Hafiz Saeed - "Kashmir is the Gateway to Capture India"

UPDATED, see below

India New England recently reported on Sharon, MA former imam Muhammad Masood's arraignment.  The article didn't mention Masood's brother Hafiz Saeed, Pakistani terrorist whose organization Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) is responsible for bombings and attacks in Kashmir and India. 

"Federal prosecutors have filed criminal fraud charges against embattled former Imam Muhammad Masood in an escalation of immigration proceedings already leveled against the former Islamic Center of New England leader.  A 36-page criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office accuses Masood, of Sharon, Mass., of "lying repeatedly" to federal officials in visa applications and in sworn interviews regarding facts surrounding his immigration status.  Masood, his son Hasan, and brother Hafiz Abdul Hannan (imam of Islamic Society of Greater Lowell) were arrested on immigration charges in November 2006 as part of a nationwide crackdown on immigration fraud."

Not a peep in the article about Hafiz Saeed, founder of LeT, who is Masood's brother and Hannan's brother-in-law.  You'd certainly expect an Indian newspaper to cover that!  After all, Muhammad's brother Saeed is responsible (or strongly implicated) in numerous explosions and attacks in South India, such as last week's twin explosions in Hyderabad(photo source here), in addition to attacks in the Kashmir region:

"It was in 2000 that the head of the Markaz-ud-Da'wa-wal-Irshad and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, declared that Kashmir was a 'gateway to capture India' and that campaigns in Hyderabad (and Junagadh, Gujarat) were the 'highest priorities'..... There has been an augmenting effort by the LeT and other groups.... to increase presence and activities in the South. The repeatedly declared intention to target Indiaâ's growing economic sinews has also resulted in escalated threat perceptions in the more dynamic cities of the South, particularly Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai."

Good article here about Islamic terrorists moving into India's emerging IT boom cities.

More on Hafiz Saeed's explicitly stated plans against India from Wilson John, writer, reporter and Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi (John blogs here):

"About a fortnight before two blasts rocked Hyderabad on August 25, 2007, Lashkar-e-Tayeba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed told a gathering at Lahore that he has started a movement to occupy Muslim populated regions in India."

"He said Pakistan must reclaim Muslim areas like J&K, Hyderabad, Junagarh, Munabao and West Bengal which, he said, was forcibly occupied by India in 1947. Saeed even released a new map of Pakistan incorporating these areas. A week before Saeed spoke, an al Qaeda video footage warned India of renewed terrorist attacks."

"These two statements are not mere jihadi rhetoric, but a clear indication of how terrorists, now increasingly grouping under the overarching umbrella of al Qaeda across the world, are stepping up operations against India. "

Maybe Masood and Hannan don't support their close relative's calls for Muslims to rule over Kashmir, India and eventually, the world.  I'm not saying they're automatically guilty by association. But this close connection of an international Al-Quaeda-type terrorist to two imams (used to be three) in Massachusetts certainly deserves mention, scrutiny and some investigative journalism. How do we know LeT isn't setting up terrorist cells here?  How do we know LeT isn't raising funds here?

As I've said before, reporters never mention Billy Bulger without talking about Whitey Bulger.  So why do Masood and Hannan get mentioned without a peep about Hafiz "Jihad Has Been Ordained by Allah" Saeed?  I'm not surprised that the Boston Globe ignores this association.  I'm very surprised that India New England does.

UPDATE: Abdullah Muntazir from Jamat Dawah left a comment below.  He takes issue with the statement attributed to Hafiz Saeed in John Wilson's article that Saeed has "started a movement to occupy Muslim populated regions of India."  I responded to his comment below.  I've read all manner of radical Islamic supremacist statements from Saeed, some at the JaD website.  Muntazir doesn't take issue with any of the other material from this blog entry!      

