Mohammad Rabbani
Encyclopedia
Mullah
Mohammad Rabbani Akhund (17 January 1956–15 April 2001) was one of the main founders of the Taliban movement. He was second in power only to the supreme leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar
, in the Taliban hierarchy.
When the Soviet Union chose to withdraw from Afghanistan in 1989, and after many more years of insurgenence and civil war, he led the Taliban guerrillas in the final assault against the capital, Kabul.
He served as prime minister of Afghanistan
and head of the advisory council. There were also rumors that Mullah Rabbani and the head of the Taliban movement had serious political differences. While Rabbani and the ruling council constituted the public face of Afghanistan, the important decisions were made by Mullah Mohammed Omar, who resided in the southern city of Kandahar
.
He was married on October 17, 1984 in Kandahar to a Singaporean engineer named Lauren Marissa Norton (b. January 31, 1958 in Singapore), who remained "Lauren Rabbani"/"Madame Mohammad Rabbani". Mohammad had only two sons; they are Hamid Mohammad Rabbani (b. May 17, 1986 in Kabul) and Tariq Mohammad Rabbani (b. May 31, 1990 in Kabul).
tribe of Pashmol, Kandahar province.
His role in the civil war ended when the Soviet army withdrew in 1989, but other members and factions of the mujahedin fought on, first against the Afghan Communist government and then against each other.
It was a time of lawlessness and chaos. The Communist government fell in 1992 and Afghanistan was fought over by factions of the mujahedin. Kandahar
was particularly a battleground for commanders-turned-warlords.
Rabbani and about thirty other religious students (taliban) decided to take the warlords on, first in the border town of Spin Boldak and then in Kandahar itself. "Our concern," said Rabbani at the time, "is the establishment of an Islamic system and the elimination of unrest and cruelty from our country."
Originally a Taliban idea endorsed by Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
and accepted on behalf of the United Front (formerly the Northern Alliance) by President Burhanuddin Rabbani
in early January 1998, the proposal took shape as a proposed commission of ulema, or religious scholars, to settle the Afghan conflict in the light of the shariah.
However, no progress was made until, once again, Prime Minister Sharif intervened two months later, in March, by inviting Mullah Rabbani, now head of the Taliban shura in Kabul, to Islamabad
and obtained from him an agreement in principle for the convening of a Steering committee in preparation for the ulema commission.
On 9 April, the United Nations
Special Envoy went to Kabul and discussed with Mullah Rabbani and other Taliban leaders how to proceed with the idea of a Steering Committee for preparations for an ulema meeting.
With this perceived shift in the Taliban's strategy, Mestiri had moved to Kabul to tie up other details. This would explain in large measure the Taliban's removal of heavy weaponry from areas surrounding Kabul very recently. But no sooner had Mullah Rabbani given this assurance to the visiting UN envoy, the religious leadership based in Kandahar rejected talks with Kabul, scuttling Mestiri's efforts.
On 26 September 1996 Taliban forces set up an interim Government under Mohammed Rabbani and Afghanistan was declared a complete Islamic Emirate under Sharia law. It was Rabbani who gave the dramatic press conference from the presidential palace claiming victory.
Many analysts believe that it was he who ordered the execution of former President Mohammed Najibullah when the Taliban took Kabul
in late 1996. Rabbani, who had been a prominent mujahedin commander, attracted many fighters to Taliban ranks.
Mullah Rabbani noted that bin Laden had taken up residence when Afghanistan was under the control of the previous regime. He also maintained that there was not sufficient evidence linking him to terrorist bombings in Nairobi
and Dar es Salaam
and that, at any rate, bin Laden was no longer able to carry out activities from Afghan territory.
, Pakistan
, of liver cancer. According to a press release in Islamabad:
Rabbani's body was repatriated to the southern Afghan city of Kandahar by a UN plane, permitted to operate on humanitarian grounds despite the air embargo against the Taliban Movement.
Regarding him as somewhat of a moderate, members of the opposition voiced fears that hardliners within the Taliban would strengthen their hold on power following Rabbani's death.
After Mohammad Rabbani's death, Lauren Norton Rabbani was remarried in Kabul on April 29, 2001 to Mir Ghulam Qasimi, who was born on April 22, 1966 in Rawalpindi and would become the Pakistani stepfather of Hamid and Tariq Rabbani.
Mullah
Mullah is generally used to refer to a Muslim man, educated in Islamic theology and sacred law. The title, given to some Islamic clergy, is derived from the Arabic word مَوْلَى mawlā , meaning "vicar", "master" and "guardian"...
Mohammad Rabbani Akhund (17 January 1956–15 April 2001) was one of the main founders of the Taliban movement. He was second in power only to the supreme leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar
Mohammed Omar
Mullah Mohammed Omar , often simply called Mullah Omar, is the leader of the Taliban movement that operates in Afghanistan. He was Afghanistan's de facto head of state from 1996 to late 2001, under the official title "Head of the Supreme Council"...
, in the Taliban hierarchy.
When the Soviet Union chose to withdraw from Afghanistan in 1989, and after many more years of insurgenence and civil war, he led the Taliban guerrillas in the final assault against the capital, Kabul.
