Dear Compatriots, friends and supporters,
Today was a glorious day to mark the end of the 1393 (2014) Afghan presidential and Provisional council elections. Today belonged to the Afghan people, they once again showed resilience in the face of the increased security threats and proved to the world that despite all the challenges that exists in our country, the Afghan people are moving towards a democracy and all the help and sacrifices that has been made has not gone to waste. I am proud to have taken part in this historical elections as an independent candidate and believe that this past six months was one of the greatest lessons in my life. I want to thank all the Afghans who came to see me, who supported me and who welcomed me to far corners of the country. My campaign was different to all the other candidates, I decided to go to the people with open arms. I did not make fancy promises like most politicians, that I knew I could not fulfill, instead I listened to what they had to say, I wanted them to be the stars of our gatherings. I wanted them to feel respected and I always made a point of sitting lower then them so that I could look up to them. I held their hands and let them pour their hearts out, I watched them cry and I laughed with them. In the face of hardship, I tried to give them a ray of hope and I prayed together with them for better days. I wanted to win the hearts and the minds of the people but instead I found that they actually won me over. I experienced the best and possibly the worst in people, I felt the energy and the drive of the youth, I saw the emergence of the brave women who were kept in the dark ages and behind thick walls for far too long, I witnessed the tears of loyalty in old men, who lost the best years of their lives in three decades of war. I heard of stories of savagery beyond comprehension that made me cringe and uncomfortable, I saw scares of pain and torture. On the other side of the coin I noticed that going through decades of turmoil has turned people in to the shrewdest wheelers and dealers, who use every single opportunity to make a gain at any cost. Where moral values have turned into economic one, where loyalty is bought and sold, where promises are made to be broken, where friendships are made for self gain and not respect. It is at times like these where you really get to see the true colors of people. In the past six months I put my life on the line for what I believed in and stood against all odds with very little backing, this was a very powerful experience. I want to thank all of you who have stood by me throughout the whole time and have given me the much needed moral support. I lost some friends and supporters along the way but met and found some wonderful new ones who will stay with me for the long haul. Finally I want to thank all my Afghan brothers and sisters who really supported me from near and far, I believe that we have won today and our journey is about to begin.
Today was a glorious day to mark the end of the 1393 (2014) Afghan presidential and Provisional council elections. Today belonged to the Afghan people, they once again showed resilience in the face of the increased security threats and proved to the world that despite all the challenges that exists in our country, the Afghan people are moving towards a democracy and all the help and sacrifices that has been made has not gone to waste. I am proud to have taken part in this historical elections as an independent candidate and believe that this past six months was one of the greatest lessons in my life. I want to thank all the Afghans who came to see me, who supported me and who welcomed me to far corners of the country. My campaign was different to all the other candidates, I decided to go to the people with open arms. I did not make fancy promises like most politicians, that I knew I could not fulfill, instead I listened to what they had to say, I wanted them to be the stars of our gatherings. I wanted them to feel respected and I always made a point of sitting lower then them so that I could look up to them. I held their hands and let them pour their hearts out, I watched them cry and I laughed with them. In the face of hardship, I tried to give them a ray of hope and I prayed together with them for better days. I wanted to win the hearts and the minds of the people but instead I found that they actually won me over. I experienced the best and possibly the worst in people, I felt the energy and the drive of the youth, I saw the emergence of the brave women who were kept in the dark ages and behind thick walls for far too long, I witnessed the tears of loyalty in old men, who lost the best years of their lives in three decades of war. I heard of stories of savagery beyond comprehension that made me cringe and uncomfortable, I saw scares of pain and torture. On the other side of the coin I noticed that going through decades of turmoil has turned people in to the shrewdest wheelers and dealers, who use every single opportunity to make a gain at any cost. Where moral values have turned into economic one, where loyalty is bought and sold, where promises are made to be broken, where friendships are made for self gain and not respect. It is at times like these where you really get to see the true colors of people. In the past six months I put my life on the line for what I believed in and stood against all odds with very little backing, this was a very powerful experience. I want to thank all of you who have stood by me throughout the whole time and have given me the much needed moral support. I lost some friends and supporters along the way but met and found some wonderful new ones who will stay with me for the long haul. Finally I want to thank all my Afghan brothers and sisters who really supported me from near and far, I believe that we have won today and our journey is about to begin.
