ASA members object Iran’s meddling

[randolph85]

http://e-ariana.com/ariana/eariana.nsf/allDocs/4FA44BCB819DA3BC872579E9005318D3?OpenDocument

ASA members object Iran’s meddlingPajhwok
04/23/2012
By Maiwand Fida
[Printer Friendly Version]

KABUL - Several members of the Academy of Sciences of Afghanistan (ASA) criticised Iran’s interference in the running of the academy, which is becoming detrimental to the nation.

ASA was established in 1978, after the merger of Afghanistan history association, Aryana encyclopedia and the international centre for Pashto language studies.

The academy specialises in different sciences and conducts research in cultural and economic development of the country -- monitoring water resources, soil, temperature, energy, mineral, and other natural resource.

During a trip of ASA head, Abdul Bari Rashid and the former chairman of High Peace Council, the late Burhanuddin Rabbani in May 2011, to participate at the Islamic Brotherhood Conference in Iran, Rashid established links with Iranian officials, an ASA official said on condition of anonymity.

After the visit, Iran’ s interference increased in the academy’s affairs and Iran funded salaries of ASA members and provided other financial aid for members to lobby for Iran, he said.

“In July, 2011, a seminar was conducted under the name of “Role of Sacrifices for Freedom” by some academy members, backed by Iran’s financial support. A book titled “Lessons From History” was distributed among participants. The book was completely against the identity and history of Afghans,” he added.

The photographs of Iranian spiritual leader, Ali Khamenei, were displayed at the seminar, which was also a clear interference of Iran in Afghanistan’s affairs, he added.

Since last year, the academy had conducted three seminars illegally with financial support from Iranian Embassy in Kabul, he said, adding that according to law, no one or no government institution has the authority to invite foreign diplomats or receive overseas funding without the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ permission, he added.

The book distributed at the seminar described the 5,000 years old Afghanistan’s history was fake and considered Afghanistan as part of Iran, based on past history, he added.

He suggested that the head of the academy should be terminated and a patriotic and independent person should be appointed as ASA chairman, otherwise history books of Afghanistan would be destroyed and new books would be introduced to universities and other educational centres in Iran’s favour.

Cultural Attaché of Iranian embassy in Kabul visited the academy three or four times a week and had secret meetings with them, said another ASA member, who also declined to be named.

At the conference “Role of Scarifies for Freedom” the embassy officials encouraged participants to fight against US presence in Afghanistan, he said, adding photos of Khamenei were hung on the walls of the conference venue.

The book “Lessons from History” mentioned that Afghanistan’s former names, Aryana and Khorasan were fakes and based on fiction, he added.

A copy of the book was received by Pajhwok and the 41st page says: “The current name of Afghanistan is not acceptable for a part of the country’s population, while a group of people impose the name based on their ethnic group which put in doubt the identity of Afghanistan.”

Iranian embassy rapidly working to remove Afghanistan’s identity through such gathering and publishing books and magazines, he said, adding an Imam of Shiites was awarded a Master degree recently in Tehran and introduced to the academy by the Iranian Embassy. Now he is an official member of the Islamic sciences department at the academy.

He also confirmed that the academy conducted all seminars and gatherings without informing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

However, ASA head, Rashid, said that they contact any donor country in based on the official memorandum of understanding.

No country has influence on the academy and foreigners are contacted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for seminars and gatherings, he said, adding: “We invite guests from Iran Embassy through invitation cards sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

The claims can damage ASA’s image and anyone who has criticisms should directly share their concerns with academy officials, he said. But Rashid said he had no knowledge on the book and denied they were distributed to participants at the academy.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Janan Musazai, said they have no information on the issue and did not give further details.

Iranian Embassy in Kabul denied interference in the internal affairs of ASA. Media officer at the embassy, Mohammad Dehqani, said such claims were raised by groups who are against the cultural relations between Afghanistan and Iran.

[Admin Khan]

This is the one thing I heavily dislike about Iran, is it's constant interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan. Give Afghanistan break. Poor Afghanistan has two neighbors, that constantly pokes her, which so to speak, forces her to sign these "Strategic pacts". Let's face it, if Afghanistan didn't have a Banana republic[Pakistan] that is constantly scared and shooked of India, and Iran that is consistently concerned about rewriting Afghan history, things would be a lot different.

That however, doesn't mean Afghanistan is entirely innocent in anyway. Always remember, sell-out Afghans pave the way for such preposterous interferences to take place in the first place.

