Abdul Rashid Ghazi | |
|---|---|
عبد الرشید غازی | |
 Abdul Rashid Ghazi inc. 2007 | |
| Chief Executive ofFaridia University | |
| In office 1998–2007 | |
| Preceded by | None (office vacant) |
| Succeeded by | Muhammad Abdul Aziz |
| Khatib ofLal Masjid | |
| In office 1998–2007 | |
| Preceded by | Muhammad Abdullah Ghazi |
| Succeeded by | Muhammad Abdul Aziz |
| Leader ofDifa-e-Pakistan Council | |
| In office 2001–2007 | |
| Preceded by | None (office created) |
| Succeeded by | Hamid-ul-Haq |
| Chairman of Defense of Human Rights Pakistan (DHR) | |
| In office 2002–2007 | |
| Preceded by | None (office created) |
| Succeeded by | Amina Masood Janjua |
| Personal life | |
| Born | (1964-01-29)29 January 1964 |
| Died | 10 July 2007(2007-07-10) (aged 43) Lal Masjid,Islamabad, Pakistan |
| Cause of death | Assassination (gunshot wounds) |
| Resting place | Jamia Abdullah Bin Ghazi,Rojhan,Rajanpur District,Punjab 28°32'49"N 69°47'25"E |
| Nationality |  Pakistani |
| Children | Haroon Rashid Ghazi[1][2][3] Haris Rashid Ghazi[4] Hamza Rashid Ghazi[5] |
| Alma mater | Quaid-i-Azam University |
| Occupation | Diplomat Islamic scholar |
| Relations | Muhammad Abdullah Ghazi (Father) Muhammad Abdul Aziz (Brother) Umme Hassan (Sister-in-law) |
| Signature |  |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Hanafi |
| Movement | Deobandi |
| Military career | |
| Battles / wars | Soviet–Afghan War Siege of Lal Masjid † |
Abdul Rashid Ghazi[a] (c. 29 January 1964 – 10 July 2007)[6] was aPakistaniIslamic scholar anddiplomat-turnedIslamistdissident who served asKhatib ofLal Masjid, theChief Executive ofJamia Faridia University, theChairman of Defense of Human Rights Pakistan (DHR), a member ofUNICEF Committee onPreventive healthcare, thePresident ofIdara Aalia Tanzeem ul Madaris andAl-Qassim Foundation and the leader ofDifa-e-Pakistan Council.[7] Prior to this he had worked for theMinistry of Education andUNESCO, aspecialized agency of theUnited Nations.[8][9]
He was the son ofMuhammad Abdullah Ghazi, and younger brother ofAbdul Aziz Ghazi.[10]
Abdul Rashid wasassassinated duringOperation Sunrise afterPakistan ArmySpecial Service Group stormed theLal Masjid inIslamabad.[11]
He was an ethnicBaloch, descending from theSadwani (Sodvani) clan of theMazari tribe, in the town ofBasti-Abdullah nearRojhan inRajanpur, the border district ofPunjab province ofPakistan.[12]
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 hisMaster of Science degree in history fromQuaid-e-Azam University Islamabad in 1987–1988.[11] A photo of him and his classmates still hangs on the history department's wall.[11] According to one of his professors, "He was a normal, modern student and a lively fellow who was well adjusted to a co-educational system."[11][13] Remembered by his friends as "a bright student and an active member of a progressive student organisation", "He could have been a diplomat in the foreign office or an educationist", his friend once stated in an interview.[14]
He was non-religious during that time, hardly if ever going to the mosque and reading authors likeKarl Marx,Max Weber andHenry Kissinger, "his greatest ambition was to become adiplomat at theUnited Nations", a friend added,[14] to the extent that he stopped talking to his father, who was antagonized by his "Westernized" lifestyle.[14]
Declan Walsh also quotes peoples who knew him during this time, saying that he was a secularized student reading the likes ofNietzsche andRousseau, mingling with women and being fond of singing.[15]
Having completed hisM.Sc. in History, he secured a position at the Pakistan National Commission and later joined theMinistry of Education inIslamabad as a Grade-17 officer, where he briefly served as the editor of its monthly magazine,Piyami.[8]
He subsequently joined the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a specialized agency of theUnited Nations (UN).[16]
He initially served at UNESCO's National Office inIslamabad, Later, he was briefly transferred to the organization'sRegional Bureau for Education in Asia, located inThailand.[17][18]
Subsequently, he was posted toNew Delhi,India, where he briefly served asChargé d'Affaires and also became involved with a team which oversees the UNESCO-designatedWorld Heritage Sites, including theTaj Mahal.[19]
In his later career, he was stationed at theMaison de l'UNESCO inParis,France, serving as a Representative and Diplomat. He was also as a member of thePakistani Delegation to UNESCO linked withEmbassy of Pakistan in Paris.[11][20]
