KABUL (SW): Salam Watandar’s findings indicate Iran has been exploiting the Afghan refugees and asylum seekers for its military objectives in Syria for over a year now.
With the help of Hezbollah, Iraqi and Pakistani Shiite forces and some Afghan migrants, Iran has been fighting anti-government forces in Syria.
Ahmad (not his real name) is an Afghan migrant living in Iran and has fought for 14 months in Syria as a sniper. He said an Iranian was commanding him. Ahmad said he left for Syria initially to visit the Shrine of Zainab and did not intend to join the fighting. He added witnessing the bloodshed of his coreligionist compelled him to fight against the Daesh.
He expressed willingness to rejoin the fighting against the militant groups in Syria. According to him, a man named Razayee recruited him in Isfahan for the fighting in Syria. He first went to a photo studio “Digital Afsheen” in Isfahan to register his abilities and after that he and some 100 other migrants were given military training for 15 days at “Malik Ashtar Military Base”.
After the military training, Ahmad and other Afghan migrants left for Syria in a passenger plane. He received another military training for 25 days from Hezbollah near Damascus’s International Airport in the ‘Padgani’ area to improve his abilities as a sharpshooter.
“In Syria, we learned theoretically and practically how to kill with arms”, he said. Ahmad still possesses the two identity cards he was issued while in Syria having a number of digits and his photo on its front and back. He said that two digits on the card refer to the arms they received in Syria. The other digits refer to his nationality. These cards, he said, were printed in the “Digital Afsheen” in Isfahan, Iran.
Salam Watandar reporter contacted the “Digital Afshen” photo studio via mobile phone and said: “My brother has left for war in Syria, his friend left your number and mark saying I can obtain information on my brother from you”. The person on the other end did not express surprise and asked for details about the person. After a pause, the responder said:” Sir! you are mistaken, there is no one like this here."
Mohammad Raza Behrami, Iranian Ambassador was asked the question if the Iranian government was recruiting fighters from among the Afghan refugees for the war in Syria. He replied: The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has no such activity going on, there exists no plans and there would be none in the future to use the Afghan refugees in wars abroad”.
A number of Afghan security officials, who wished not to be named however, confirmed that the cards are real. The sources said documented proof of this cannot be made public since it might invite troubles for the 2.5 million Afghan refugees living in Iran. It was mentioned that these refugees live in Iran like prisoners and often face backlash whenever the Afghan government express reaction in this regard.
Tehran, Mashad, Qum and Isfahan are among the cities where a large number of Afghan refugees live and are recruited for the war in Syria against some perks. A document dating (۱۳۹۴/۳/۲۷) obtained certifies that as an official policy, Iran use the Afghan refugees for the war in Syria and in return award them some perks.
Article 1 of the certificate that is awarded to such fighters in the Khorasan Razavi area states: “First Category Members (father, mother, wife and son) on the testimony of the respected family, the martyr foundation and sacrificial affairs.
Article 15 of the certificates states: “Those fighters that spent around 6 months in the fight between the right and the evil, on the testimony of the concerned departments fifty percent”.
The Article 1 refers to the families of those who lost lives but it is not mentioned when and where. Similarly, Article 15 refers to the fight between the right and the evil, also highlights the participation of the Afghan refugees in the war in Syria.
Iranian Ambassador in Afghanistan acknowledges that his country respects those Afghan refugees who have fought the war in Syria.
For the Afghan refugees who have fought the war in Syria, there is only part of the privileges. Ahmad said: “We used to receive 2 million Iranian Toman a month and after two months of fighting in Syria, we used to get a month’s break and the payment would arrive in our accounts”.
2 million Toman is not a large amount that would compel someone to fight in Syria. Some refugees are believed to take part in this war to obtain legal documents for themselves and their children to be able to stay in Iran. They fight so that their children can get enrolled in Iranian schools.
Insecurity and poverty have compelled many Afghans to prefer the hardship of migration over living in their own country but the ideological and religious politics of neighboring countries have always made Afghan refugees its prey.
ENDS
