KABUL, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Ahmad Massoud, the son of Afghan National Hero Ahmad Shah Massoud, said he attaches great importance to China and its investment in the insurgency-plagued Afghanistan.
"Peace can come through financial and economic, social and political developments, so China can help Afghanistan in these areas by investment in development projects," Massoud junior told Xinhua in an interview recently.
Expressing his happiness and satisfaction with China's support of the Afghan peace process, the young Massoud maintained that China as a neighbor of Afghans wants to see a peaceful Afghanistan in its neighborhood.
"China is a very important power in our region as well as in the world. It can play an important role in bringing about peace and stability in Afghanistan. So, I welcome the involvement of China in the peace process with the Taliban and other militant groups in Afghanistan," Massoud said.
Having earned a Master's degree in International Politics from a university in Britain and started the Massoud Foundation, a non-profit organization named after his late father, Massoud junior believes that a peaceful Afghanistan could benefit the whole region including China.
Afghan National Hero, Ahmad Shah Massoud, who earned international fame due to his heroic resistance against the erstwhile Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s and later fighting against the al-Qaida-backed Taliban hierarchy, was killed in the first suicide attack in Afghanistan.
The attack was carried out by two terrorists disguised as journalists on Sept. 9, 2001 in the northern Takhar province.
The people of Afghanistan commemorate the date of Massoud's murder in a splendid way each year, during which thousands of people in their gatherings across the country describe him as symbol of unity and pay tribute to his services in leading the resistance against foreign invaders and insurgent groups including the Taliban and al-Qaida networks.
Widely respected by Afghans, because of his late father Ahmad Shah Massoud, the legendary commander of the Afghan resistance late last century, Massoud junior, 28, believes that terrorists are the common enemy of human beings and indiscriminately kill people all over the world.
Expressing his hatred of terrorism, the only son of Afghan's national hero, said, "I lost my father in his fight against terrorism and if I too loose my life fighting terrorism, I will be willing for that to happen, because I want to eradicate terrorism and terrorist groups from Afghanistan."
Asked if he has any desire to enter politics, the ambitious Ahmad Massoud replied succinctly, "Our current activities are politics." However, he revealed that his father had wished him to become a diplomat.
Massoud junior also expressed his concerns about the fragile security situation in his country, pointing out that "ensuring social justice would stabilize national unity" in ethnically divided Afghanistan.
