The Ideological Evolution of the Nasr Organization of Afghanistan in Relation to the Islamic Revolution of Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
1 PhD student of Islamic Revolution History of Bu Ali University
2 Associate Professor, Department of Iranian Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.
10.22084/rjir.2026.32523.4041
Abstract
Objective: The present study examines the ideological evolution of the Nasr Organization of Afghanistan (1979-1989), during which its initial slogan shifted from "Qist-e Tawhidi" (with a left-Islamic tendency) to the "Islamic Republic" (aligned with the discourse of the Islamic Revolution of Iran). The main research question is: under the influence of what factors and with what ups and downs did this transformation occur?

Method: This research employs a historical-analytical approach, using content analysis of documents (manifestos, publications, and memoirs) and library sources to examine the intellectual evolution of the Nasr Organization from its establishment (1979) until its integration into the Hezb-e Wahdat-e Islami (Islamic Unity Party) of Afghanistan (1989).

Findings: At its inception, the Nasr Organization was shaped under the influence of three rival intellectual tendencies: "ethnic-religious," "Maoist-eclectic," and "Islamic." Its initial slogan, "Forward towards the realization of a Qist-e Tawhidi society" (a just society based on monotheism), reflected the relative dominance of the left-Islamic discourse (influenced by Ali Shariati and eclectic intellectuals). However, after 1982 (1361 AH), through the efforts of Abdul Ali Mazari and his connection with the revolutionaries of Iran, the Islamic tendency gradually prevailed over the other two, and the organization's slogan changed to "Forward towards the establishment of the Islamic Republic in Afghanistan." This change is documented in the rewritten manifesto and is also traceable in the content of the organization's publications, especially Payam-e Mostazafin.

Conclusion: The ideological evolution of the Nasr Organization from "Qist-e Tawhidi" to the "Islamic Republic" demonstrates the process of gradual "jurisprudentialization" (Fiqhization) of a Shia jihadi group in facing the Islamic Revolution of Iran. This change not only facilitated a strategic alliance with Iran but also laid the groundwork for Nasr's central role in the formation of Hezb-e Wahdat-e Islami of Afghanistan.
Keywords


Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 21 September 2026