A Rohingya educator, historian, political activist and writer from Maungdaw, and a founding member of the Rohingya Students Organization at Rangoon University in 1962. He devoted much of his life to documenting Rohingya history, identity, political rights and persecution, notably in The Rohingyas of Arakan: Their Quest for Justice. He was associated with the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation and took part in international advocacy for Rohingya rights.
Documenting the Rohingya's own history
A. F. K. Jilani was a Rohingya educator, historian, political activist, and writer from Maungdaw, Arakan. He was born in 1940 and was educated in Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Akyab, Kyaukpyu, and Rangoon University. At Rangoon University, he became involved in Muslim student activities and was a founding member of the Rohingya Students Organization in 1962. He later worked as a teacher and obtained a law degree. He also wrote extensively about Rohingya history and identity, including The Rohingyas of Arakan: Their Quest for Justice.
Jilani devoted much of his life to documenting Rohingya history, identity, political rights, and persecution. He wrote and translated historical materials concerning the Rohingya and Arakan and worked with Rohingya political organizations. He was associated with the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation and participated in international advocacy concerning Rohingya rights. His historical writings remain an important part of the Rohingya community's own documentation of its history.
