President of the Afghan Red Crescent Society.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2011
Ms Fatima Gailani was appointed as the President of the Afghan Red Crescent Society in 2005. She was born in 1954 in Kabul and is the daughter of Pir Sayed Ahmed Gailani, the leader of the National Islamic Front of Afghanistan, who fought against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s. She lived in exile during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and acted as spokesperson in London for the Afghan Mujahideen. After her return to Afghanistan she was chosen as a delegate to the Emergency Loya Jirga (Grand Council) of June 2002 and was appointed as a constitution-drafting and -ratifying commissioner. Ms Gailani is the author of two books (The Mosques of London and a biography of Mohammad Musa Shafiq).
1 The ARCS Marastoons, meaning ‘places to find help’, are a social institution with a long history, traditionally focusing on providing temporary shelter for destitute people. The homes have a special place in the history of the Afghan people. By offering vocational training and work experience in areas such as tailoring, carpentry, and carpet-weaving, they help facilitate the resettlement of residents back into their communities.