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UNAMA, US and OIC among many to condemn Kabul mosque explosion
The United Nations in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has condemned Friday’s deadly attack on a mosque in Kabul, which resulted in the death of at least 10 people.
UNAMA said in a statement that the attack on the Khalifa Sahib Mosque “is the latest in a series of indiscriminate assaults on civilian targets in the capital and provinces.”
According to UNAMA, two UN staff members and their families were also in the mosque at the time of the explosion.
“Today’s attack, carried out on the last Friday of the Holy month of Ramadan and on the eve of the Eid-ul-Fitr, totally disregards human lives and religious sanctity.
“No words are strong enough to condemn this despicable act, targeting a place of worship, as Muslims across Afghanistan prepare to celebrate the Eid,” said Mette Knudsen, the UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan.
“Recent attacks against civilians, targeting ethnic and religious minorities, represent a disturbing trend in Afghanistan. These violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws must end immediately,” he said.
Friday’s explosion follows a spate of attacks in recent weeks in mosques and schools in the major cities of Kabul, Kunduz and Mazar-e-Sharif.
Friday’s attack has however sparked widespread condemnation from a number of foreign countries and international communities.
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West tweeted early Saturday: “I condemn the senseless and terrible attacks against innocent Afghans this past week, including at Khalifa Sahib mosque. These attacks must end. Perpetrators must be brought to justice.”
The European Union, was among those that condemned the incident and said: “Another explosion shook Kabul, targeting worshippers during their Friday prayers and taking the lives of many. It comes in a series of heinous and coward attacks on civilians gathering in a market, school or a mosque in this holy month of Ramadan.
“The European Union mourns with the families of the victims and wishes those injured a full and speedy recovery. Terror has no place in any religion or faith,” read their statement.
The EU also called on the Afghan authorities to ensure safety and security of all Afghan citizens and to hold those responsible to account.
“It is imperative to implement effective counter-terrorism policies and measures that eradicate the threat of terrorism both inside and from Afghanistan’s territory,” their statement read.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif has also strongly condemned Friday’s blast in Kabul and “expressed his deep sense of grief and sorrow at the loss of precious lives and conveyed his condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families”.
Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs also issued a statement and said: “We express support and solidarity to the Afghan brethren in effectively countering the challenge of terrorism.”
The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meanwhile called for a “more resolute stand by the de facto authorities against whoever sponsors or orchestrates” the attacks.
The OIC said in a series of tweets that these repeated and indiscriminate attacks “reflect the unabated volatility of the security situation in Afghanistan”. The organization also called for a more resolute stand by the de facto authorities against whoever sponsors or orchestrates them.
Friday’s explosion was the latest in a string of attacks targeting civilians. The blast ripped through a mosque in Kabul city, leaving dozens dead and wounded. On Thursday, two more explosions were reported in Mazar-e-Sharif in Balkh province also leaving dozens dead and wounded.
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Continued aid to Afghanistan vital for regional security: Kazakh president
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has emphasized the continuation of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, stating that the ongoing provision of such aid plays an important role in ensuring regional security.
Speaking at the international conference “Peace and Trust” in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, Tokayev described addressing complex humanitarian challenges and the reconstruction of Afghanistan as a necessity.
“To ensure regional security, we consider it essential to continue providing assistance to Afghanistan, including by strengthening international efforts to address complex humanitarian issues and the reconstruction of this country. Kazakhstan remains committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan through humanitarian aid, educational projects, trade development, and food security initiatives,” he said.
Meanwhile, experts believe that sustainable improvement of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan requires broad cooperation from the international community and support for the country’s economic development.
“Investment can be defined as one of the fundamental drivers of the economic cycle, and whenever Afghan traders do not take their money out of the country and instead invest domestically, it naturally leads to greater growth and dynamism in Afghanistan’s economy,” said Abdul Zahoor Modabber, an economic analyst.
As the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues, reports by international relief organizations indicate that millions of citizens of the country are in urgent need of food, health, and livelihood assistance.
The reduction in funding for aid organizations, the impacts of climate change, and the return of migrants have increased concerns about a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country.
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Islamic Emirate declines to attend Tehran meeting on Afghanistan
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Sirajuddin Haqqani: A government that intimidates its people is not a true government
Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, Minister of Interior of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said during a visit to Khost province on Friday that any government which rules through fear cannot be considered a true government.
“A government is one that is loved by its people, one that serves them with respect and compassion, and from whose behavior people learn ethics and sincerity,” he said.
Haqqani also stressed that Afghans who opposed the Islamic Emirate in the past should be tolerated and treated in a way that helps eliminate hostility and animosity, paving the way for national cohesion.
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