
Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi was a diplomat of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Biography[]
Rahmatullah Hashemi was born in Afghanistan to a Pashtun family, and he claimed descent from Muhammad through the Banu Hashem tribe. He was raised in Pakistan during the Soviet-Afghan War and became fluent in Pashto, English, Persian, and Urdu. In 1994, he became a computer operator and translator at the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kandahar, serving at the Afghan embassy in Islamabad in 1998. He became a diplomat for the Taliban's Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, visiting the United States in 2001 in an effort to boost the IEA's image. He toured the USA with President George W. Bush, and, when accused by an American woman (showing an audience the kind of veil the Taliban imposed in Afghanistan) of working for an organization which held women prisoner, Hashemi responded by saying, "And I'm very sorry to your husband; he might have a very difficult time with you." His tour also included a visit to the State Department, which was regarded as suspicious following the 9/11 attacks, as the USA was aware that the Taliban was giving shelter to Osama Bin Laden. In 2005, Hashemi was admitted to Yale University as a non-degree student, and 50% of Yale supported his acceptance, while 25% opposed it. In July 2006, his application to pursue a bachelor's degree had been rejected by Yale.