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Hafiz Mohammed Saeed: Pakistan's heart of terror
The Zionists and the Hindus, he said, are perturbed over the
resurgence of Islam through jihad and consider it a great threat. This
lobby, he understands, has convinced Amerca that an unchecked nuclear
Pakistan would be the natural leader of the entire Muslim world.
Professor Saeed, therefore, has given a call to the Pakistani nation to
rise to the occasion, demonstrate total unity, and stop its rulers form
taking a decision contrary to national sovereignty and solidarity.
In fact, Professor Saeed is a vocal critic of the military regime these
days and insists that Pakistan should not have gone out of its way in
cooperating with the US. According to the Professor, there is no logic
in General Mushrraf's argument that the US was allowed the use of
Pakistani land and air space to safeguard the country's national
solidarity. 'With this, we will jeopardise both our independence and our
nuclear installations. The entry of American forces would facilitate any
Israeli and Indian attack on our soil. The US must be kept away from
this region,' he warned.
As for Osama bin Laden, he said, Pakistan should keep away from this
issue. He stressed that the Muslim world must realise that the target of
the enemy was not any partiuclar area or country, but the spirit of
jihad among the Muslims. The Lashkar-e-Toiba chief took special note of
Iran's silence. He painted America as an aggrandising imperialist intent
upon grabbing Muslim states one by one and said that the whole Muslim
world must wake up to this danger. 'Instead f falling prey to the US
designs, the Ummah should be prepared to face the challenge,' he says.
'The US, presently mourning the devastation of the World Trade Centre,
would have to mourn much bigger losses.'
What about the 'losses' that the Lashkar has inflicted? There never were
any, if you believe the Professor. It is all simply had press and
fabrication of stories. 'None of our activists was ever involved in the
gruesome murders of the Sikhs in Pahalgam,' he clarifies. 'Even the
indian media has ruled out the involvement of the Lashkar-e-Toiba in
these bloody acts of terrorism.' The Lashkar-e-Toiba, he informs, is not
allowed to carry out any operation at public places. 'Its target is the
indian Army and its personnel who are trying to suppress the freedom
movement.'
Interestingly, the former Director-General of the ISI, Lt. Gen. Mahmood
Ahmed, who was removed on 8 October 2001 by General Pervez Musharraf,
reportedly under American pressure, was seen as a supporter of the
Lashkar-e-Toiba's jihad. General Mahmood, also considered pro-Taliban,
reportedly attended the yearly conference of the Lashkar-e-Toiba held at
Muridke from 13 to 15 April. The conference passed a resolution calling
on its cadres in India to emulate the example of Mahmood Ghaznavi,
capture Hindu temples, destroy the idols, and hoist the flag of Islam on
them.
In November 2000, General Musharraf, under pressure from the Clinton
Administration, did not allow the Lashkar to hold its annual conference
at Muridke. A year later, anticipating no pressure from the Bush
Administration, Musharraf allowed them to hold the deferred conference
in Muzaffarabad, on the Pakistani side of Kashmir. When the Lashkar
insisted on holding the conference at Muridke, the general was agreeable
but reportedly asked Lt. General Mahmood to ensure that no journalists,
Pakistani or foreign, would have access.
And yet, General Musharraf denies any links of the Pakistan Army and the
ISI with the Lashkar or any other jihadi organisation. What's more, he
denies their very presence in Pakistani territory. Major-General Rashid
Qureshi, the media spokesman of General Musharraf and the
Director-General of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), was quizzed
on the point. He gave the stock answer: 'No group operating in Kashmir
has any base in Pakistan.'
And yet, General Musharraf denies any links of the Pakistan Army and the
ISI with the Lashkar or any other jihadi organisation. What's more, he
denies their very presence in Pakistani territory. Major-General Rashid
Qureshi, the media spokesman of General Musharraf and the
Director-General of Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR), was quizzed
on the point. He gave the stock answer: 'No group operating in Kashmir
has any base in Pakistan.'
But there are dissenting voices. An issue of the Karachi-based English
monthly, Herald, quoted Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro, Secretary-General of
the Jamiat-ul-Uleme Islam (JUI) based in Larkana, as saying: 'Why is the
Pakistan army not fighting for Kashmir? Why are they getting our youth
killed there? They are using our young men for their own goals . . . .
Let's be clear on one thing. These jihadi groups can't function and
survive without offical patronage. Is there a single militant training
centre in Pakistan which can operate without the consent of the Pakistan
army? All militant groups are created and run by Pakistan's secret
agencies. They have mobile phones, Land Cruisers and weapons. Where are
they getting the funds from? Surely, it can't be all funded through
public donations. Because if that were so, we would be getting similar
donations, if not more.'
Ultimately, such voices don't matter. For the only voice the Professor
is listening to is that of God. 'This jihad has been commanded by Allah
Almighty,' he says authoritatively, 'and no one can stop it.'
The jihad rests in the Professor's hands. And don't forget - he is a
very pious man.
(Courtesy: Roli Books)
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