Australian man who converted to Islam during captivity in Afghanistan dies in Kabul

Australian academic Timothee Weeks, who converted to Islam during his captivity and taught English at the American University of Afghanistan, passed away due to cancer in Kabul.

Weeks was taken hostage by the Taliban in 2016 and held for several years.

He was released in 2019 as part of a prisoner exchange deal between the Afghan government and the Trump administration.

In exchange, three Taliban leaders were freed, including Anas Haqqani, the brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is currently Afghanistan's interior minister and has a $10 million bounty on his head from the US government.

After his release, Weeks traveled to Qatar, where the US and the Taliban struck a deal following the NATO withdrawal in August 2021. He returned to Afghanistan after the Taliban regained control of the country.

During his captivity, Weeks immersed himself in the study of Islam and traveled extensively across Afghanistan. Eventually, he embraced Islam and adopted the name Jabril Omar.

Taliban’s interim interior ministry spokesman, Abdul Mateen Qani, stated, “Jabril Omar was deeply fond of Afghanistan and the Islamic Emirate. Because of this, he chose to live in Kabul, where he furthered his knowledge of Islam and its principles.”

Qani also noted, “Timothee Weeks, who left the land of his birth (Australia), stayed with us, dressed in Afghan attire, and walked the streets of this land. For the bond of faith and belief holds deeper meaning than any other connection.”