Sayyaf Condemns Terrorists, Foreign Spies

Abdul Rab Rassoul Sayyaf, the head of Hizb-e-Dawat-e-Islami and a former Jihadi commander, spoke on Tuesday at a ceremony in Kabul commemorating Ahmad Shah Massoud’s 13th martyrdom anniversary, where he called aiding and abetting terrorism a violation of Islam and condemned the influence of foreign intelligence services in Afghanistan.

Sayyaf, one of the most respected religious scholars in Afghanistan, and known as an outspoken critic of the Taliban, said that praying for terrorists, driving them around and helping them conduct their attacks are all acts against Islamic teachings.

But his words were not limited to violent extremists, he also took aim at foreign intelligence operating inside Afghanistan, a topic that has contributed to a cooling in relations with neighboring Pakistan in recent months.

“As we fight terrorism in this country, we also need to combat the nests of spies, there is evidence that shows that there are some people who receive money from outside the country and take it home, an anti-espionage effort is needed in this country,” Sayyaf said.

Sayyaf’s comments leant credence to the political and military analysts who have long speculated about the involvement of groups like Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) in fomenting militancy and supporting terrorist operations inside Afghanistan.

“The problem is that there are a lot of spies in Afghanistan and the identification of these spies is quite a difficult task, and to conduct a serious war and to defeat the spies, we need a strong government,” military analyst Atiqullah Amarkhail said on Tuesday.

Sayyaf spent much of his speech commending the Afghan security forces. “Listen, those who pray for terrorists in the mosques and have forgotten the national army soldiers and the police personnel and NDS personnel, you are sitting in your office and they defend the country, you are at home, but they are fighting the enemy in the trenches, and you are praying for the armed opponents,” Sayyaf said.

Although he did not go so far as to name any names, Sayyaf did make note of what he considered the demoralizing treatment of the Afghan forces by certain leaders in the government. “I want to call upon the security forces to not be demoralized by such assertions, I swear upon Allah that you are doing a dignified job, staying for an hour in a trench is considered equal to 60 years of worship.”

Mir Ahmad Joyenda, a political analyst, was pleased with Sayyaf’s remarks, which were unique in their directness. “Some feel fear to express views about the militants, but religious scholars and political leaders should have the courage to pursue a strong stance against the terrorists, this job could have positive impacts on public perception,” he said.

Tolonews

Tags: condemns, Sayyaf, terrorists

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