On October 15, 2009, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), the shadow government of the Taliban, issued a statement on the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to U.S. President Barack Obama, in which it urged "statesmen, writers, and lawyers of the world to raise their voice against this unfair decision so that those who are murderers of the people of the world and violators of peace would not be able to throw dust into the eyes of the people."
The statement was published on the IEA-run website alemarah.info in various languages, including English and Urdu. Following is the text of the statement: [1]
"Obama Was Deemed Qualified for the Nobel Peace Prize - This Means That the Colonialist Does Not Intend To Change its Path"
"According to reports in the media, the Nobel Peace prize has been given to Barack Obama, president of the United State of America, ostensibly for his work for peace and stability in the world!
"The fact is that flames of war have not been put out with Obama's assumption of power; nor has the intensity of wars been reduced. Contrarily, the wars have intensified and the tempo of mass murder of humankind has increased, with the wars taking a more sanguinary shape.
"Obama had promised, during his election campaign, to put an end to the war in Iraq, to work for a real peace in the Middle East, and to close the Guantanamo jail. He had also promised to hammer out excellent strategy for Afghanistan and to take positive and practical steps as regards the economic recovery from financial meltdown, which is the result of the wrong policies of the USA. But now we see all these pledges by Obama were only empty words and slogans aimed at pulling a fast one on people.
"The flames of the war in Iraq are rising with more intensity. The siege of Gaza by occupier Jews and the massacre in Palestine have been continuing unabated. The torture in Guantanamo jail has not been ended. The war in Afghanistan and insecurity in the region are spiraling up. The economic meltdown is deepening multiple times, while the belligerent policy of Obama and the American administration is exceeding dreadful limits.
"Despite all the shortcomings, violations and other anti-peace activities, Obama was deemed qualified for the Nobel Peace prize. This means that the colonialist does not intend to change its path and let the people to live in peace and stability."
The Prize Was Granted "To One Who Leads in Anti-Human Activities And Has In His Hands a Sword Stained with the Blood of the People"
"Understandably, one could not expect the members of the Nobel prize committee to show unbiased judgment… As the Nobel Prize committee considers the perpetrators of all these violations and infringements to deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, the usurpation of freedom of the oppressed people of the world and the murder of innocent men continue unfalteringly. Furthermore, these perpetrators of crimes are bent on continuing their wicked and unjust activities in the time to come. In light of these realities, the Nobel Prize Committee ironically granted the Nobel Prize to one who leads in anti-human activities and has in his hands a sword stained with the blood of the people.
Obama's Nobel Prize Is "An Addition to the Collection of the Unjust Decisions of the World"
"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) considers the Nobel Peace Prize to Obama to be an addition to the collections of the unjust decisions of the world."
"The IEA calls on statesmen, writers and lawyers of the world to raise their voice against this unfair decision, so that those who are murderers of the people of the world and violators of peace would not be able to throw dust into the eyes of the people by obtaining the Nobel peace prize, and thus cover up their unforgivable crimes for some times."
Endnote:
[1] www.alemarah.info, Afghanistan, accessed October 15, 2009; the text has been lightly edited for clarity.