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“May
God let me bear witness to the world in delivering the message of
God and accuse them”
Such
was the answer of [1]Mulla Muhammad Omar in one
of his speeches on the purpose of his life. With regards to the
establishment of the Taliban Movement, Mulla Muhammad Omar says:
“I have closed the books at school, borrowed a motorcycle, and
brought the matter before the students in classes. This was the
beginning of the movement. That is all it is about. Rule out any
other matter.”
In
such simple perceptions Mulla Muhammad Omar sheds light on the
outset of the Taliban Movement which he now leads after being
entrusted to become Amir Al Mu’mineen (Commander of the
Faithful), ruling out the possibility of receiving any foreign
funding or the assistance of any power except what he calls the
“Ultimate Dependence on God.”
According
to Omar in one of his few speeches, the Taliban Movement emerged
when he found, “Corruption had prevailed, murder and plunder had
swept through and sinners and libertines are now in power. No one
had any hope that the situation could be rectified. However, I
have ultimately depended on God.”
Mulla
Muhammad Omar urged his colleagues, “The situation cannot
continue as such while we stand and watch, and move on with our
studies. I do not promise to provide you with food: we will seek
food and assistance from the people.”
His
colleagues replied: “We can join the jihad (holy war) on Friday
because it is a holiday.” He did not despair, and once again
started to mobilize more people, with 53 more men agreeing to join
the jihad.
“I
told them to come in the morning,” Omar said, “but they came
at 1 a.m. After we prayed the dawn prayer, one of the worshipers
said that he had seen angels entering Sing Sar (the area where
they were located) which we regarded as auspicious. Since then we
were able to borrow arms and cars from the people.
This
is Mulla Mohammad Omar Mogahed, the son of Al Malawi the son
of Nabi Akhond, the son of Mulla Muhammad Rasool Akhond, the son
of Al Malawi Muhammad Ayaz. He has obviously descended from a
family of religious scholars. A Mulla in Afghanistan means a
student who studies Islamic Law and Al Malawi means a student who
has completed such studies.
Mulla
Mohammad Omar was born in 1959 in Nuda village, which is one of
the villages of Kandahar. He is a descendent of the “Hutec”
tribe, one of the subdivisions of the well-known “ghalzay”
tribe. The “Hutec” tribe became well known in Afghani
contemporary history when the popular leader of the tribe, Morris
baba Al Hotki, established the Afghan Empire by conquering the
reputable city of Asfahan in the aftermath of the fall of the
Shiite state.
Omar
descends from a family that suffers from abject poverty. Until
now, he neither owns land nor a house. His ancestors, who had
completed the study of Islamic Law and were imams in mosques, were
living on modest charity given by the residents of the village.
They lead an extremely simple life. His father, who had no other
children but him, died when he was three. His great uncle married
his mother from whom he had three boys and four girls, all of whom
are living. Mohammad Omar had been raised by his great uncle,
Muhammad Anwar, who taught him his primary level education. The
family moved to the Beirut province in the state of Arzgan where
his grand uncle worked as a leader of prayer and orator in a
mosque.
When
the Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan, Omar was around 19 years of
age and was studying in the Sing Sar area in the Munid province in
the state of Kandahar. He dropped out of school and joined the
military popular resistance, which emerged after the invasion of
the Soviet troops.
He
joined many battles against the Soviet Union army in the states of
Kandahar and Arzgan, both of which witnessed fierce clashes. He
moved from one jihad organization to another and was, for a long
period, the leader of a small group in the frontline of leader
Mulla Nick Muhammad, which is affiliated with the Islamic party
lead by [2]Malawi Muhammad Yousef Khalis.
Finally, Omar joined the “Islamic Rebellion Movement” party
lead by the Malawi Muhammad Nabi Muhammadi. It is noteworthy that
both parties comprised of religious scholars, first and foremost.
Many
of the military and administrative leaders of the Taliban Movement
were colleagues of Muhammad Omar during the period of his
participation in jihad: Mulla Muhammad (who died in the first days
of the establishment of the movement and was a very close friend
of Mulla Muhammad Omar), Mulla Borgan (who died on his way to
Kabul during its conquest), Mulla Brader Akhond, Mulla Yar
Muhammad (who died during the attack against Bamian) and Mulla
Obeid Allah (who is the present minister of defense).
Mulla
Muhammad Omar is a fierce fighter and well known for carrying an
anti-tank canon on his shoulder. He joined battles against the
Soviet troops in the states of Kandahar and Arzgan and was injured
twice in the state of Arzgan, having been lamed on one occasion
and injured for a third time. One of his eyes is permanently
damaged.
In
the aftermath of the fall of the Government of Naguib in 1992, he
went back to his school, from which he had dropped out thirteen
years previously, to resume his studies and work as a leader of
the village Mosque. This school still exists with all its simple
rooms and mud walls.
