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Hibatullah Akhundzada

Hibatullah Akhundzada (Pashto: هَبَّتِ اللَّهُ اخْنُدَزَادَهُ‎; born 1967) is an Afghan politician, soldier, scholar, cleric, and jurist who is the 2nd and the current Supreme Leader of Afghanistan since 2021 and as well as the 3rd Leader of the Taliban since 2016 following a drone that strike killed his predecessor, Akhtar Mansour. Since the Fall of Kabul in August 2021, Akhundzada became Afghanistan's Supreme Leader with absolute powers over the country.


Hibatullah Akhundzada
هَبَّتِ اللَّهُ اخْنُدَزَادَهُ‎
2nd Supreme Leader of Afghanistan
Assumed office
15 August 2021
Prime MinisterHasan Akhund[a]
Deputy
Preceded by
3rd Leader of the Taliban
Assumed office
25 May 2016
Acting: 21–25 May 2016
Deputy
  • First Deputies
  • Himself
  • Sirajuddin Haqqani
  • Second Deputy
  • Mohammed Yaqoob
  • Third Deputy
  • Abdul Ghani Baradar
Preceded byAkhtar Mansour
4th First Deputy Leader of the Taliban
In office
29 July 2015 – 25 May 2016
Serving with Sirajuddin Haqqani
Leader
  • Akhtar Mansour
  • Himself (Acting)
Preceded byAkhtar Mansour
Succeeded bySirajuddin Haqqani
2nd Chief Justice of the Taliban
In office
c. 2001 – 25 May 2016
Leader
  • Mohammed Omar
  • Akhtar Mansoor
  • Himself (Acting)
Preceded byNoor Mohammad Saqib
Succeeded byAbdul Hakim Ishaqzai
Head of the Eastern Zone Military Court
In office
c. 1996 – c. 2001
LeaderMohammed Omar
Head of the Military Court of Kabul
In office
c. 1995 – c. 2001
LeaderMohammed Omar
Personal details
Born1957 (age 68–69)
Nakhuni, Panjwayi District, Kandahar Province, Kingdom of Afghanistan
Political partyTaliban (1994–present)
ParentsMuhammad Akhund (Father)
ResidenceKandahar
OccupationPolitician, Soldier
ProfessionScholar, Cleric, Jurist
EthnicityPashtun
ReligionSunni Islam
MovementDeobandi
Military service
Allegiance Afghanistan
Branch/service
Years of service1987–present
RankAfgn-Army-Marshal(Field Marshal).svg Marshal[b]
CommandsAfghan Army
Battles/wars

In 2020, he sent Abdul Ghani Baradar to Doha to hold peace talks with the U.S. by meeting the then-U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo where they signed the US–Taliban Deal which made the U.S agree to Withdraw its Troops from Afghanistan.[3][4]

Akhundzada also held a phone conversation with then-U.S. President, Donald Trump the same year where they agreed to have diplomatic relationships with the two countries if Trump won the election even though it never happened as Trump lost the election. However, while announcing the talk, Trump did not mention Akhundzada's name.[5] In July 2021, while recalling his phone conversation with Akhundzada, Trump got his name wrong referring to Akhundzada as "Mohammed" rather than "Hibatullah".[6]

Akhundzada led the Taliban to victory against the Afghan government in a 2021 military offensive—while the U.S. withdrawal was still underway—then became Afghanistan’s absolute ruler and imposed a totalitarian[c] Islamist government. His government has been criticized for sweeping infringements on human rights, including the rights of women and girls to work and education. On his orders, the Taliban administration has prevented most teenage girls from returning to secondary school education. In July 2022, while attending a religious gathering in Kabul, Akhundzada lashed out at the demands of the international community on his government, ruling out any talks or compromise on his "Islamic system" of governance.

Hibatullah Akhundzada Media

  • Calligraphic depiction of Akhundzada's name used on Afghan government websites

Notes

  1. ↑ Deputy Abdul Kabir served as acting prime minister from 17 May to 17 July 2023 while Akhund was recovering from an illness.[1][2]
  2. ↑ Marshal has been Akhundzada's military rank in the Afghan Army since 2021.
  3. ↑ Sources describing his government as totalitarian:[7][8][9][10][11]

References

  1. ↑ Mohammad Farshad Daryosh (17 May 2023). "Mawlawi Kabir Appointed Acting PM As Mullah Hassan Akhund is Ill: Mujahid". TOLOnews. https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-183402. Retrieved 18 September 2023. 
  2. ↑ Adeeb, Fatema (9 September 2023). "Prime Minister's Absence From Meetings Raises Questions". TOLOnews. https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185025. Retrieved 18 September 2023. 
  3. ↑ "Taliban Brings Released Leader Into Peace Talks With U.S.". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 25 January 2019. https://www.rferl.org/a/taliban-appoints-new-political-leader-amid-peace-talks-with-u-s-/29729268.html. Retrieved 22 April 2023. 
  4. ↑ Wheeldon, Tom (19 August 2021). "Who are the Taliban leaders ruling Afghanistan?". France24. https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20210819-who-are-the-taliban-leaders-ruling-afghanistan. Retrieved 22 April 2023. 
  5. ↑ Trump says he had 'good talk' with Taliban leader in first discussion between US president and group since 9/11 (3 March 2020).
  6. ↑ 'Let's Call Him Mohammad': Trump Forgets Name of Taliban Leader (25 July 2021).
  7. ↑ Sakhi, Nilofar. The Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan and Security Paradox. Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs 9 (3) (December 2022). p. 383–401. doi:10.1177/23477970221130882.
  8. ↑ Madadi, Sayed. Dysfunctional centralization and growing fragility under Taliban rule. Middle East Institute (6 September 2022). Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  9. ↑ Sadr, Omar. Afghanistan's Public Intellectuals Fail to Denounce the Taliban. Fair Observer (23 March 2022). Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  10. ↑ Dismantlement of the Taliban regime is the only way forward for Afghanistan. Atlantic Council (8 September 2022). Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  11. ↑ Akbari, Farkhondeh. The Risks Facing Hazaras in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. George Washington University (7 March 2022). Retrieved 28 November 2022.

Bibliography

  • Burnett, M. Troy. Nationalism Today: Extreme Political Movements Around the World [2 Volumes] (2020)ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1440850004.


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