Kabir Stori

Kabir Stori (6 April 1942 - 4 April 2006) (Pashto: کبیر ستوری‎) was a Pashtun nationalist, poet and writer from Kunar Province of Afghanistan. He was chairman of the Pashtoons Social Democratic Party, a political party that he founded, until his death.

Early life

Stori was born on 6 April 1942 in Khas Kunar, a village in Kunar Province of Afghanistan. Stori was Mirdadkhel, from the Yousafzai tribe. His primary education was from a government elementary school in Khas Kunar; later he joined the Rahman Baba Lycee in Kabul to further his education. He was selected by the Afghan government to study in Germany. He studied psychology with political science, sociology and philosophy from the universities of Frankfurt, Cologne and Marburg, attaining a doctorate in natural sciences (Diplom-Psychologe, Dr.rer.nat).

Political activities

In 1966 Stori founded the Afghan Students Association in Frankfurt, serving as its chairman. He also served as chairman of the General Union of Afghan Students in 1972 and the National Liberation Union of Pashtuns and Balochs in Frankfurt in 1976. He worked for the Voice of Germany in 1973 as an announcer/editor in the Pashto service. He founded the Pashtoons Social Democratic Party (PSDP) in February 1981 in Germany and was first elected chairman.

Kabir Stori refused several offers from Mohammad Najibullah and Hamid Karzai to join the Afghan government.

He also served on the editorial boards of various magazines including:

• Sparghai (1972) (monthly) published by the 'General Union of Afghan Students',
• Olas Ghag (1976) published by the 'National Liberation Union of Pashtoons and Baluchs',
• Peer Rokhan (1978) (monthly),
• Lamba (1985) (monthly),
• De Khyber Wagma (1986) (monthly) published in Germany and
• Pashtoonkhwa (1978) published by Social Democratic Party - Germany.

He played a pivotal role in

• De Pakhtano Kulturi Tolana - Germany (Pashtoon Cultural Association) in 1985,
• Pakhtoon Kor - Germany(1993) and
• the Pakhtoonkhwa Pohanay Dera (1998) (The Pashtoonkhwa Home of Science) in Peshawar and in the year 2003 the Pakhto Adabi Hunari Tolana in Kunar.

• "ارواښاد ډاکتر کبیر ستوری د (PSDP ) پخواني مشر او بنسټ ايښودونکی". 

Prison stay

Afghan national Kabir Stori was arrested on 16. January 1983 in Pakistan while visiting his family in Peshawar. Kabir Stori was reportedly arrested for endangering the security of Pakistan. Amnesty International received reports that he had been tortured. Stori spent one and a half years in various Peshawar prisons because of his Pashtun nationalist ideals.

Leading political and diplomatic circles in the Federal Republic of Germany learnt of his fate through Voice of Germany. The RFFU took steps to secure his release. Hermann Schreiber, the magazine's editor, published in GEO (magazine) on 11 August 1983 a report on Stori's case.

Literary works

Stori’s poems are mostly about patriotism. His poem collections include

• Skarwatta (Embers): An Anthology of Poems,(1976, published together with another Afghan Poet, Germany)
• Jwandi Khyaloona (Alive Thoughts), (1997, Designed and printed by KOR, Publications Department, Peshawar Pakistan)
• De Qalam Tora (Sword of the Pen), (1999, Designed and printed by Danish Culture Association; Publisher: The Pakhtoonkhwa Home of Science, Peshawar/Pakistan)
• Sandareez Paigham (Message by the songs), (2002, Designed and printed by Danish Culture Association; Publisher: The Pakhtoonkhwa Home of Science, Peshawar/Pakistan)
• Khwagi Misrai (Sweetest Verses), (2006, Designed and printed by Danish Culture Association; Publisher: The Pakhtoonkhwa Home of Science, Peshawar/Pakistan)
• Kulyaat, (2007, Designed and printed by Danish Culture Association; Publisher: The Pakhtoonkhwa Home of Science, Peshawar/Pakistan)

Research works

His psychological works include

• Wira (Fear): theories, measurement and therapy of fear, (1985,1990 Germany; 2001, Peshawar Pakistan, printed by KOR, Publications Department; Publisher: The Pakhtoonkhwa Home of Science, Peshawar/Pakistan)
• De Wire Tala (Psychology), (1992, Germany)
• De Hukhyartia Tala (Intelligence-Test), (2000, Designed and printed by KOR, Publications Department; Publisher: The Pakhtoonkhwa Home of Science, Peshawar/Pakistan)
• Zabsapohana (Language Psychology), (2000, Designed and printed by Danish Culture Association; Publisher: The Pakhtoonkhwa Home of Science, Peshawar/Pakistan)
• De Hokhyartia Kulturi be Palawa Tala (Kulturfairer Intelligenz-Test (C-I- T)) in three languages (Pashtu, English and German), (2004, Designed and printed by KOR, Publications Department; Publisher: The Pakhtoonkhwa Home of Science, Peshawar/Pakistan)
• De Pedaikhti Banno De Hokhyartia Tala (Naturformen des Intelligenztests (N-I-T), in three languages (Pashtu, English and German), (2004, Designed and printed by KOR, Publications Department; Publisher: The Pakhtoonkhwa Home of Science, Peshawar/Pakistan)

Death and tributes

After serving his language and the cause of Pashtuns for several years, Stori suffered a heart attack and died on 4 April 2006 in Wesseling, Germany. He is survived by his wife, five sons and two daughters. He was buried in his native graveyard in Khas Kunar, Afghanistan.

On the 7th anniversary of his death, the school in his hometown was renamed from "Khas Kunar Lycee" to "Dr. Kabir Stori Lycee".