cleric

In the madrassa, he recalls mullahs - Muslim clerics - preaching heavily on a specific topic - martyrdom.

Hundreds of mourners walked with coffins draped in colourful cloth into the compound of the Arerti Mariam church while clerics conducted burial rituals.

His followers gave him the title of imam, an unusual honour for a living Shia cleric and one bestowed on him in recognition of his work on behalf of the Shia community.

A prominent Taliban cleric had publicly singled him out as an apostate — a traitor to Islam — placing a bullseye on his head.

Although both men have since died, the political movement inspired by the late cleric remains highly active and is regularly targeted by the authorities.