UPDATE 2: Wilson John isn't the only person who heard Hafiz Saeed say those things.  So did Sameer Arshad of The Times of India, as he writes in this 9-10-2007 article, LeT Vowed to Liberate Hyderabad:

"Slamming Pakistani rulers, JD chief Hafiz Mohammad Sayed said: 'They have allied with evil; they have no right to celebrate Independence Day. The day reminds us of supreme sacrifices and martyrdom. Pakistan is duty-bound to liberate Kashmir, Junagadh, Manvadar and Hyderabad.'   He said JD's stand on Kashmir hadn't changed, and that jehad was the only solution. Back channel diplomacy, bus services, trade and commerce are not going to work, he said."

Comments

[Abdullah Muntazir]

Miss Kelly based her 'story' on a analysis published in Daily News & Analysis)http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1119236

Here is its reality

DNA test of the DNA (Daily News & Analysis)
02-Sep-2007,


By Abdullah Muntazir

The Daily News & Analysis an Indian web-based newspaper published an `analysis` on its website on Sunday, September 02, 2007
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1119236

The so-called ‘analysis’ begins with this paragraph:

About a fortnight before two blasts rocked Hyderabad on August 25, 2007, Lashkar-e-Tayeba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed told a gathering at Lahore that he has started a movement to occupy Muslim populated regions in India.
He said Pakistan must reclaim Muslim areas like J&K, Hyderabad, Junagarh, Munabao and West Bengal which, he said, was forcibly occupied by India in 1947. Saeed even released a new map of Pakistan incorporating these areas. A week before Saeed spoke, an al Qaeda video footage warned India of renewed terrorist attacks.

Wilson John, the so-called ‘analyst’, did not even bother to mention the exact date of the statement allegedly made by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed. Did he find it on our website, or was it reported elsewhere…? I wonder what kinds of analysts are earning huge sums of money in India by misguiding the Indian nation. Hafiz Muhammad Saeed has not made any such claim in any of his speeches or statements. He has not started any kind of movement inside India. Moreover, he is not the `Chief` of Lashkar-e-Tayeba. The Lahore High Court in its decision in 2002 ruled that Hafiz Muhammad is not, and never was, chief of Lashkar-e-Tayeba, although the Indian media will never accept it. Why do Indian Journalists base their reports on lies is beyond comprehension. Think about the ‘dots’ of Mr. Wilson’s imagination in this `analysis`. The base of his imaginary ‘dots’ is nothing but lies. He would have liked Hafiz Saeed to have said those things which he alleges to Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, but since Hafiz Saeed did not say those things, (and the record can be verified), poor Mr. Wilson John had to use his wishful imagination to complete his ‘doted story’!
Once you have read the whole story, please pray for Indian journalists that may Allah show them the right path, so that they may not misguide their nation/readers.

[miss kelly]

Fascinating! We get a comment from somebody at Jamat Dawah, one of Hafiz Saeed's other radical Islamist organizations. Saeed founded Jamat Dawah (JAD), shortly before LeT was banned as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and Pakistan. JAD claims to be a missionary type organization, providing humanitarian aid. The U.S. govt says it's a front for LeT (http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2006/65401.htm)

Not all recipients of JaD's "humanitarian aid" are happy about it:
http://www.hindu.com/2007/06/13/stories/2007061305471200.htm

Neither are the trade worker union folks:
http://socialistworld.net/eng/2005/10/20earthquakeb.html

From Wiki: "The Lashkar's agenda, as outlined in a pamphlet titled 'Why are we waging jihad', includes the restoration of Islamic rule over all parts of South Asia, Russia and even China."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lashkar-e-Taiba

Sounds like Saeed DOES want Islam to rule all of India, not just the J&K territory. He's made many such statements.

[wilson john]

in fact, according to my information, Saeed had even released a truncated map of India marking the areas which he said (in the speech) which need to be liberated. According to Jasarat and Ausaf, two Urdu newspapers published from Pakistan, at least 500 plastic banners with the map drawn on them were put up in the streets leading to the mosque in Lahore where Hafiz Saeed leads the Friday prayers.

