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HAFIZ MUHAMMAD SAEED
 Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was born in the mid 50s’ in the Punjab region of Pakistan. He is a professor in Islamic Studies department of Engineering in Lahore University. Hafiz Muhammad Saeed is married to the daughter of his maternal uncle, Hafiz Mohammad Abdullah Bahawalpuri, a well-known religious leader in Punjab.
Thirty-six members of his family were murdered during Partition between India and Pakistan in 1947. His father, Kamaluddin, an ordinary landlord, finally chose a village in the Mianwali district of Pujab. Hafiz Muhammad Saeed’s first job in Pakistan, in the 70s’, was as a research officer for the Islamic Ideological Council.
In the early 80s’ Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was sent by his University to Saudi Arabia for higher studies. There Hafiz Muhammad Saeed met some Saudi Sheikhs who were taking part in the war in Afghanistan against the Russians and was influenced by them.
In 1987 Hafiz Muhammad Saeed along with some Salafi collogues founded in Lahore, Pakistan the Jumaat-ud-Dawa association (known as JUD) and its center – the Markaz Dawa-Wal-Irshad (the Center for Repentance and Propagation) that has drawn great financial support from Saudi Arabia. Eventually Jumaat-ud-Dawa became the breeding ground and the main source for volunteers and recruits for Lashkar-e-Toiba, one of the most radical Islamic groups, which operated against India over the Kashmir crisis in the next years.
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed himself headed the Lashkar-e-Toiba after the organization was founded in 1990, with the full backup of the notorious Pakistani Intelligence ISI.
According to Indian Intelligence sources Hafiz Muhammad Saeed masterminded and headed the INDIAN Parliament attack on 12/13/2001.
After The 9/11, under heavy USA pressure, that designated in 12/2001 Lashkar-e-Toiba as a terror organization, the group was banned in 01/2002 by the Pakistani government and Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was arrested. Ever since 2002 the Pakistan government categorically denies providing any support to Lashkar-e-Toiba. But the Jumaat-ud-Dawa (JUD) remained legal.
On 11/18/2002 Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was released from jail by the Lahore High Court order.
Today (12/2008) Hafiz Muhammad Saeed is living At Muridke, 45 km from Lahore, in Pakistan and still runs, with his son, the Markaz Dawa-Wal-Irshad. His involvement in terror in the recent years, since his release from jail, is unclear.
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was on the list of 20 most wanted, which India asked from Pakistan to hand over, on 12/02/2008, after the Mumbai Carnage (see - INDIAN-Request). Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was arrested by the Pakistani army, on Wednesday 12/10/2008, and the Jumaat-ud-Dawa was closed down and banned.
The Lahore High Court ordered, on Tuesday 06/02/2009, the release of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and said that “the detention of Hafiz Saeed was a violation of the constitution and the law of this country".
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, speaking to the press after his release, strongly condemned the Pakistani regime for the Army offensive in Swat District (see - Swat-Crisis).
Police in the Pakistani city of Faisalabad have lodged two complaints against Hafiz Muhammad Saeed for delivering a speech to his supporters last month in which he urged jihad and appealed for funds for his Jumaat-ud-Dawa charity.
* The US has announced, on Tuesday 04/03/2012, a $10m bounty on Hafiz Muhammed Saeed, accused of masterminding the 2008 attacks in Mumbai. Wendy Sherman, the US undersecretary of state, on a visit to India, said a $3m bounty had also been announced for Abul Rehman Makki, the brother-in-law of Saeed, leader of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba.
* Related topics -
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03/12/2008 05:44:09
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