In 1988, Ghazi was convinced by his brother,Abdul Aziz, an active participant in theSoviet–Afghan War, to travel with him toAfghanistan'sPaktia Province. The brothers subsequently saw brief combat service in the region.[21] According to a contemporary account from a fellow fighter, they engaged in several skirmishes withSoviet forces near theAfghanistan–Pakistan border.[15]
In one incident, Ghazi narrowly survived aland mine explosion, after which he adopted the honorific titleGhazi (Arabic: "warrior").[15] JournalistDeclan Walsh cites a companion of Ghazi who stated that he was primarily motivated by the excitement and adventure of war rather than religious ideology and notes that this attitude was not uncommon among young men joining theanti-Soviet resistance.[16]
In 1997, Ghazi traveled toKandahar with hisfather and a delegation ofreligious scholars, where they met with Taliban leaderMullah Omar andOsama bin Laden.[22]
Ghazi, when referring to these events, stated: "The meeting inspired me to work for the establishment ofIslamic state." He recalled that at the end of the meeting, he picked up and drank water from a cup whichbin Laden had used. An amused bin Laden asked Ghazi why he had done so, to which Ghazi replied: "I drank from your glass so that Allah would make me a great warrior like you".[23]
In October 1998,Ghazi's father was assassinated in the courtyard ofLal Masjid as he returning from teaching a class atJamia Faridia.[23] Due to a lack of confidence in Pakistan's legal system,Abdul Aziz, the elder brother of Ghazi, initially declined to file aFirst Information Report (FIR). However, Ghazi proceeded to file the FIR, prompting a police investigation into the case. After persistent efforts, a suspect was arrested and subsequently identified by an eyewitness during anidentification parade.[24]
Despite this, the suspect was inexplicably released the following day. Ghazi protested the release, warning the authorities that he would pursuelegal action if the suspect was not promptly re-arrested. As pressure mounted, he reportedly faced threats, including a warning to withdraw the case or risk suffering a fate similar to that of his father.[25]
According to those close to him, this experience marked a turning point in his life, leading to his disillusionment with the legal system.[11]
Ghazi adopted the trappings of anIslamist, wearing apakol (wool hat) and a checkeredPalestinian keffiyeh over white robes, and was appointed as theKhatib ofLal Masjid, Ghazi however still retained the courteous manner and open-minded curiosity of his student years and was known to welcome foreign visitors at his quarters, charming and cajoling them.[26]
Ghazi maintained associations with a range of militant and political figures. Among his militant contacts wereFazlur Rehman Khalil ofHarkat-ul-Mujahideen[27] andMasood Azhar ofJaish-e-Mohammed; Azhar also made a rare public appearance to meet Ghazi at Lal Masjid in 2002.[28] Ghazi was also allied with leaders ofSipah-e-Sahaba, includingAzam Tariq andAli Sher Hyderi.[23] After Tariq's assassination in 2003, Ghazi led his funeral prayers atLal Masjid.[29]
Politically, Ghazi's allies included prominent religious leaders such asQazi Hussain Ahmad ofJamaat-e-Islami,Fazal-ur-Rehman of theJUI-F,Samiul Haq of theJUI-S,Shah Abdul Aziz andSyed Nasib Ali Shah.[30][31]
In 2001, when the country's religious parties formed a coalition known asPakistan-Afghanistan Defense Council toprotest thewar in Afghanistan, Ghazi emerged as a central figure in the movement. He played a key role in organizing demonstrations acrossIslamabad and was appointed as the coalition's chief spokesperson and later as the coalition's regional chairman.[7] Ghazi publicly pledged support for theTaliban.[25]
Ghazi would later also play a prominent role in leadingprotests against the Invasion of Iraq.[16]
In 2006, Ghazi also led protests againstPope Benedict XVI'sRegensburg lecture.[32]
On 23 December 2001, Ghazi was arrested fromAabpara in Islamabad. The arrest followed a public speech in which he criticizedPresident Pervez Musharraf for Pakistan's involvement in theWar in Afghanistan and for supporting theU.S.-led invasion.[7]
Following his release in January 2002, Ghazi claimed that he was aprisoner of conscience, denying any involvement in violence and asserting that his activism was purely peaceful. He was quoted as saying, "I have not blasted a bomb anywhere, I have not killed anyone and all my demonstrations were peaceful... I just have a difference of opinion, which should not be a problem for anyone. I call this a kind of dictatorship."[33]