[wilson john]

here are some blasts from the past on LeT and Hafiz Saeed from Pakistan media

MARKAZ CHIEF: KASHMIR ONLY GATEWAY; INDIA REAL TARGET

The Amir of Markaz Dawat al-Irshad, prof Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, has said that after freeing Kashmir from India, the Lashkar Tayyaba, the militant
wing of the Markaz, would not rest but would go ahead to help the Muslims of India to save them from the cruelties being perpetrated on them by
the Hindus, reports NATION (4/11/1998) from Muridke.
Prof Saeed said that Kashmir is only a gateway for them and India is the real target.
He was talking to media men at Muridke camp of the Markaz spread over an area of 1,000 acres. All preparations for holding the annual public
meeting of the Markaz have been finalised.
He has warned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif against signing any treaty under pressure during his visit to the USA, otherwise he would have to face
the brunt of patriot Pakistanis on his return.
He said that mujahideen Islam are not a saleable commodity so the USA should not even think of realising its aims through them with the attraction
of dollars.
He refuted the impression that the Markaz may jump into the national politics to try its luck in the elections for grabbing power. He said democracy
is full of flaws and he believed in eradicating the evils of society and trimming its norms through jehad

LASHKAR TAYYABA INVITES OSAMA TO JOIN FIGHT AGAINST INDIA

The Lashkar Tayyaba, one of the several militant outfits fighting Indian troops in Kashmir, has invited Osama bin Laden to join freedom fighters in
Kashmir to drive out Indian forces from the Valley, reports NEWS (3/3/1999) from Muzaffarabad.
Talking to newsmen on March 2, Mr Zafar Iqbal of the Lashkar Tayyaba said that his organisation would welcome Osama in Kashmir if he opts to
join the Kashmir jehad.
"Osama is our erstwhile colleague and we have fought jointly against the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan," he said.
However, he said after the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan Osama went to Sudan and "we had opened a new front in Kashmir.
Presently our organisation has no contact with him."
"We wish he may once again join us in Kashmir to fight Indian forces who are more brutal than the Soviet forces," he said.
Asked whether the Lashkar would formally request Osama to cooperate with Kashmir mujahideen in the crusade against India, he said: "Yes, we
would even like to invite US President Bill Clinton to fight repression wherever it is in the world, including Kashmir."

[suhaa]

you are a liar. you said somewhere that you are not saying that imam masood is guilty by association..but when in fact you are. instead of spreading lies on your website and ignorance, why don't you study your own religion and pick on the flaws of its people rather than pointing the finger at the muslims..?
i wonder if you've ever sat in on a khutba/ sermon of imam masood, or have you ever visited in the mosque in sharon, or have you ever had a friendly conversation with a devout muslim? hmm, somehow i get the impression that you are of those "type" that believes whatever is heard or seen before processing it..you know, thinking. you may be catholic, but a catholic who advocates for love is not your mission. stop the gossip, suspicion, and if Islam threatens you which obviously it does, then seek knowledge in Islam rather than attacking the Muslims. as someone who deeply respects Imam Masood and has witnessed an over abundance of good deeds performed by him over the years, I must say...he is better than many many people for his compassion, tolerance, and love for the God of humanity... go do something positive, educate yourself first. pick up a quran, meet a good muslim who practices Islam, and clear your intentions to seek knowledge rather than aiming at ridiculing it...

[miss kelly]

Very passionate comment, Suhaa. I don't believe that anything I've written is a lie, or I wouldn't have written it. As with any religion, there's the good and the bad. And even within a single person, one can have good attributes and character traits, and bad ones. According to the federal agent's affadavit, Masood has lied repeatedly throughout the years about the circumstances and legality of his presence in the U.S., and his experience and training. That is grounds for the criminal charges and deportation charges being brought against him.

Unfortunately,radical Islam IS a threat to all sorts of people, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Bahai, well everybody. Where I see evidence of fundamentalist Islam in the Boston area - and I see it regularly - I'm going to talk about it here on my blog. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. God bless you, Suhaa.