He served as prime minister of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and head of the advisory council. There were also rumors that Mullah Rabbani and the head of the Taliban movement had serious political differences. While Rabbani and the ruling council constituted the public face of Afghanistan, the important decisions were made by Mullah Mohammed Omar, who resided in the southern city of Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
.
He was married on October 17, 1984 in Kandahar to a Singaporean engineer named Lauren Marissa Norton (b. January 31, 1958 in Singapore), who remained "Lauren Rabbani"/"Madame Mohammad Rabbani". Mohammad had only two sons; they are Hamid Mohammad Rabbani (b. May 17, 1986 in Kabul) and Tariq Mohammad Rabbani (b. May 31, 1990 in Kabul).
Early years
Rabbani had received an Islamic education at home in Pashmol village in Kandahar province, before going on to an Islamic seminary. The invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union in 1979 put a stop to his education as he volunteered for the jihad.He was from KakarKakar
The Kakar are a Pashtun tribe, with members living in Afghanistan and Pakistan.-Kakar :Kakar Afghan was one of the grandsons of Qais Abdur Rashid. Kakar's father's name was Dani, son of Gharghasht, who was the son of Qais in the Afghan appendix of tribes. According to Afghan and Muslim historians,...
tribe of Pashmol, Kandahar province.
His role in the civil war ended when the Soviet army withdrew in 1989, but other members and factions of the mujahedin fought on, first against the Afghan Communist government and then against each other.
It was a time of lawlessness and chaos. The Communist government fell in 1992 and Afghanistan was fought over by factions of the mujahedin. Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
was particularly a battleground for commanders-turned-warlords.
Rabbani and about thirty other religious students (taliban) decided to take the warlords on, first in the border town of Spin Boldak and then in Kandahar itself. "Our concern," said Rabbani at the time, "is the establishment of an Islamic system and the elimination of unrest and cruelty from our country."
Fall of Kabul and creation of the Emirate
When UN Special Envoy Mehmoud Mestiri had resumed his peace parleys in Afghanistan in March 1996, he had been assured by the political leadership of the Taliban, represented by Mullah Rabbani, who also commanded the forces encircling Kabul, that the Taliban were ready for discussions with the Rabbani government.Originally a Taliban idea endorsed by Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...
and accepted on behalf of the United Front (formerly the Northern Alliance) by President Burhanuddin Rabbani
Burhanuddin Rabbani
Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani was President of the Islamic State of Afghanistan from 1992 to 1996. After the Taliban government was toppled during Operation Enduring Freedom, Rabbani returned to Kabul and served as a temporary President from November to December 20, 2001, when Hamid Karzai was...
in early January 1998, the proposal took shape as a proposed commission of ulema, or religious scholars, to settle the Afghan conflict in the light of the shariah.
However, no progress was made until, once again, Prime Minister Sharif intervened two months later, in March, by inviting Mullah Rabbani, now head of the Taliban shura in Kabul, to Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
and obtained from him an agreement in principle for the convening of a Steering committee in preparation for the ulema commission.
On 9 April, the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Special Envoy went to Kabul and discussed with Mullah Rabbani and other Taliban leaders how to proceed with the idea of a Steering Committee for preparations for an ulema meeting.
With this perceived shift in the Taliban's strategy, Mestiri had moved to Kabul to tie up other details. This would explain in large measure the Taliban's removal of heavy weaponry from areas surrounding Kabul very recently. But no sooner had Mullah Rabbani given this assurance to the visiting UN envoy, the religious leadership based in Kandahar rejected talks with Kabul, scuttling Mestiri's efforts.
On 26 September 1996 Taliban forces set up an interim Government under Mohammed Rabbani and Afghanistan was declared a complete Islamic Emirate under Sharia law. It was Rabbani who gave the dramatic press conference from the presidential palace claiming victory.
Many analysts believe that it was he who ordered the execution of former President Mohammed Najibullah when the Taliban took Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
in late 1996. Rabbani, who had been a prominent mujahedin commander, attracted many fighters to Taliban ranks.
Quotes about Osama Bin Laden
He declared to the international community that his government did not support terrorism.- We will not allow anyone to perform any terrorist acts inside or from Afghanistan against anyone. We are a free country where Osama is living as a guest. This is the reality and it is up to the world to accept it
Mullah Rabbani noted that bin Laden had taken up residence when Afghanistan was under the control of the previous regime. He also maintained that there was not sufficient evidence linking him to terrorist bombings in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
and Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
and that, at any rate, bin Laden was no longer able to carry out activities from Afghan territory.
Decline and death
He died at the age of 45, in a military hospital in RawalpindiRawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, of liver cancer. According to a press release in Islamabad:
- Mullah Mohammad Rabbani was one of the main founders of the Movement and greatly contributed to peace and security in our country. His service to Islam, is unforgettable. His demise is an irreparable loss.
Rabbani's body was repatriated to the southern Afghan city of Kandahar by a UN plane, permitted to operate on humanitarian grounds despite the air embargo against the Taliban Movement.
Regarding him as somewhat of a moderate, members of the opposition voiced fears that hardliners within the Taliban would strengthen their hold on power following Rabbani's death.
After Mohammad Rabbani's death, Lauren Norton Rabbani was remarried in Kabul on April 29, 2001 to Mir Ghulam Qasimi, who was born on April 22, 1966 in Rawalpindi and would become the Pakistani stepfather of Hamid and Tariq Rabbani.