Taliban Publishes Mullah Omar's Biography

NEW DELHI: The Afghan Taliban has published a 5000 word biography of the group’s reclusive chief -- Mullah Mohammed Omar -- to mark his 19th year as their supreme leader. The biography, posted on the Taliban’s official insight, clarifies disputed facts about Omar’s heritage and upbringing.

Excerpts from the full biography:

“For the prevention of false propaganda by a number of spurious writers, analysts and some biased circles and to depict a clear picture to the writers and ordinary people, we draw the life-sketch of His Excellency, the Amir-ul-Momineen, in the following lines.”

“Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’, son of Moulavi Ghulam Nabi, grandson of Moulavi Mohammad Rasool and the great grandson of Moulavi Baaz Mohammad was born in 1339 AH (solar) i.e. 1960 AD in a religious and learned family of Chah-i-Himmat village of Khakrez district in Kandahar province of Afghanistan. His father, Moulavi Ghulam Nabi (late) was also born in Khakrez district and had received his early education in the traditional religious institutions and circles of this area. He was a well-known and respected erudite and social figure among the masses due to his indefatigable efforts in educating and guiding the people to the right path of Islam.

Two years after the birth of Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’, his father migrated from Khakrez district to Noday village of Dand district of this same province and remained there till his last in spreading religious education among the local people. He died in 1344 AH (solar) i.e. 1965 AD in that area and was laid to rest in the old famous graveyard of Taliban in Kandahar city.

After the death of his father, Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ shifted at the age of five along with his family members from Dand district of Kandahar province to Deh-Rawud district of Uruzgan province where he started his early life under the supervision of his uncles Moulavi Mohammad Anwar and Moulavi Mohammad Jumma.”

“At the age of eight, Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ joined the primary madrassa of Shar-i-Kohna area in Deh-Rawud district to get religious education. This madrassa was supervised by his uncle, Moulavi Mohammad Jumma and Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ also started his early education from him.

Both of his uncles, particularly Moulavi Mohammad Anwar, played a key role in his religious teaching and training.”

“Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ belongs to the ‘Tomzi’ clan of ‘Hotak’ tribe which comprises a large part of Pashtuns which has delivered eminent Islamic statesmen, national and Jihadi heroes like the legendary Islamic figure of ‘Haji Mirwais Khan Hotak’.”

“The birth of Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ in such a spiritual and learned family and his upbringing under the direct patronage of his well-educated and ideological patrons deeply cultivated in him the ability to grow as a sincere Mujahid, a compassionate and vigilant Islamic and national figure who could emancipate the Afghan society from tyranny, corruption and injustice and preserve our beloved homeland (Afghanistan) from the imminent danger of disintegration.

His brothers, uncles and all other family members are ‘Mujahidin’ and four of his family members have already sacrificed their lives as martyrs in the path of Allah Almighty.”

“Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ was in his early twenties when the communists usurped control of Afghanistan through a bloody military coup d'état. It was a time when it became nearly impossible for Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ like all other heedful students to continue their studies as the starting encounter of atheist communists was against the scholars, Taliban, students and other Muslim intellectuals throughout the country. At that time, Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ decided to abandon his higher studies unfinished. He left madrassa and turned towards Jihadi front to discharge his religious obligation.

He started his Jihadi struggle under a well-known Jihadi organization of ‘Harkat-i-Inqilaab-i-Islami’ (Islamic Revolutionary Movement) in Deh-Rawud district of Uruzgan province. After spending a while in this district, he earned a reputation for being a valiant Jihadi figure who played an active role in several military operations against the communists in various parts of that district. Due to his Jihadi prominence and a successful role in various Jihadi operations, he used to get the unanimous consent of all the Mujahidin of different parts and groups to be their commander in Deh-Rawud district for leading large-scale offensives against the enemy and he executed exceptionally successful operations in which he was wounded several times. He participated in many confrontations for more than three years along with his local Mujahidin against the invading Russians and their internal communist puppets.”

“From 1983 to 1991, Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ executed very successful operations in the suburbs of ‘Maiwand’, ‘Zhari’, ‘Panjwai’ and ‘Dand’ districts of Kandahar province which were vital Jihadi centers and Mujahidin used to be involved in fighting the enemy on a daily basis. Similarly he personally and directly participated in several victorious operations against the Russian invaders on the main ‘Kabul-Kandahar’ high way in the suburbs of ‘Shahr-i-Safa’ and ‘Qalat’ cities of Zabul province. His preferred weapon of choice was the ‘RPG-7’, which was simply called ‘Rocket’ among the local Mujahidin, as he was proficient and an expert in using this weapon. It is worth mentioning that ‘Maiwand’, ‘Zhari’ and ‘Panjwai’ districts of Kandahar province were areas of intense fighting during the Jihad against communism which turned the tide and brought about Russia’s defeat and withdrawal. Such a large number of tanks and other military vehicles were destroyed on the main ‘Kandahar-Herat’ highway that the enemy had erected walls made from these wreckages on both sides of the road to protect them from Mujahidin assaults.”