He also publicly criticized the Pakistani government's ban on jihadist groups such asLashkar-e-Taiba andJaish-e-Mohammed, and questioned the rationale for banning religious organizations like theSipah-e-Sahaba (SSP). He stated that if any madrassa were proven to be involved in terrorism, all "peace-loving religious sects" and madrassa administrations would sever ties with those entities.[34]
Ghazi and his close associateKhalid Khawaja were prominent activists involved in various social causes, including addressingenforced disappearances in Pakistan. In 2002, they co-founded the human rights group Defense of Human Rights Pakistan (Urdu:تحافظ حقوق إنساني).[19][35][36] Ghazi served as the organization's first chairman while Khawaja was its spokesman.[37]
The organization became involved in the alleged child abduction case ofMolly Campbell, providing her shelter at theJamia Hafsa during her parental custody trial.[38][39]
Ghazi led the organization until his death, after which activistAmina Masood Janjua succeeded him in the role.[40]
Ghazi also served as Chief Executive (Rector/President) ofFaridia University, anIslamic university situated near theFaisal Mosque inIslamabad,Pakistan.[16] he is credited with modernization of the institute where alongside the traditionalDars-i Nizami, he introduced new academic programmes includinginformation technology,Islamic Economics and himself taughtEnglish andPhilosophy.[14]
In 2002, Ghazi extended an invitation to Pakistani scientistAbdul Qadeer Khan to attend the Khatam-e-Bukhari ceremony at his seminary, Jamia Faridia. Subsequently, Khan also generously supported the construction of a park adjacent to the seminary and facilitated the creation of aforest pedestrian path leading from the seminary to Faisal Mosque, which wasnamed in his honor.[41]
In 2003, he inaugurated the Al Faridia Model School, a free for allhigh school offering classes from 7th tillmatriculation.[16]
Farid Esack recounts to have met Ghazi multiple times at theFaridia University seminary, Ghazi peppered the South African with questions aboutNelson Mandela's life in prison, and they chatted for hours about revolutionaries likeChe Guevara andFidel Castro. "He certainly saw himself in that mold, as the righteous moral rebel." Esack said, both of them are also said to have debated their conflicting opinions on Islam, "My vision of an inclusive polity influenced by progressive Islamic values is very different than Ghazi's, of course, but his theology should not be reduced to a caricature, as it so often was, especially in the West", Esack recounted.[42]
In 2005, Ghazi attended thegraduation ceremony atDarul Uloom Karachi as a guest speaker. During this event, he met Pakistani juristMufti Taqi Usmani. Later, when Usmani visitedIslamabad, he toured Ghazi's seminary and commended his administration.[43]
Ghazi also collaborated with theWashington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization,International Center for Religion & Diplomacy (ICRD), supporting their madrasa reform initiatives in Pakistan.[41]
Following the devastating2005 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.[44][45]
In response to the disaster, Ghazi established theAl-Qasim Foundation (Urdu:القاسم فاؤنڈیشن), a relief organization that mobilized volunteer students fromlocal seminaries, with its headquarters based atJamia Faridia. Under his leadership, the foundation distributed relief goods valued at approximately Rs 100 million to earthquake victims.[46]
Ghazi personally oversaw multiple relief operations and made several trips to the earthquake-stricken areas ofKashmir. In one notable incident, he narrowly avoided a fatal accident by missing a scheduled flight on aMI-17 transport helicopter, which later crashed in the mountainous region of Kashmir.[47][48]
In 2003, Ghazi joinedUNICEF, aUnited Nations led humanitarian organization, where he was a member of committee formed to raise awareness regardingpreventive healthcare includingHIV.[49]
The following year, Ghazi joined a delegation ofreligious leaders, led by United Nations official Bettina Schunter, to travel toSouth Africa to learn aboutHIV prevention. This trip was aimed at improving the efforts of religious leaders in combating the spread of HIV in their communities.[16][50]
