Martyrs' Day (Afghanistan)
In May 2012, the National Assembly of Afghanistan is reported to have accepted September 9 as "a new national holiday to honour national hero Ahmad Shah Massoud and those who died fighting for the country." The date is set as a Shahrivar 18.
Ahmad Shah Massoud was an Afghan military leader from Panjshir Valley. He was a leader of the resistance against the Soviet invasion and the Taliban. He was assassinated on September 9, 2001 in a suicide attack. Massoud Day is a holiday in Afghanistan that occurs each year as a commemoration of his death.
On September 8, 2012, Afghanistan celebrated Martyrs' Day.
The holiday is celebrated as Haftai Shahid, or "Martyr Week". It is also observed as Massoud Day.
