Sayed Mansur Naderi

Sayed Mansoor Naderi
Leader of Afghan Ismaili Sector
Personal details
Born Sayed Mansoor Naderi
January 12, 1936
Nationality Afghan
Political party National Solidarity Party of Afghanistan
Residence Taimani, Kabul, Afghanistan
Religion Islam
Website

Sayed Mansur Naderi is the spiritual leader (Sayed of Kayan) of a Tajik-Ismaili Shi'a Muslim community centred in Baghlan Province of Afghanistan. Unlike other Ismaili communities in Afghanistan and worldwide, the Baghlan Ismailis do not defer to the nominal leader of Ismailis worldwide, the Agha Khan, leading Naderi to be described as a "renegade local Ismaili leader".[1] This community, not accepted by the Sunni mainstream nor by the more powerful Twelver Shi'a Hazaras, has been historically discriminated against.[2]

Naderi served the Afghan monarchy, later the communist government and served as vice president during Majahiden government and in the 1980s, was expelled from his region by the Taliban, and returned to Baghlan following the fall of the Taliban. He was elected to the Wolesi Jirga (lower house of the Afghan Parliament) in 2005, and was the founder of the Ismaili-based National Solidarity Party of Afghanistan (Paiwand Milli).[3] His son Sayed Jafar Naderi also achieved note as a leader in Baghlan, becoming a warlord and later governor of Baghlan. During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

His son Sayed Jafar Naderi has been appointed security advisor to Afghan first vice president Abdul Rashid Dostum in 2014.[4]

Sayed Mansoor's daughter Farkhunda Zahra Naderi is a well-known rights activist in Afghanistan and also serves as member of Afghan parliament elected in 2010 with the highest vote from Kabul province.[5]

Sadat Mansoor Naderi, his another son nominated by Afghan president Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai as Urban Development minister, assumed office in April 22, 2015.[6]

Monarchy era

During the Afghan monarchy, Sayed Mansur served as Vice President of Parliament under King Mohammed Zahir Shah.[7]

Soviet era

Following the transition to the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan and the Soviet invasion, while the Tajiks and Pashtuns of Baghlan aligned themselves with the insurgent Jamiat-e Islami and Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin, Sayed Mansur received government funding and arms to form a local militia of his traditionally marginalised Ismaili supporters. He became a general and governor of the province with his militia reaching 13,000 troops by 1989, but at the same time collaborated with insurgent groups, allowing them to operate in Baghlan provided they did not interfere with logistics transport in the region.[2]

Taliban era

During the 1990s Taliban period, Sayed Mansoor Nader and his son Jafar Naderi escaped and took refuge in Bamiyan Province, a heavily Shi'a (though non-Ismaili) area, while sending other family members to France.[1] Mansoor apparently later took refuge in Uzbekistan, as he returned from there to Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban, in 2002.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Afghanistan: Information on activities of Ismailis loyal to Sayed Kayan". United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. 7 July 2004.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Rubin, B.R. (2002). The Fragmentation of Afghanistan: State Formation and Collapse in the International System. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300095197.
  3. "Country Of Origin Information Report Afghanistan" (PDF). UK Border Agency. 18 February 2009.
  4. "Sayed Jafar appointed as Afghanistan First Vice President's security advisor".
  5. "Report by Huffington Post on Farkhunda Zahra Naderi".
  6. "Sadat, Assumed office".
  7. Wahab, S.; Youngerman, B. (2007). A Brief History of Afghanistan. Facts On File, Incorporated. ISBN 9781438108193.

External links