In January 2005, shortly after dawn, Ghazi was driving from theBlue Area inIslamabad towardsJamia Faridia. While driving along theSeventh Avenue inIslamabad near theMargalla Hills, individuals in a nearby vehicle opened fire on him. Ghazi, armed with ahandgun, returned fire, forcing the assailants to flee the scene.[22][51]
Following this incident, Ghazi began carrying anAK-74 for protection and kept the weapon in his car, near his work desk, and even by his bedside.[52]
In 2007, Ghazi's elder brotherAbdul Aziz alongside his wifeUmme Hassan launched an anti-vice andShari'a campaign by occupying a nearby library and embarking onvigilante raids through the city to stop what he called "un-Islamic activities," such as film vendors, barber shops and a Chinese-runmassage parlor that he accused of being a brothel.[53] Ghazi demanded that his elder brother Aziz return the seized library and end the standoff, He enlisted his long-time friend,Khalid Khawaja, to mediate with his brother, but Aziz rejected all demands.[54][55] Seeking to de-escalate the standoff, Ghazi stated that theLal Masjid administration did not intend to imposeSharia law forcibly, a position that placed him at odds with his brother.[56] He also occasionally joked that his brother's efforts were similar toRudy Giuliani's crackdown on crime asmayor ofNew York City.[57]
On 3 July 2007, following a prolonged standoff between hisbrother and thegovernment, thePakistan military initiated anoperation against Lal Masjid. Elements of thePakistan Army, including the111th Brigade,Special Service Group, and thePakistan Rangers moved to isolate the mosque, marking the start of the siege.[58] A day later, on 4 July 2007, Ghazi's elder brotherAbdul Aziz was arrested while attempting to escape the complex disguised in aburqa,[59][60] leaving Ghazi in command of the mosque. Ghazi remained inside with a small group of students and his sister-in-law,Umme Hassan, and subsequently called fornegotiations andsafe passage for those remaining. His requests were denied by military officials.[61] During the siege, he maintained communication with the outside world, giving interviews to journalists such asHamid Mir,Absar Alam,Talat Hussain andRageh Omaar.[62]
On 5 July 2007, theBBC News reported that Ghazi had offered multipleceasefires, stating that his followers would lay down their arms if government security forces stopped firing. The Pakistani government dismissed the proposal.[63]
On July 9, 2007,ABC News reported that Ghazi stated he was willing to surrender, but only under specific public conditions. These included granting media access to theLal Masjid complex to demonstrate the absence of major weapons or foreign militants, a phone call with his brotherAbdul Aziz, and theguarantee of a fair trial; he explicitly rejected an unconditional surrender "in the dark." According to the same report, the government was skeptical of his claims, denied his requests, and demanded an unconditional surrender.[64]PresidentPervez Musharraf then issued anultimatum, stating that "those who did not surrender would be killed.".[65] In response, Ghazi, in a telephone interview, accused the president of seeking bloodshed. He invokedLord Acton's dictum that "power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" to characterize Musharraf's stance.[66]
On the morning of 10 July 2007,Prime MinisterShujaat Hussain declared that negotiations with Ghazi had failed, the military then ordered its78th Paratrooper Brigade,111th Infantry Brigade and theSpecial Service Group (SSG) to storm the mosque.[67][68] However according toFazlur Rehman Khalil, a mediator who met with Ghazi in the final hours of the siege, Ghazi was amenable to a peaceful settlement and that he had persuaded him to agree to the government's demands, culminating in a five-point agenda to end the standoff.[69] Khalil further claimed that Ghazi had agreed to surrender and accepted a peace deal and according to him themilitary operation proceeded despite this agreement, resulting in Ghazi's death.[70][27]Jamaat-e-Islami (JI)'s central leadership, which had also engaged in negotiations with Ghazi, stated that a peace accord was reached whereby Ghazi expressed his willingness to surrender to authorities.[71]
In a last interview withGeo TV during the operation, Ghazi, who was hunkered down in the mosque was quoted as saying: "The government is using full force. This is naked aggression ... my murder is certain now.".[72][73]
