Shaheed Mazari initiated a new discourse in political arena of Afghanistan to change the long-standing power relations in Afghanistan that had been based on exclusiveness, monopoly and despotism

He denounced the atrocities and injustices done on disadvantaged ethnics throughout the history of Afghanistan and believed that there should not be sense of superiority or inferiority any longer. He believed that in order to establish permanent peace, it is important to denounce the past injustices and ensure fair participation of all Afghan people, regardless of ethnicity, race, gender, religion and language.


Biography of Abdul Ali Mazari

Abdul Ali Mazari (1946 – 13 March 1995) was the head and co-founder of the Hezbe Wahdat (Unity Party) during and following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Mazari was an ethnic Hazara, a Shiite Musilm by faith, and believed the solution to the divisiveness in Afghanistan was in federalism, where every ethnic and religious group would have specific constitutional rights.

Mazari’s philosophy is still relevant as he believed that the only solution to Afghanistan’s conflicts, issues and civil war is a central government that recognizes and accepts every ethnic group’s civil and political rights, (the rights to life, protection against violence, to education, to economic opportunities available to others, to have representation in government and to be treated equally before law without any discrimination on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, political belief, religion and language).

Mazari was a strong voice in Afghanistan against those who excluded Hazaras because of their ethnicity, race, language or religion.

He insisted that Afghanistan should have a government that allowed everyone to participate in its affairs regardless of ethnicity, race, gender, religion and language.

He was the first Afghan political leader who fought for minorities rights and a federal democratic government. He also, argued that Afghanistan is a nation of diverse ethnicity, so it was imperative for all ethnic groups to live peacefully with each other by removing the racial, religious and cultural discrimination against the Hazaras and other minorities and women.

He reminded Hazara people of the injustice done to them in the last 100 years by the dominant ethnic group that created disharmony amongst Hazaras. Mazari was determined not to allow a repeat of the history of Afghanistan when Abdur Rahman Khan (the former Afghan king who was Pashtun) killed 66% of Hazara population during his ruling period from 1840s-1891.

Mazari, also stood against the Al-Qaeda and the terrorist sub-sections of Taliban, who tried to repeat what Abdur Rahman had done to massacre Hazaras.

Mazari was affectionately named by the Hazaras as “Baba Mazari” (father Mazari).

After the takeover of Kabul by Taliban (backed by Pakistan’s ISI), Mazari was invited by the Taliban regime in 1995 for political talks. However, instead of talks, Taliban deceitfully captured their guest and killed him ruthlessly along with his aides.

Early life
An ethnic Hazara, Ustad Abdul Ali Mazari was born in the village of Charkent, south of the northern city of Mazari Sharif. Hence, his surname is “Mazari”. He began his primary schooling in theology at the local school in his village, then went to Mazari Sharif, then Qom in Iran, and then to Najaf in Iraq.

Resistance against Soviet rule in Afghanistan
With the occupation of Afghanistan by the Red Army, Abdul Ali Mazari returned to his birthplace and gained a prominent place in the anti-Soviet resistance movement. During the first years of the resistance, he lost his young brother, Mohammed Sultan, during a battle against the Soviet-backed forces. He soon lost his sister and other members of his family in the resistance. His uncle, Mohammad Ja’afar, and his son, Mohammad Afzal, were imprisoned and killed by the Soviet-backed regime in Afghanistan. He also lost his father, Haji Khudadad, and his brother, Haji Mohammad Nabi, in the rebellion and resistance movement.

Hezbe Wahdat
Abdul Ali Mazari was one of the founding members and the first leader of the Hezbe Wahdat (Unity Party). In the first Congress of the party, he was elected leader of the Central Committee. During the second Congress, he was elected Secretary General of the Wahdat Party. Mazari’s initiative led to the creation of the Jonbesh-e Shamal (Northern Movement), in which the country’s most significant military forces joined ranks with the rebels, leading to a coup d’état and the eventual downfall of the regime in Kabul.

Civil War
The fall of Kabul to the Mujahideen marked the start of the Afghan Civil War between various factions, parties and ethnic groups. During this period, Mazari led the forces of Hezbe Wahdat who were based in West Kabul. More than twenty-six fierce battles were fought against Hezbe Wahdat by the forces of Shora-e-Nezar, Abdur Rasool Sayyaf and Taliban. Sometimes the relation of Mazari with the general Abdul Rashid Dostum was quite neutral, sometimes he was an ally, depending on the situation. The result was total destruction of Kabul city and the death of more than 50,000 civilians.

More than 900 civilians were massacred in the Hazara-dominated district of Afshar in Kabul and many more in Karte Seh by the invading forces of Ahmad Shah Masoud, and Abdur Rasool Sayyaf.

Taliban betrayal and death
Mullah Burjan, the Taliban leader, requested a personal meeting with Mazari. On 12 March 1995, Mazari set off towards Chahar Asiyab in the company of a group of the Central Committee members in a convoy of two cars, whereupon they were betrayed, disarmed and arrested. A Western journalist photographed Mazari with tied hands and feet. On March 13 1995, Mazari along with nine of his followers were murdered by the Taliban. They threw him out of a helicopter midair in Ghazni province, but later they claimed that Mazari and his companions tried to escape while being transferred in helicopters to Kandahar, the Taliban stronghold. His body was found in Ghazni.[4] Soon after his death, his forces were disarmed, and the whole of West Kabul came under Taliban rule.

The violent death of Mazari stunned his followers and allies. His followers carried his body from Ghazni to Bamiyan on foot; from there it was flown to Mazar-i-Shariff on a helicopter for burial. Dostum, representatives of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, and Mujahdidi attended the funeral services of Mazari. A statement issued by the Foreign Ministry of Iran called Mazari, a martyr.