Najaf Mazari
Najaf Mazari fled upheaval in Afghanistan in 2001 and made his way to Australia, where he now lives with his wife, Hakeema, and his daughter, Maria. He is a successful businessman with a shop in Melbourne’s antique precinct, selling traditional Afghan rugs. He is deeply involved in creating a better climate for asylum-seekers in Australia with a busy schedule of speaking engagements to a great diversity of community groups, organisations, schools, the corporate sector, etc.
Each year, Najaf sponsors an ‘Afghan Evening’ of traditional song, dance and cuisine that highlights the achievements of Afghans in Australia and raises funds for the Masawat Development Fund which he founded to provide medical and educational assistance to some of the poorest villages in Afghanistan.
In 2008 Najaf co-authored the best-selling book, The Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif, which eloquently tells the story of his journey as a refugee from Afghanistan to Australia. His second publication, The Honey Thief, a collection of modern Afghan fables, was a collaboration, again with award-winning writer, Robert Hillman. An international edition was released in the US by Viking.
