Afghanistan in subsequent years, especially after his assassination in 2001. This title was bestowed upon him during Hamid Karzai’s presidency, and the day of his assassination (September 9th) was declared “Martyr’s Day” and officially recorded in the country’s calendar.
However, this decision was not based on national consensus, but was made under intense pressure from the Nazrar Council and circles close to the Jamiat Islamy; groups that had extensive influence within the power structure and had made Massoud a political and ethnic symbol.
Ahmad Shah Massoud’s role in the war against the Soviet Red Army made him a charismatic figure in the eyes of Western media, a figure who was later praised in the European Parliament. But is that enough to overlook his domestic crimes?
Ahmad Shah Massoud’s collaborations with foreign intelligence agencies, including Pakistan’s ISI, “K. G. B. Soviet, CIA of America, Iran’s VEVAK, and India’s RAW reveal other dimensions of his negative personality. There are reports indicating that he collaborated with these entities at various times to secure financial and military resources. These relationships not only call his political independence into question but also show that Afghanistan’s national interests have often been sacrificed for his political games.
After the first Taliban period, efforts to heroize Ahmad Shah Massoud intensified. The media, cultural institutions, and even the education system presented an image of him as a freedom fighter, an image that does not align with the harsh realities of the civil wars and his role in the destruction of Kabul and northern Afghanistan. This hero-making was based more on political and ethnic needs than on truth.
Many political and cultural critics view Massoud not as a national hero, but as the leader of the Northern Alliance, a group that has held power in some provinces for the past three decades by eliminating and purging opponents.
In over twenty provinces of Afghanistan, the name Massoud is not associated with honor but with hatred and bloody memories. This fact shows that the title “National Hero” did not come from the people but from within the power structure.
Ahmad Shah Massoud must be examined within the complex context of Afghan history, neither with ethnic sentiment nor with media propaganda. The greatest betrayal of history is to make heroes out of complex figures and those whose hands are stained with the blood of the nation.
Colonel Yusuf, the head of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, writes in his book “The Bear Trap”: “Whoever could destroy the Salang Tunnel would gain the title of hero. Ahmad Shah Massoud had been able to block the Russians’ supply route for a long time. For this reason, during that time, Massoud was popular with Western media and was known as the hero and Lion of Panjshir by his supporters.
However, the treachery of Ahmad Shah Massoud is a bitter reality that the noble people of Afghanistan must be aware of to avoid falling into the trap laid by the West and the enemies of the homeland, thru his son Ahmad Massoud.
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