Najibullah Lafraie
Dr. Najibullah Lafraie was the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan between 1992 and 1996. He is now a lecturer in political studies at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Academic study
He obtained his BA in Law and Political Science from Kabul University and his MA and Ph. D. in Political Science from University of Hawaii. He also lectured at the University of Hawaii while writing his dissertation.
Return to Afghanistan
He joined the liberation movement against the Soviet invasion of his home country in the 1980s. Soviet searches of his relatives houses meant many personal items he had acquired while in the west were destroyed. Some of his brothers joined in the jihad against Soviet Union, in which one of his brothers became a martyr. He was appointed as Minister of Information in the Interim Government of Afghanistan in 1989 and as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in the Islamic State of Afghanistan after the downfall of the communist regime in 1992. During his time in the Jamiat Islami and the interim Afghan government from 1979 to 1996 he participated in numerous conferences including the United Nations Summit at Commemoration of its 50th Anniversary, two UN General Assemblies, several meetings of the Non-Aligned Movement, Organization of Islamic Confederacies and Economic Cooperation Organisation. He served in that position until the Taliban captured Kabul City in September 1996. One of his brothers was imprisoned by the Taliban, and Najubullah had to hide and escape arrest. While in hiding in Pakistan, his mother died and his family faced many tragedies.
Move to New Zealand
Dr. Lafraie and his family moved to New Zealand in September 2000. There he started teaching politics at the University of Otago. He specialises in Islam and terrorism and his life experiences add an extra dimension to his lectures.
Personality
Dr Lafraie has strong Islamic beliefs and is a self admitted fundamentalist. "All practicing Muslims are fundamentalists, because they believe in their sacred scriptures as the inerrant word of God and express this by practising the five pillars of Islam. In contrast, extremism is characterized by bigotry and intolerance, religious excess, and violence." He is a mild mannered man who is known for his skill in explaining Islam to those unfamiliar with it. He is well respected in both the religious and atheist communities in and around Dunedin.
Criticism
Organizations that Dr Lafaie has been a member of, such as Jamiat Islami, have been criticised by groups such as the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan and Support Association for the Women of Afghanistan, and as a consequence Lafaie has been targeted by several of these groups. This association has led a smear campaign making extreme claims against Dr Lafraie.
When he migrated to New Zealand, the leader of the Opposition, Jenny Shipley, criticised his involvement with the Afghan government during a violent period of time.
External links
- University of Otago's short biography
- surrounding move to New Zealand
- A group who disapprove of Dr Lafraie
- A short article by Dr Lafraie on how to achieve peace in his home country