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October 19, 2006

Pakistan: Islamist Freed - Vows To Continue Activities Unhindered

We wrote on August 10 that the Islamist leader Hafiz Mohammed Saeed (pictured) had been placed under house arrest in Lahore, Punjab province, by Pakistani authorities. No reasons were given for his detention other than "security reasons".

Saeed had been the founder and former leader of the Kashmiri terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which has carried out numerous bombings in India. He resigned from Let's leadership in 2002. Even though LeT had carried atrocities such as the Delhi bombings of October 29 last year, killing 60 people, the Pakistani authorities were reluctant to ban LeT. They finally outlawed the terrorist group in January this year.

After leaving LeT, Saeed went on to found Jamat-ud-Dawah (Jama'at-ud Da'awah), or Party of the Calling. This group was listed as a terrorist entity by the US on April 28 this year, along with its sister group Idara Khidmat-e-Khalq (IKK). The US argues that the two groups act as funders for LeT's terrorist operations.

Pakistan refused to outlaw Jamat-ud-Dawah, as we wrote on May 2. This decision was probably done for fear of invoking the wrath of Islamists such as those of the Jamaat-e-Islami party.

On May 21 we provided links to evidence that Islamists were using the headquarters of Jamat-ud-Dawah in Mudrike, near Lahore, to traffick young Christian boys who had been kidnapped. These boys were kidnapped to be sold as slaves to gangs, who used them to gain money by begging.

We wrote on October 7 that Jamat-ud-Dawah was indoctrinating orphans of the earthquake which happened on October 8 last year. We also noted that even though Hafiz Mohammed Saeed was still under house arrest, Jamat-ud-Dawah had issued a fatwa, a death sentence against Pope Benedict XVI, for his comments in his Regensburg speech.

Southeat Asia Analysis Group explained:

The Jamaat-ud-Dawa has declared death to Pope Benedict and said that in today's world blasphemy of the Holy Koran and the Prophet has become a fashion. The leaders of the Jamaat were speaking at a Martyrs' Islamic Conference in Karachi. Prominent Jamaat leader Hafiz Saifullah Khalid said that in the present circumstances, jihad has become obligatory for each Muslim. Muslims are being declared terrorists and our battle for survival has already started. The Muslim world has rejected the Pope's apology and decided to continue protests and demonstrations in big cities.

Hafiz Mohammed Saeed was not content to remain under detention in the guest house at Sehkhupura, near Lahore, and had taken his appeal to the high court in Lahore. His appeal was successful. News from Pakistan Daily Times and Agence France Presse via Khaleej Times state that late on Tuesday, Saeed walked free.

SPokesman for Jamat-ud-Dawah, Yahya Mujahid, said: "Authorities have released Hafez Saeed from a rest house which was declared a sub-jail. He is in good health and fasting (for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan) and told the people gathered to welcome him that he was well and in high spirits" Mujahid said that Saeed had returned to his home in Lahore. His supporters chanted "Allahu Ackbar" as the terrorist leader was released..

Yesterday, Mohammed Hanif Khatana, additional advocate general for Punjab's provincial government, said: "On the orders of court, the Punjab government last night released Hafez Mohammad Saeed."

At the Markaz Al Qadsia Chauburji in Lahore, Saeed addressed his followers, and vowed to continue "spreading the message of Allah." He said the allegations behind his detention - that Jamat-ud-Dawah was a negative influence on Pakistani-Indian relations - had been baseless.

He said that India's relations with Pakistan had never been good, and that they are unlikely to improve. He said that during his 71 days of detention, Indian-Pakistani relations had worsened.

He said: "Detention and arrest cannot stop me from spreading the message of Allah."

He claimed his release proved that the judiciary of Pakistan could not be influenced by pressure from foreign governments.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at October 19, 2006 5:34 AM

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Posted by: ISLAMSFORLOSERS at October 19, 2006 11:04 AM

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