After
his tour of kuttabs (Qur’an schools), schools, and educational
sessions, in 1994 he mobilized around 30 of the students of
religious schools (only twenty of whom were armed) and attacked
the bases of a number of ex-field commanders who were rampant with
corruption and they seized a vast amount of arms and war
ammunition. Consequently, in August 1994, he was selected as the
leader of the Taliban Movement (which is the movement of students
of religious schools in Afghanistan). In March 1996, he held a
general meeting of scholars in which more than 1500 scholars from
Afghanistan participated. They decided in the final statement to
wage jihad against the Rabani Government. The scholars elected him
and conferred upon him the title “Amir Al Mu’mineen” and
since then the Taliban considers him a legitimate leader of the
movement who, from their viewpoint, enjoys all the rights of the
caliph. Therefore, they are forbidden to disobey his orders.
On
September 26, 1996, the Taliban under Muhammad Omar occupied the
capital Kabul and assassinated Naguib, the last communist governor
of Afghanistan.
Mulla
Muhammad Omar Mogahed who is tall, of medium build, pleasant
appearance with a black beard and wears a large black turban has a
timid and shy disposition; he rarely talks in the presence of
strangers. At the outset of Taliban movement and until the first
days of its occupation of Kabul, Omar lead a normal life in a
simple home, using one car for his transportation needs in the
city of Kandahar.
His
condition and way of life, however, have changed since his forces
reached the northern boarders of Afghanistan and occupied most of
the Afghan land. He has moved into a large fort-like residence and
relocated his office there after he was subject to a number of
assassination attempts. On leaving his residence, he is escorted
by numerous bodyguards who surround him in a huge procession of
modern Japanese cars with black windows.
Mulla
Muhammad Omar has married three times, the first of which was in
1990 when he was 31 years old. Both his first and his second wives
are from the state of Arzagan. He married his third wife,
who is from the Sing Sar area in Kandahar State, in 1995. He has
five children of whom we know the names of only two: Yaqub and
Idris.
Rarely
do we find nowadays a leader or a head of state who is as isolated
from the public as Omar. He rarely meets diplomats or journalists
and refrains from attending public meetings or giving public
speeches. In the early days of his leadership, he even used to
pray the Friday prayer in a small place for prayer in Kandahar
city and mingle with the public. Now he keeps a low profile. He
has never met any Western diplomats except once when he met Al
Akhdar Al Ebrahimy, the United Nations special envoy in 1998, when
Afghanistan was under threat from Iran.
There
are claims that Taliban leaders and their consultants planned his
deliberate seclusion and forbid him from making any public
speeches or talking to the media to mask his educational and
cultural inadequacy and his inability to deal with diplomats to
maintain his respect among the people. In another view such
seclusion could also be a way by which other leaders of Taliban
could refrain from putting into force the agreements, which
they had signed with the opposition or other entities, by claiming
that the Amir Al Mu’mineen rejected such agreements.
His
expression of opinions and speeches are very rare but they are
sufficient in reflecting his background knowledge. He does not
reject the media, but rather feels that an important part of the
pubic opinion about the movement is formed due to the fact “This
age is the age of the media. Those who have the media under their
control will find “listening ears” and their speech will be
music to the ears of the public. Our media is very limited and
inadequate. We therefore depend on God’s assistance. We have not
addressed the media quite often because the Taliban Movement and
system enjoy spiritual power and have a moral impact.
Except
under pressure, Mulla Muhammad Omar seems reluctant and to speak
about himself. In one of his speeches he says: “I will talk
generally and in brief about part of my history, and about some of
my achievements, so that you would take me as an example and be
admonished, notwithstanding the fact that admonishment and warning
will be found in the Holy Qur’an by those who study it at depth
and ponder over it.”
He
completely denies that the movement has received assistance from
any entity in the relatively speedy invasion of Afghanistan and
says that this was entirely the Will of God. According to him
“Only those who have deep faith will understand. Others will not
believe me but will rather claim that we are a political-oriented
organization and that there are those who direct us. According to
them we could not have achieved what we have achieved at such a
short period and with so little capabilities. How could we have
spared a whole state the evil and temptation, and succeeded in
overcoming such a huge crisis. This is not farfetched and is not
beyond the ability of God. God supports and backs those who
dedicate themselves to the service of God’s Religion. All that
we did, and all that we will further do is dictated upon us by our
religion.”
Omar
rejects the accusations of bigotry and backwardness made against
the movement for its adoption of highly extreme and exaggerated
measures. The movement for example forbids all forms of modern
media and arts. Television is forbidden because it uses
photographic images and because it is a means of entertainment.
Music (including military music & tambourine music) and acting
are forbidden. Music is therefore completely prohibited on radio,
except to play religious songs and poems in praise of the Prophet
Muhammad. Recital and translation of the Holy Qur’an and
programs on queries pertaining to jurisprudence are frequent on
radio. Furthermore, the Taliban forbids the display of pictures in
newspapers.
