Why do Afghans get deeply involved in Iran’s politics?
Iranian media and the public became unprecedentedly engaged in the ongoing discussions about Afghanistan when the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Iranians welcomed our refugees, and a large portion of the population expressed solidarity with non-Taliban individuals and groups. Some even devoted their time and resources to help bring vulnerable Afghans to Iran.
Many were astonished by the “sudden” change in our country and sought to better understand Afghanistan and why such dramatic events were unfolding in their neighbourhood. Despite the presence of millions of Afghans and the ongoing cultural exchange between Iran and Afghanistan, most Iranians have limited knowledge of Afghanistan’s history, culture, politics, and people. In contrast, Afghans have a deep familiarity with Iran.
Over the past half-century, Afghanistan has been unstable and plagued by war. Several generations of our people have traveled to Iran for work, education, or as refugees. Meanwhile, few Iranians have had a reason to visit Afghanistan apart from politicians, merchants, or tourists. Unfortunately, our country has also lagged culturally and economically during those lost decades and has had little to offer that could be widely visible in Iranian society. Between the Taliban’s two regimes from 2001 to 2021, thanks to the growth of media and relative freedom of expression, Iranian society became somewhat familiar with the daily lives of Afghans through television and social media. During that period, book publishing also saw relative growth in Afghanistan, and cultural exchange between the two countries became somewhat reciprocal.
In what follows, we will explore the different ways Afghans from various walks of life have been connected to Iran and its affairs, to better understand why Afghans react so strongly to developments in Iran.
1. Workers
Millions of Afghans have gone to Iran for work where they received kindness and endured hardship. They found work and sent money back home, yet also faced exploitation. They became familiar with the cities and villages of Iran, formed deep bonds of friendship with Iranians, and at times also encountered hostility. It is rare to find a village or neighbourhood in the west, centre, north, and parts of the south and east of Afghanistan where at least a few residents have not experienced life and labour in Iran.
During the Soviet war, many residents of southern, western, and some central and northeastern provinces migrated to Pakistan while even more people from those regions also worked and lived in Iran.
2. Refugees
Over these decades, millions of our people have become refugees and settled in Iran. Some eventually returned to Afghanistan, others moved on to the West, while many still live in Iran. These communities have deep cultural and emotional ties to Iran. Some were born and lived for years in that country. Some married Iranian nationals, and while they may not have Iranian identity documents, they are culturally very similar to Iranians.
3. Educated class
The majority of Afghanistan’s educated population is familiar with books published in Iran. Iranian publications fill shelves in our libraries. Specialists and those seriously pursuing knowledge in a subject often find themselves reading books printed in Iran. Only a small minority of our educated class uses Western sources.
Our economic, cultural, and social ties with Pakistan are also deep. However, in Pakistan, books are mostly printed in Urdu and English, languages that only a small minority in Afghanistan can read fluently.
Travel to regions north of Afghanistan has not been possible as Afghanistan’s northern border has long been closed to Afghans. Therefore, a considerable segment of our educated population has become acquainted with the modern world through an Iranian lens.
4. Politicians
Afghan politicians, ranging from religious clerics to liberals and leftists, are engaged with Iranian affairs. Persian-speaking communities and those living in the western, northern, and central regions of Afghanistan have the most frequent interactions with Iran. The Iranian government has also played a political role in Afghanistan, having chosen which groups to support or oppose over the past nearly five decades. As a result, some Afghan politicians have been involved with Iranian affairs due to Iran’s support, while others have done so due to Iran’s hostility toward them.
5. Ethnic Groups
People from all ethnic groups in Afghanistan have ties and relationships with Iran. Due to their proximity, the western provinces of Herat, Nimruz, and Farah have the closest and most frequent contact with Iran. Pashtuns, Tajiks, Balochis, and Hazaras from these provinces engaged with Iran economically, culturally, or politically. For example, much of the economic transactions in these provinces were conducted in Iranian toman during the war against Soviet Union and during the 20 years of the Western-supported government. Not only do people from these regions participate in the Iranian labour market more often than other Afghans but Iranian music and cinema have significant influence as the cultural proximity between people on both sides of the border is deep.
After the western provinces, the Shia-majority and Hazara regions have the most extensive contact with Iranians. The relationship between the religious segments of these communities and Iran is especially deep. Shia clerics and pilgrims have long-standing financial, political, and cultural ties with Iranian religious authorities. Therefore, the religious segments of the Hazara community and other Afghan Shias feel an even deeper sense of connection to Iran than the people in western Afghanistan.
Across the country, Tajiks, Sunni Hazaras, and other Persian-speaking Afghans are also well acquainted with Iran. Many have traveled there and, due to shared language, are particularly sensitive to Iran’s fate. As mentioned earlier, Pashtuns from Afghanistan’s western provinces have long-standing economic and cultural relations with Iran. A significant number of Pashtuns and Uzbeks in other provinces are also familiar with Iran as they read Persian books, have migrated or travelled there, and, like their Persian-speaking compatriots, take interest in Iran’s events.
For these reasons, it should not be surprising when we see Afghans today engaging with Iranian developments in the media, sometimes offering passionate and strong opinions. The relationship between Afghanistan and Iran, especially as seen through the eyes of Afghans, is profoundly deep.
Younus Negah is a researcher and writer from Afghanistan who is currently in exile in Turkey.
