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Case file

Jamal al-Din al-Afghani

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Jamal al-Din al-Afghani ( 1839 – 1897 ) was a political activist. His birthplace is Asadabad , but it is unclear whether it is the Asadabad in Iran or Afghanistan. Scholars are still unsure and writings describe him as an Azeri, Iranian, and Afghani. He was opposed to having foreigners rule Muslim lands and believed that the main problem was lack of unity among Muslims. He visited India in the hope to start an Islamic anti-British movement in that country. Though he was a Shiite Muslim , he dressed himself like Afghans and claimed that he was a Sunni of Afghan Origin. While he was anti-colonialist, he was also against Islamic leaders at the time. He believed in the rule of law and constitutional-based government rather than absolute monarchy and autocracy. His traditional madrassah education had included fiqh (jurisprudence) alongside falsafah (philosophy) and irfan (mysticism). He then visited Egypt , found followers there and led Islamists there. A British Officer wrote to his superior that if Afghani remained there they would face problems. al-Afghani was forced to leave Egypt . He then visited Britain and published a newspaper there for some time. He wrote in his diary that "I did not see Islam there (UK) but Muslims" He then returned to Iran asking Shah to make reforms but received nothing but words. He and his followers stayed in a Mosque and they said that they would not leave there untill the Persian Shah accept their demands but Nasir al-Din Shah ordered the exile of al-Afghani to Turkey . He found followers in Turkey and he became imprisoned by order of Sultan Abdul Hamid II In 1896 a follower of Jamal al-Din al-Afghani assassinated Nasir al-Din Shah in protest for his treatment of Afghani. The Ottoman Sultan imprisoned al-Afghani when the news of the Shah's assassination emerged. Afghani spent the last part of his life in Istanbul under the patronage and, later, surveillance of Sultan ‘Abd al-Hamid II. The demands for Afghani’s extradition by the Iranian officials for his alleged involvement in the assassination of Shah Nasir al-Din were rejected by ‘Abd al-Hamid who, most probably, collaborated with Afghani for the implementation of his political program of pan-Islamism or Islamic unity (ittihad-i islam). To this end, Afghani sent a number of letters to various Islamic countries and leaders to mobilize and unite them against the British rule while at the same time trying to establish the foundations of a mutual rapprochement between the Sunnis and the Shi`ites. According to some historians, ‘Abd al-Hamid grew suspicious of Afghani’s meetings with some Arab leaders and the British officials in Istanbul and did not permit him to leave the country. Afghani died of cancer in March 9, 1897 and was buried in Istanbul. Al-Afghani remains was transfered to Aghanistan with coordination of Afghan Government to his "native" homeland.1

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“islamist” appeared 1 times in this article's opening at its peak. Today the opening has none; the body has 9. Read the current article and compare.
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