ThePakistan Ministry of Interior andInter-Services Public Relations reported that he was killed on 10 July 2007 duringOperation Sunrise.[74][75] They further reported that during the final standoff, Ghazi's sister-in-law,Umme Hassan, who was present with him, was arrested.[76] however his mother and nephew, Hassan Ghazi (the son of his elder brother), were killed.[77][78][79]
On 11 July 2007, Ghazi's brother,Abdul Aziz, led Ghazi's funeral at their native village ofBasti-Abdullah with a large number of people from all the provinces of the country in attendance.[80]
Ghazi is buried at Jamia Abdullah Bin Ghazi,Basti-Abdullah situated a short distance fromRojhan inRajanpur District.[81][82]
According to contemporary analysts includingNadeem F. Paracha andDeclan Walsh, he was significantly lesshardline than his brother, often favoring diplomatic solutions. Thispragmatism, however, was contrasted by his commitment to fighting until the end during the2007 siege, which surprised some observers.[16]
In the days following his assassination, his statement, "We can bemartyred but we will not surrender," was selected as the Quote of the Day byTime magazine.[83]
Ghazi often wore a red-and-black-patterned hat known as theMazari cap, After his death, the hat was dubbed the "Ghazi Topi".[8]
Ghazi's assassination ended the ten-month truce that had been established by theWaziristan Accord, which was followed by theJuly 2007 bombings.[84][85]
In July 2008, on the first anniversary of Ghazi's assassination, a memorial ceremony was held at Lal Masjid. Attendees included thousands of students from seminaries, as well as religious leaders such asHanif Jalandhri,Abdur Razzaq Iskander,Saleemullah Khan,Ahmed Ludhianvi, andAli Sher Hyderi.[86][87]
On 20 September 2007, anew audio recording attributed toOsama bin Laden, titled "Come to Jihad," was released.[88][89] In the message, bin Laden urged Pakistanis, particularly members of themilitary, to overthrowPresidentPervez Musharraf, stating that "twenty years after the soil of Pakistan soaked up the blood of one of the greatest jihadi fighters, the ImamAbdallah Azzam, today Pakistan is witness to the death of another great Muslim, Imam Abdul al-Rashid Ghazi and we inal-Qaida call on Allah to witness that we will retaliate for the blood of Imam Abdul al-Rashid Ghazi.[90][88]
Ayman Al-Zawahiri alsoreleased a video titled "The Power of Truth", in which he condemned theSiege of the Red Mosque and praised Abdul Rashid Ghazi.[91][92]
In 2014, theSyrian opposition groupJamaat Ansar al-Islam affiliated withAhmed al-Sharaa'sHay'at Tahrir al-Sham named a newtraining camp andmilitary subdivision after Abdul Rashid Ghazi, referring to it as "Mu’askar al-Shaikh Abdul Rasheed Ghazi" (the Sheikh Abdul Rasheed Ghazi Camp).[93]
On 2 September 2013, afirst information report (FIR) was registered againstPervez Musharraf byIslamabad High Court for his role in the assassination of Ghazi during theOperation Sunrise in 2007.[94][95][96]
On 10 October 2013, Musharraf was arrested in connection with the murder case but was later released on bail.[97][98][99] In 2016, with several court cases still pending against him, Musharraf left Pakistan forDubai to seek medical treatment.[100][101]
In February 2016, a judge issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of him for his 'deliberate' absence from the proceedings of the murder case.[102] The court ordered the confiscation of his property inIslamabad and also issued a permanent arrest warrant for Musharraf and sought aRed Notice fromInterpol to facilitate his extradition to Pakistan to stand trial.[103][104][105] Musharraf died in 2023 inDubai, where he was living in exile, without having faced trial for the charges.[106][107][108]
In 2012, theSupreme Court of Pakistan established a judicial commission to investigate the 2007 Lal Masjid operation. The commission's mandate was to examine the legality of the military action and the high number of civilian casualties, including the death of Ghazi. A three-member bench, headed byChief JusticeIftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, was formed to oversee the case.[109][110][111]
In August 2007,Al Jazeera English aired a documentary titledWitness- Inside the Red Mosque, featuring reporterRageh Omaar and directed by Farah Durrani.[112] The film, which contained the final interview with Ghazi before his assassination, was nominated for anInternational Emmy Award in 2008.[62][113]
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