Samangan families patch up 7 years old feud

AIBAK (Pajhwok): A seven years old enmity between the families of two brothers in northern Samangan province has been resolved by local officials, religious scholars and influential figures.

The enmity erupted between the families of Haji Abdullah and Noorullah Pahlawan in the Gull Qishlaq village, claiming the lives of Haji Abdullah and Pahlawan’s son Noor Mohammad.

Government official Maulvi Saeed Mohammad Saeed, who played a key role in ending the enmity, told Pajhwok Afghan News the families fought over some issue seven years ago. Haji Abdullah and Noor Mohammad were killed in the clash.

Saeed recalled: “The enmity had arisen from an incident in which the body of Noor Mohammad was recovered from a village and the brother of the victim accused his uncle of the murder. Later Haji Abdullah was also killed by a brother of the victim (Nazar Mohammad).”

The hostile families suffered a lot of financial losses and their members had been unable to walk freely in the area over the past seven years. Local officials and tribal elders decided to mediate between them,” Saeed explained.

Samangan Governor Damullah Mohammad Shoaib Risalat, meanwhile, welcomed the end of the hostility and said such feuds brought nothing but misery and had devastating results.

Risalat stressed: “To ensure the development of society, there must be unity and brotherhood among the Muslims. There must not be any room for enmity which ruins the future of our children.”

Religious scholar Sheikh Mohammad Zakaria Haqqani warned if an end was not put to such enmities, future generations would not be able to live in peace and conduct their routine activities.

As the good luck of society was linked to peace, he hoped, IEA officials and tribal elders would intensify efforts to resolve such feuds.

A local elder, Sherzad Pahlawan, said local officials, religious scholars and other influential figures had played their role in putting an end to the enmity and bringing peace to the families.

After hugging and pardoning each other’s, members of both families promised not to harm each other in the future, Pahlawan added.

Nek Mohammad, Noor Mohammad’s son, said: “Enmity had made life miserable for us. We want live in peace from now on.”

He also affirmed his commitment to forgiving the rival family, saying he would no longer nurse any grudge against his uncle and cousins.

On the occasion, one local official called on the people to patch up their enmities as hatred and malice spawned nothing but misery.

According to the Borders and Tribal Affairs Department, nearly 80 feuds have been settled in Samangan over the past three years.

aw/mud