“In 1992, after the collapse of Najeeb’s communist regime and with the eruption of factional fighting throughout the country, like all other righteous Mujahidin, Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ laid down his arms, set up a religious madrassa next to the mosque of ‘Haji Ibrahim’ in ‘Gishaan’ village of ‘Sang-i-Hisaar’ area in Maiwand district of Kandahar province and settled there. He restarted his unfinished religious studies along with some other Jihadi colleagues after a long and difficult fourteen year struggle.”

“Instead of establishing an Islamic system of life in order to fulfill the long awaited aspirations of the whole Mujahid nation of our country, internal factional fighting broke out. The fact was that Mujahidin were weakened and sidelined through a pre-planned conspiracy. Some of the prominent communist figures who should have been trialed were unfortunately given shelter by some former Mujahidin commanders and some other warlords began looting, violating the people and plundering the country in an organized fashion.”

“Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ who was living along with Jihadi colleagues in Maiwand district of Kandahar province was also deeply anxious about the prevailing anarchy like all other true Mujahidin. He observed that numerous barriers were erected on the main ‘Kandahar-Herat’ highway and the oppressed passengers, women and white-bearded elders were looted, disgraced and even killed in the broad day light by ruthless warlords. It is worth mentioning that the number of illegal barriers and check-posts had increased to an extent that the traders, bringing their merchandise from ‘Herat’ province to the border town of ‘Boldak’ in Kandahar province, used to unload their goods in Maiwand district due to unlimited demands of these barrier-holders. Then they used to transfer their goods through unknown desert routs to their destination after suffering intolerable hardships.

Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ and his colleagues were fully aware about the prevailing situation in Kandahar province where the brutal warlords were dispersed in each and every corner of the city. They were incessantly usurping the public as well as private properties and selling them for huge amounts of money. They erected their private markets on government lands. Moreover, they always used to fight among themselves on minor issues which caused great distress for the ordinary people.”

“The Islamic Movement launched their struggle and fight against corruption and anarchy under the leadership of Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ which was widely welcomed by the true and righteous Mujahidin and ordinary masses. First, they liberated Kandahar province and then other vast areas of Afghanistan from the corrupt and wicked warlords. At that time, when major parts of Afghanistan came under the control of Islamic Movement of Taliban, a large number of Afghan Ulama, comprising more than 1500 religious scholars, convened a meeting in Kandahar city on 15th Dhul Qa’da 1416 AH (lunar) (i.e. 4th April 1996). They approved the leadership of Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ and conferred the title of ‘Ameer-ul-Momineen’ (the leader of the pious believers) on him. On 6th Libra 1375 AH (solar) (i.e. 27th September 1996), Kabul city, the capital of Afghanistan also came under the control of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and subsequently, the supremacy of the Islamic Emirate prevailed in ninety five percent territory of our beloved homeland including all the central and northern parts of Afghanistan.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, under the leadership of Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ established an Islamic system based on the sublime rules and principles of Sharia Law. After a long interval, the world witnessed a practical model of an Islamic government once again. He preserved the country from disintegration and disarmed the unruly warlords which resulted in the restoration of exemplary peace and stability in the country which was deemed unattainable by the whole world including the United Nations. But (and there is great ‘But’) the arrogant infidel powers of the world could not tolerate this Sharia system established by the Islamic Emirate which became a thorn of their eyes. Therefore they adopted and initiated antagonistic behaviour towards it. They tried their best either to find or create lame excuses to overthrow this system and eventually they launched a joint military invasion against it.”

“As a leading personality, Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ has a unique and charismatic personality. Contrary to high ranking officials and leaders, he does not want to show off or boast. He is not eager or excited to speak if it is un-necessary to do so. And if needed, his words and sentences are keen, perceptive and logical. For instance in the early days prior to the American invasion, wide range propaganda was launched to demoralize Mujahidin and oust the Islamic Emirate. The Americans left no stone unturned and all the western media outlets, their radio stations and popular television stations were fully devoted to promoting American malicious objectives.”

“Similarly at the beginning of the American invasion, he declared to the Afghan masses in a radio broadcasted speech while alluding to the foreign invaders and their internal stooges that weapons can bring death but it cannot defy it. This sentence might have been a meaningless and insignificant composition of words for some people but in the previous thirteen years, the implications of these simple words were practically observed when the brutal foreign invaders relentlessly killed a large number of innocent people with the help of their advanced technology and weapons of mass destruction but they could not turn death away from their own soldiers who are incessantly being killed, wounded and incarcerated for the last thirteen years by the heroic Mujahidin under the leadership of Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’.”

“According to Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’, it is better to speak less and do more as our religion emphasizes deeds over words or ideas. His life is totally free from ceremonies and un-necessary protocols. He has adopted a simple and plain style in all aspects of his life. Simple dress, simple food, simple talk, frankness and informality are his natural habits. He does not stand on ceremonies and dislikes ceremonial people.”

“He deeply respects scholars and other elders. Gravity of manner, dignity, modesty, reverence, reciprocal respect, sympathy, mercy and sincerity are his natural traits. Strong determination, trusting in only One Allah the Almighty and a strong belief in what is ordained by Him are the distinguishing features of his life.”