Afghanistan Peace Campaign
The results of the US midterm elections, particularly Abdul El-Sayed’s historic victory in Michigan, have prompted reactions from several political figures, including prominent Afghans.
Salahuddin Rabbani, leader of Afghanistan’s Jamiat-e Islami party, welcomed the victory, describing it as a symbol of honesty and steadfastness.
Abdul El-Sayed defeated his Republican opponent in Michigan’s US Senate election on Wednesday, becoming the first Muslim senator in American history.
Reacting to the victory, Rabbani shared a post on X referring to El-Sayed’s remarks about remaining consistent in his political positions.
The post quoted the newly elected senator as saying that he expresses the same beliefs in all circumstances and before any audience, remaining steadfast in his convictions.
Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Afghanistan’s former national security adviser, also commented on the US election results, saying they would bring no significant change for Asian and African countries or oppressed peoples around the world.
Referring to the continued economic and political dominance of Western powers, Spanta stressed that Afghanistan must stop relying on others to achieve freedom and instead depend on the struggle and efforts of its own people.
He described dependence on others as a source of “humiliation and defeat” and emphasised the role of Afghan women and “men fighting for Afghanistan” in securing freedom.
Nasir Ahmad Andisha, Afghanistan’s ambassador in Geneva, also reacted to El-Sayed’s victory by sharing an excerpt from his victory speech and urging anti-Taliban forces to take action towards building consensus and bringing about change in Afghanistan rather than waiting for external support.
Referring to the senator’s statement that “tonight, we can turn that inshallah into alhamdulillah”, Andisha wrote that such change could not be achieved by waiting for “magic rescue”. Instead, it required tolerance, open-mindedness and a willingness to set aside personal interests to build genuine consensus.
Afghanistan’s ambassador in Geneva added that faith without action was meaningless. Recalling the saying, “Trust in God, but tie your camel’s knee”, he stressed that faith provides direction, while action and responsibility produce results.
Andisha also called for an end to divisions among Taliban opponents.
He wrote that if the objective was to remove the curse of Taliban rule from Afghanistan, Afghans themselves must shoulder the primary responsibility rather than relying on foreign supporters.