Abdillahi Nassir

Abdilahi Nassir (1 June 1932 – 11 January 2022) was a Kenyan Shia cleric based in Mombasa. Raised a Sunni, Nassir converted to Shiism, and in the wake of Iran's Islamic revolution publicly identified himself as Twelver Shia.

Early life and education Sheikh Abdillahi Nassir was born in Mombasa on 1 June 1932. His early education commenced with Madrasah education as he enrolled in Madrasah at a young age of four years and continued attending Madrasah from 1936 to 1946. At the same time, he had normal school education, attending the Arab Boys Primary School from 1941 to 1949, and later joined the Zanzibar's Bet-el-Ras Teacher Training College from 1950 to 1951. After completing his studies in Zanzibar, he moved back to Mombasa.

Early career Upon his return to Mombasa he taught at the Arab Primary School from 1951 to 1954. Because of his health condition, he was medically boarded out. Recovering from his ailment, he then joined the Mombasa Institute of Muslim Education as an accounts clerk and as a part-time religious Instructor, from 1955 to 1957.

He was elected to Kenya's pre-independence Legislative Council and served in this capacity from 1961 to 1963. He was then appointed as one of the members of the Advisory Council on Arab Education, by the Minister of Education (at that time), Lawrence George Sagini, on 5 October 1962.

In 1975, Sheikh Abdillahi left the Oxford University Press to form his own Shungwaya Publishers Ltd. In 1977 he was recalled by the Oxford University Press to head the Eastern Africa Branch as General Manager and served in this capacity from 1977 to 1980.

Nassir's positions have included serving as the principal of the Shia Theological Seminary near Mombasa, and his role in the Coastal People's Party.

Death Nassir died on Tuesday, 11 January 2022, at the age of 89, in Mombasa, Kenya.

Awards

On 22 December 2006, Sheikh Abdilahi Nassir was among the 17 Kenyans who received the Freedom of the City of Nairobi Award, issued to those who attended the Lancaster House conference, in the United Kingdom, which gave birth to the Constitution for Independent Kenya.

In April 2011 at the 72nd Supreme Council Session in Mombasa, the then Africa Federation Chairman Alhaj Anwarali Dharamsi bestowed the Abbasi Medal to Sheikh Abdillahi Nassir.

Selected works Kamusi Sanifu Ya Msingi . Oxford University Press. .