According
to Omar, “Islam rejects exaggeration. Anyone who can prove that
we exaggerate must present legal evidence. Claims can only be
proven through legal evidence. America and Russia claim that we
are extremists. We are not. Exaggeration and negligence are both
rejected by Islam and only a Muslim informed with the teachings of
Islam can determine between the limits of exaggeration and those
of negligence. For how can non-believers determine such limits in
Islamic affairs?”
In
spite of the Taliban’s attitude towards women which takes the
view that the best place for women is their homes and that they
may never leave their homes except when there is a dire need, the
Taliban thinks that women may only be taught religious affairs in
their homes by men in a degree of consanguinity precluding
marriage with such women. Women shall be completely forbidden from
learning any other subject related to worldly affairs. However,
Mulla Muhammad Omar takes the view that the Islamic Emirate has
exerted considerable efforts in maintaining the legal rights of
women - efforts which can never be denied except by the
contentious. The decree no. 104 promulgated on 8/5/1419 A.H. is a
case in point. Such decree forbids the family of the deceased
husband from inheriting from his wife, as was prevalent in the
past, or be forced, against her will, to marry a member of such
family. This is an unprecedented decree in the history of
Afghanistan. As for the education of women, they claim, they do
not prohibit such education, but provide it within legitimate
constraints in observance of all rules pertaining to veil, decorum
and religious ethics.
Mulla
Muhammad Omar’s ruling of the Taliban Government is based on the
principle of “ultimate obedience to the Amir unless the Amir
requests the disobedience of God, and that Consultation is
beneficial but not binding.”
In
his capacity as the highest authority in the state, Omar relies
entirely on the secretariat in tackling problems and assuming the
responsibilities of leading the Taliban Movement and undertaking
the functions in the state. Mulla Wakil Ahmed Mutawakel was
therefore the key person of the Taliban Movement. He had started
out as the driver and cook of Mulla Muhammad Omar and was
gradually promoted in the secretariat and the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. In his capacity as the secretary of Mulla Muhammad Omar
he was the official spokesman of the Taliban Movement and mediator
between Taliban and diplomats and foreign journalists. Mulla Wakil
Ahmed Mutawakel was the only link to Mulla Muhammad Omar: he was
his “eyes” and “ears”, and the only person by whom
information from and to the Amir were delivered. He now assumes
the same role after making some adjustments to it. The main role
of the secretariat of Omar is taking down his orders and
monitoring their implementation.
Mulla
Muhammad Omar’s most important role is directly contacting the
field commanders at the frontlines and administrative officials
throughout Afghanistan through radio and telephone. If you enter
his room, you will hear the different sounds made by the wireless
communication devices hung on the walls of the room on which he
relies in ruling the Emirate. You will also find in his room two
iron boxes, one of which is full of Dollars and the other is full
of the Afghani currency. He distributes such money directly to
field commanders or others as he deems necessary. Those two boxes
comprise the main treasury of the Taliban government, the returns
of which are mobilized by officially collecting taxes and from the
returns yielded by transnational trade.
Press
reports indicate that the relationship between bin Laden and Mulla
Omar started in the eighties prior to the Afghani attack on Soviet
troops. Bin Laden has given considerable financial assistance and
arms to the military commanders, of whom Mulla Omar was one. The
field commanders, in return, had a sense of gratitude to bin
Laden. Marriage claims between Mulla Muhammad Omar and bin
Laden’s daughter have been denied by both of them.
In
July 23, 1999, the U.N. Security Assembly imposed a ban on the
Taliban government for harboring Osama bin Laden. But in order to
understand why the Taliban cling to Sheikh Osama bin Laden, we
have to first understand the strong ties between Mulla Muhammad
Omar and Bin laden. They are clarified in their speeches.
In
his speech about Bin Laden. Omar says: “Sheikh Osama bin Laden
is a Muslim who has emigrated to Afghanistan and is therefore a
guest. Deporting him or turning him over will be in contravention
to the teachings of Islam and to the traditions of the Afghani
people. Above all, if the Islamic Emirate and the Afghani people
change their attitude towards Osama Bin Laden, they will be in
deep trouble and will share a great loss. Sheikh Osama bin Laden
does not work against anyone in the Islamic Emirate. We have made
this demand upon him and were ensured of his commitment so that he
would not sever the relations of the Islamic Emirate with other
countries.”
Sheikh
Osama bin Laden, with the same friendliness and intimacy, responds
in one of the conferences of scholars in Afghanistan: “Mulla
Muhammad Omar is the legitimate ruler and Amir who, in his ruling
at this age, complies with God’s law. I hold deep respect to his
great decisions, the last of which were the decisions to demolish
the idols and ban the cultivation of plants that produce drugs. I
also hold deep respect for him for standing in all dignity and
pride against the international campaign of non-believers. Such
stances, which are only some of his many Islamic historic stances,
give proof to his honesty and indicate that he stands on firm
ground.”
[1]
Mulla: A Mulla in Afghanistan means a student studying Islamic
Law.
[2]
Malawi: A student who has completed his studies of Islamic Law
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