On May 15th I had the pleasure of visiting the Massoud Foundation and spent several hours speaking with Wali Massoud, brother of the icon hero of current times in Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Massoud.  Wali is founder and director of the Massoud Foundation in honor of his assassinated brother on Sept. 9, 2001 by the Taliban.

Wali’s other brother Ahmad Zia Massoud is President Karzai’s Vice President and possibly a presidential candidate in the next election in 2009.  The Massoud Foundation has a strong presence in the Panjsher Valley because of his brother’s heroic service in defending the area and eventually defeating the Russians in the late1980’s.  He is known in the area as the “ Lion of Panjsher”, a leader respected, beloved and admired for his courage and unselfish love of country and people.  

Wali is most interested in my work and offered his support as he did in 2004 and 2005, because building water systems in the villages of the Panjsher Valley was a dream and promise often spoken about by Massoud.  He offers support and will align himself and his organization with my future projects.  Working in the Panjsher with his support and blessing is much respected by all the village communities.  He also offers the full support of the local officials, Governor of the Panjsher and all technical assistance including government engineers.  This allows us to have great credibility in the country doing our work.

A special gift in our talks were the intimate stories he related about his brother.  He was almost in a dazed mystical state speaking of him, not only his dedication and achievements, but of the spirit within him.  He said that his brother never thought of himself and always was passionate about helping the Afghans achieve freedom from outside powerful oppressors invading their country.  He never tried to accumulate wealth for himself and had no interest in future security for his own life.  He was very introspective and saw that human equality was achievable only through freedom and this was most important for his country and even more important than his personal life.  He looked at all people being equal regardless of race or religion.

Wali related that he remembered his brother saying that your religion does not determine whether you go to heaven, it is the deeds and actions in your life that determines your fate.  He carried in his faith a belief that we should live our lives passionately and dedicate ourselves to the good for the whole and not ourselves alone.  The spark of the spirit guiding him was evidently clearly visible in his eyes, mannerism and actions.  He heard the voice within him and allowed it to guide his life to be a carrier from the spiritual to the material world.