English | دری | پښتو
mail_name: Sohaila Murtaza
mail_address: sohailamurtaza@yahoo.com
Dear Afghans,
I know that many of you have been closely following this year’s historic presidential election in Afghanistan. I want to tell you that no matter who is elected president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani has brought a new level of political and social awareness to the people of Afghanistan through his campaign. The young people of Afghanistan have been waiting years for a source of inspiration, a role model, to emerge from among our own. I believe that Ashraf Ghani is that man—a man who not only inspires us with his ideas but also moves us through his actions, his deeds, and his life. Afghanistan is no longer isolated from the rest of the world and we Afghans want all of humanity to realize that we are part of this modern world, and that the Afghan people not only deserve a better life but are capable of building that life for themselves. Ashraf Ghani can communicate this message, not only to Afghans, but to all the people of this global village that is our world. He has rekindled optimism and taught Afghans to hope. He has inspired us to believe that we Afghans can bring about change for better. He has declared to the world that Afghanistan should not be seen as an object for charity but as an opportunity for investment. His optimism and his ideas have empowered and emboldened us all. Ashraf Ghani is the leader that so many young Afghans have been longing to see.
Afghans must vote. I do not agree with people who discourage Afghans from going to the polls on the grounds that this election may not be entirely transparent or fair. These people lack the courage to swim against the current, lack the faith needed to put the first bricks of democracy and change in place. These people would teach our young Afghans that the evil in the world outweighs the good. But discouragement means the loss of hope, vision, and ambition. Let us not lead our young Afghans into a state of permanent passive despair.
No country has established democracy without a hard struggle, and America is no exception to this rule. It took America years of hard work and finally a bloody civil war to build the democracy we all enjoy today. England had to go through gradual hard-won change over centuries to move from absolute monarchy to one of the today’s greatest democracies. Afghanistan too, must go through the hard process of step-by-step political, social and economic development to achieve a better future. As Dr. Ashraf Ghani has stated “State building cannot be done on the cheap or in a rush.”
Young Afghans are tired of defeatism, pessimism, and a negative approach to EVERYTHING. We must encourage Afghan people to vote even in an election that may be flawed. Afghan people need to go through the process in order to understand and claim their rights. They need to learn that it is they who choose their leader, not the leaders who impose themselves upon the people. A better tomorrow may not actually arrive tomorrow, but the journey toward that future must begin some time. Why not now? Young people make up 70% of Afghan society. We owe them the chance to learn that without dreams, participation, and hard work they cannot reach their goals. Let us help them dream and work toward their dreams. Let us help them sustain their faith and nourish their hopes for a better tomorrow. Let us ask them to stand up against corruption and injustice, and let us stand with them. Let us teach them to believe that they themselves can be the agents of the change they seek—as is the slogan and teaching of Islam.
Regards,
Sohaila Murtaza
Dr. Ashraf Ghani’s Volunteer
Northern California, USA
