Jibra'il Omar, an Australian citizen previously known as Timothy Weeks, has died of cancer in Afghanistan at the age of 55.
Omar gained international attention when he was kidnapped in 2016 while working as an English lecturer at the American University in Kabul.
After being held hostage for over three years by the Taliban, he was released in 2019 in a prisoner exchange and later embraced the culture and religion of the country where he had endured captivity.
Anas Haqqani, a senior Taliban official and one of the individuals freed in the same prisoner exchange as Jibra'il Omar in 2019, shared a poignant tribute following Omar’s passing.
Haqqani expressed his sorrow on social media, reflecting on their shared journey and the deep connection they forged.
“Though Timothy Weeks and I came into this world in different times and distant places, fate brought us together at a crossroads where my death became his, my life intertwined with his, and his freedom became mine; together, we crossed through those red lights,” Haqqani wrote on social media.
Omar’s life in Afghanistan after his release was marked by his immersion into Afghan culture. Haqqani described how Omar, once a foreigner, had found a sense of home and belonging in Afghanistan, living as one of its own.
“Jibra'il left the land where he was born and took his first steps,” Haqqani shared.
Captivity and Release
Weeks was abducted alongside his American colleague Kevin King near their university in Kabul.The two were taken by the Haqqani Network, a Taliban-linked armed group, and held in harsh conditions, enduring beatings, malnourishment, and solitary confinement.
Their plight garnered global attention in 2017 when a video surfaced showing the men pleading for their release.
A rescue attempt by U.S. Navy SEALs failed in the early months of their captivity.
Eventually, in 2019, Weeks and King were freed in a negotiated prisoner swap involving three high-ranking Haqqani Network members.
Despite his ordeal, Weeks publicly expressed admiration for the resilience of his captors and described himself as spiritually transformed by his experiences.
After his release, Weeks converted to Islam, adopted the name Jibra'il Omar, and returned to Afghanistan in 2022, a year after the Taliban regained control of the country.
Upon arriving in Kabul, he was dressed in traditional Afghan attire and reaffirmed his affection for the nation, stating he had returned to “complete his journey.”
