Mawlānā Abdul Rashid Ghazi (Urdu: عبد الرشید غازی; c. 29 January 1964 – 10 July 2007) was a Pakistani Islamic fundamentalist who served as the chancellor of Faridia University. Prior to his death, he served as a diplomat for UNESCO. He was the son of Muhammad Abdullah Ghazi, and younger brother of Abdul Aziz Ghazi.
Abdul Rashid was assassinated during Operation Silence after Pakistan Army Special Operations Commandos' teams stormed the madrasah he and his students had been using.
Early life[]
He was an ethnic Baloch, descending from the Sadwani (Sodvani) clan of the Mazari tribe, in the town of Basti-Abdullah near Rojhan in Rajanpur, the border district of Punjab province of Pakistan.[1]
In his youth, Abdul Rashid defied his father's wish that he receive formal Islamic education as he wanted to live a modern life. He completed his Master of Science degree in history from Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad in 1987–1988,[2]
Diplomatic career[]
Having completed his M.Sc. in History, he secured a position at the Pakistan National Commission and later joined the Ministry of Education in Islamabad as a Grade-17 officer, where he briefly served as the editor of its monthly magazine, Piyami.[3]
He subsequently joined the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN). He initially served at UNESCO's National Office in Islamabad, before being transferred to the organization's Regional Bureau for Education in Asia, based in Thailand. Later in his career, he was posted at the Maison de l'UNESCO in Paris, France.[4]
Soviet–Afghan War[]
During the Soviet–Afghan War, Ghazi's father Muhammad Abdullah Ghazi played a major role in recruiting and training Mujahideen.[5]
Ghazi and his brother Abdul Aziz also did a brief stint of fighting. According to a friend of Ghazi who was with him during the Soviet–Afghan War, they fought against the Soviets multiple times in Paktia Province, near the Afghanistan–Pakistan border. Ghazi was nearly killed when a land mine exploded next to him; after this incident he assumed the title of Ghazi, meaning "warrior".[6]
Father's assassination[]
In October 1998, Ghazi's father was killed a week after he returned from Kandahar, Ghazi's father gave a lecture at Faridia University in Sector E-7 of Islamabad, at noon as he returned and approached Lal Masjid, a man was waiting for him in the courtyard. The man greeted Ghazi's father and then pulled out a gun, opening fire and emptying the magazine. Ghazi's father was badly injured, while the assassin escaped with the help of accomplices waiting outside in a car. Ghazi's father died of his injuries on the way to the hospital.[7]
Post-2001[]
Ghazi adopted the trappings of an Islamist, wearing a pakol (wool hat) and a checkered Palestinian keffiyeh over white robes. Encouraged by his transformation, his brother appointed him as the deputy cleric of Lal Masjid, although he rarely led the prayers there. Ghazi, however, still retained the courteous manner and open-minded curiosity of his student years. He welcomed foreign visitors at his quarters, charming and cajoling them.[8]
He first came on the political scene in 2001, when the religious parties of the country announced an organization for the defense of Afghanistan against the American invasion. Abdul Rashid Ghazi pledged support for the Taliban against the Americans, criticizing Musharraf for his submissive attitude towards them and openly challenging his authority.[9]
In 2003, he led the funeral of Azam Tariq, leader of the Deobandi group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan inside Lal Masjid.[10]
2005 Kashmir earthquake[]
Following the devastating 2005 Kashmir earthquake, Ghazi played a significant role in the relief efforts, providing essential aid to the affected communities, including the distribution of food and tents to displaced individuals.[11] In response to the disaster, Ghazi established the Al-Qasem Foundation, a relief organization that mobilized volunteer students from local seminaries, with its headquarters based at Jamia Faridia. Under his leadership, the foundation distributed relief goods valued at approximately Rs 100 million to earthquake victims.[12]
Ghazi personally oversaw multiple relief operations and made several trips to the earthquake-stricken areas of Kashmir. In one notable incident, he narrowly avoided a fatal accident by missing a scheduled flight on a MI-17 transport helicopter, which later tragically crashed in the mountainous region of Kashmir.[13][14]
UNICEF[]
In 2005, Ghazi joined UNICEF, a United Nations led humanitarian organisation, where he was a member of committee formed to raise awareness regarding aids.[15]
The following year, Ghazi joined a delegation of religious leaders, led by United Nations official Bettina Schunter, to travel to South Africa to learn about HIV prevention. This trip was aimed at improving the efforts of religious leaders in combating the spread of HIV and AIDS in their communities.[16]
Assassination attempt[]
In late 2005, shortly after dawn, Ghazi was returning from teaching a class at Faridia University. While driving along a four-lane highway near the Margalla Hills, he noticed an individual in a nearby vehicle brandishing a firearm at him. In response, Ghazi fired warning shots from his licensed pistol, causing confusion among the assailants, who subsequently fled the scene. Following this incident, Ghazi began carrying a Krinkov (AK-47) for personal protection.[17]
Death and legacy[]
During the Siege of Lal Masjid, Pakistan Army Special Forces (SF), Pakistan Army Rangers, and Special Service Group (SSG) stormed the mosque. Ghazi himself remained inside with a few students. He called for a safe way in which he would not be humiliated like his brother, but officials denied his requests. The Pakistan Ministry of Interior reported that he was killed on 10 July 2007 during Operation Silence.[18]
A few days after his death, his famous saying "We can be martyred but we will not surrender" was featured as quote of the day on Time magazine's website.[19] Ghazi often wore a red-and-black-patterned hat known as the Mazari cap, honoring his Baloch roots. After his death, the hat was dubbed the "Ghazi Topi".[20]
He is buried at Madrasa Abdullah Bin Ghazi, Basti-Abdullah situated a short distance from Rojhan in Rajanpur District.[21]
References[]
- ↑ Tadfeen Islamabad mein ki jaey BBCUrdu, 11 July 2007, retrieved 21 July 2009 Template:Webarchive
- ↑ "Islamabad Red Mosque Cleric Killed" Template:Webarchive Pakistan Times, 11 July 2007, retrieved 27 July 2009
- ↑ Qandeel Siddique, The Red Mosque Operation and Its Impact On the Growth of the Pakistani Taliban, report for Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), p. 13. Link.
- ↑ "Islamabad Red Mosque Cleric Killed" Template:Webarchive Pakistan Times, 11 July 2007, retrieved 27 July 2009
- ↑ Template:Cite news
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- ↑ Zahid Hussain, The Scorpion's Tail: The Relentless Rise of Islamic Militants in Pakistan-And How It Threatens America, Simon and Schuster (2010), p. 112
- ↑ Template:Cite web
- ↑ Michelle Shephard (9 July 2007), "Mosque crisis highlights Pakistan's turmoil", The Star. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ↑ Template:Cite web
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- ↑ Baqir Sajjad Syed (11 July 2007), "Maulana Abdul Rashid: A Ghazi who died a 'Shaheed'", Dawn News. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ↑ Template:Cite news
- ↑ Template:Cite magazine
- ↑ Qandeel Siddique, The Red Mosque Operation and Its Impact On the Growth of the Pakistani Taliban, report for Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), p. 13. Link.
- ↑ Template:Cite web