Editing Afghan Students Association (section)

==History==
The 1970s were a pivotal decade for Afghanistan, marked by political instability, modernization efforts, and ideological polarization.

The Kingdom of Afghanistan, under King Mohammed Zahir Shah (1933–1973), transitioned to the Republic of Afghanistan in 1973 after a coup by Mohammad Daoud Khan, Zahir Shah’s cousin and former prime minister. This regime change has links to the [[CIA]]'s destabilization efforts.  Daoud’s administration, pursued modernization but faced opposition from fascists and Islamist factions.

As Afghanistan’s premier institution, Kabul University was a hub of intellectual and political activity, enrolling over 10,000 students by the 1970s, with women comprising over 60% of the student body, per PBS Wide Angle. Its diverse student body, including Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and others, reflected Afghanistan’s multi-ethnic society, making it a breeding ground for competing ideologies. King Mohammed Zahir Shah had ensured this modern evolution was happening inside Afghanistan and the Daoud administration was supportive of it continuing.

The university hosted radical student groups, including the communist People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) factions (Khalq and Parcham) and Islamist organizations like the Muslim Youth (later Jamiat-e Islami), which opposed both the monarchy and communism, per Refworld. These groups were influenced by global Cold War dynamics and United States was vying for influence in Afghanistan due to its close proximity to the Soviet Union as well as its mountainous area which was suitable for opium crops.
===The term “Afghan Students Association” The groups included===
Students Union of Kabul University (founded April 4, 1950), the country’s first organized student movement, which challenged the monarchy’s economic policies, per Afghanistan Analysts Network. By the 1970s, this legacy continued, with students forming associations aligned with political factions, driven by debates over modernization and Islamism.

Socialist Groups: Affiliated with the PDPA, split into the Khalq faction (led by Nur Mohammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin, rural Pashtun-based) and Parcham faction (led by Babrak Karmal, urban multi-ethnic, moderate), per Refworld. These groups advocated for social reforms, land redistribution, attracting students like Amin, who was a teacher and administrator at Kabul University in the 1960s–1970s.

Islamist Groups: The Muslim Youth, formed in the late 1960s at Kabul University and renamed Jamiat-e Islami in 1972, opposed communism and Western influence, led by figures like Burhanuddin Rabbani and [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]], per Refworld. These groups, supported by professors like Rabbani, laid the groundwork for the Mujahideen resistance and association with the United States and the CIA.

Other Factions: Smaller nationalist and pro-democracy groups existed, though less influential.