Burhanuddin Rabbani, an ethnic Tajik, was born in 1940 in Badakhshan, a province of Afghanistan. After finishing school in his native province, he went to Darul-uloom-e-Sharia (Abu-Hanifa), a religious school in Kabul. When he graduated from Abu-Hanifa, he went to Kabul University to study Islamic Law and Theology. During his four years at Kabul University he became well known for his works on Islam. Soon after his graduation in 1963, he was hired as a Professor at Kabul University. Rabbani went to Egypt in 1966, and entered the University Al-Azhar in Cairo. In two years, he received his masters degree in Islamic Philosophy.

In 1968, Rabbani returned to Afghanistan, where the High Council of Jamiat-i-Islami of Afghanistan gave him the duty of organizing the University students. Due to his knowledge, reputation, and active support for the cause of Islam, in 1972, a 15-member council selected him as head of Jamiat-i-Islami of Afghanistan; the founder of Jamiat-i-Islami of Afghanistan, Ghulam M. Niyazi was also present.

In the spring of 1974, police cars came to Kabul University to arrest Rabbani for his pro-Islamic stance, but with the help of his students the police were unable to capture him, and he managed to escape to the country side. Later with his base in Pakistan, Rabbani managed to lead his party now evolved into a sucessful mujahideen fighting group to resist the Soviet Invasion. Rabbani's forces was the first mujahideen group to enter Kabul in 1992 and defeat the Communists once and for all.

In 1992 he became President of the Islamic Council of Afghanistan (effectively ruler of the country), until Kabul was captured by the Taliban in 1996. He set up headquarters in the northern Afghan town of Faizabad and led, with support from Iran and Russia, one of the five anti-Taliban factions, the Northern Alliance.

He was still recognised as ruler of Afghanistan by the United Nations and most other countries until he formally handed over power to an interim government headed by Hamid Karzai on December 22, 2001. He was not given a cabinet post, and has been an outspoken critic of the new government. Mr Rabbani was expected to stand for election as the new head of state, but pulled out at the last minute. He maintains his status as head of the Jamiat-e Islami party, but in reality has little power. Mr Rabbani has promised that the Northern Alliance will not cling to power. He says he would welcome a broad-based government in Afghanistan. While in power, he allowed women to work and girls to enter higher education.



Back | Home

------------------------
The End. Dec 18 2004