Afghanistan Freedom Front Urges Unity Among Anti-Taliban Forces In Eid Message

The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) has called for greater unity, coordination, and strategic alignment among all anti-Taliban groups in its Eid al-Fitr message, issued on Sunday.

The group pledged to resume operations against the Taliban following the holiday period and advised the public to avoid Taliban gathering points.

Reaffirming its commitment to armed resistance, the AFF described fighting the “Taliban’s illegitimate rule” as the foremost responsibility of the current generation. It also praised the political and civil activism of Afghan women, referring to them as the “intellectual backbone of freedom fighters.”

The group argued that the fight against what it called the Taliban’s “dark and oppressive rule” must go beyond the struggle for women’s access to work and education, highlighting broader goals of national liberation and dignity.

In a strong rebuke of the Taliban’s Eid message, the AFF criticised remarks by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, calling them a reflection of the group’s “regressive, selective, backward, and deceptive interpretation of religious teachings.” The statement also condemned the Taliban’s dismissive stance on cultural traditions, particularly the rejection of Nowruz, Afghanistan’s pre-Islamic New Year celebration.

“For us, war and armed struggle are neither a passionate choice nor a means to gain power,” the AFF said. “Our fight is for the freedom of Afghanistan and the restoration of our people’s pride and dignity.”

The Afghanistan Freedom Front was established abroad by former military and political officials of the previous Afghan government following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. It is a political-military organisation that supports armed resistance and guerrilla warfare as part of its opposition to Taliban rule.