[khushal]

KP pashtuns are sheep. they have chosen the easy way of following instead of leading.

[Shah-i-Kot]

All nations try to influence other nations to various degrees. It is because of puppets like Kharzai.

Pakistan and Iran's interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan is by recognizing and propping up the lackey regime of Kharzai in Kabul with transit routes (Pakistan) that supported the war.

A 'pact' with a lackey has no meaning. It fell on deaf ears, didnt it?

[randolph85]

this has nothing to do with karzai

iran has been trying to interfere in the country since before karzai was born

[Admin Khan]

All nations try to influence other nations to various degrees. It is because of puppets like Kharzai.

Pakistan and Iran's interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan is by recognizing and propping up the lackey regime of Kharzai in Kabul with transit routes (Pakistan) that supported the war.

A 'pact' with a lackey has no meaning. It fell on deaf ears, didnt it?

The interference of Iran goes way, way, way, before Hamid Karzai -- we are talking about back when they aspired to rule Kandahar, and got their behinds whooped[Think battle of Gulnabad]. They still aren't over the fact as to how they literally gave their crown to an Afghan, after being defeated.

[Manzareh]

Not only the Hotaki Dynasty's that conquered Persia but also how the Safavid brutally tried to persianize and convert our people into Shia, Khushal Khan Khattack has even spoke about these meddling Iranians..your right Admin, this has been happening for a long time in one way or another.

That is why i come across to many as a Persian hater, im not and i dont have a problem with them at all, they are free to influence people that are willing to submit to them, but my problem is when Pashtuns sacrifice the future of our people for Nationalistic Afghan tendencies which will inevitable bond with Persians since half the country is more or less Farsiwaam

It would be a much easier job and a bigger defense for the ASA in protecting the Pashto language if we never had millions of Pashtuns distancing themselves from Afghanistan and siding more towards Pakistan.

Pashtuns need to be united now more than ever, were being persecuted and it looks like this is just the beginning of the end

[MostafaM]

Sometimes..... I daydream about a privatly funded hit-squad.....made up of patriotic Afghans who come together to eliminate the enemies of their homeland.
They collect the money, make the logistics and actually go in small teams on their missions and get all those who have harmed us.....warlords, ISI-Generals, Iranian Cultural and Military Attachés......but then I wake up and realize that Afghans still don´t have that passion to die for their people......they would die for property, a piece of land, cattle or family feuds over women.....but they are still locked down in their regionalism and can´t see the wider picture.

Maybe another 30 years of oppression and exploitation will change that.

Maybe.

[abassinafghan]

@ mostafa , as soon i become a millionair this day dream will become a reality ;-) there is already a list .....^^
how ever without cash .no bash .


and unfourtently our people are casted over all the world , each one looking for his own benefit , and not realizing how personal gain will them never buy freedom or a better future for their children .

we lack the very basics of comon sence , if you hear people here calling you kafir and nationalists , because your ask for your god given rights .

[khushal]

Sometimes..... I daydream about a privatly funded hit-squad.....made up of patriotic Afghans who come together to eliminate the enemies of their homeland.
They collect the money, make the logistics and actually go in small teams on their missions and get all those who have harmed us.....warlords, ISI-Generals, Iranian Cultural and Military Attachés......but then I wake up and realize that Afghans still don´t have that passion to die for their people......they would die for property, a piece of land, cattle or family feuds over women.....but they are still locked down in their regionalism and can´t see the wider picture.

Maybe another 30 years of oppression and exploitation will change that.

Maybe.

Israel has such a hit squad on an international level and the ISI has many assasins in Afghanistan hunting down and killing good afghans that work for the benefit of the afghan people.

Afghanon khpulo de jor di

[abassinafghan]

@ kushal

one have to distinct from just revenge for the sake of our people and political motivated excecutions as a tool of an strategy.

the first can be accomplished by individuals ,but it would not change anything , if you kill one hamid gul , there more than enough punjabis to replace him ,if you kill one iranian koss kesh , there are more than enough to replace him , indeed it would be not too difficult , to do this ....

but it would not change any of our peoples problems , if our children live in peace and prosper when they get educated and surpass them in every aspect , than you broke those people ....

so our battle must be first with the pen than with the sword , but in our current situation we can not reach for the pen without the sword , and with out the pen we can not defeat our enemies .