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| India-Pakistan |
| LeT supported the faithful post-earthquake |
| 2006-04-03 |
| Saima Sulaiman knew just where to take her father for his diabetes - the hospital run by Jamaat ul Dawa, known for its short lines and free service, part of the group's highly praised relief efforts after last October's devastating earthquake. She also knew just who makes up the group. "These are the Islamic fighters," she said simply. Islamic groups such as Jamaat ul Dawa showed up to help earthquake victims within hours of the Oct. 8 temblor, even before the Pakistani army arrived. They dug out bodies, handed out food and passed out blankets. The country's interior minister called the groups "the lifeline of our rescue and relief work." International aid agencies praised their quick response and cooperation. But critics charge that at least two of the groups - Jamaat ul Dawa and the Al Rasheed Trust - are linked to terrorism. Critics say the Pakistani government is legitimizing Islamic militants by allowing them to perform relief work and giving them a new toehold in Kashmir. The issue goes to the core of the main charge made against Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf: that he is not tough enough on extremist groups, also called "jihadi" groups, in reference to holy war. Some experts believe that Musharraf cannot push militants too hard or he will face a backlash from a hostile public. Others believe Musharraf and the Pakistani army coddle militants while pretending to crack down on them, especially in Kashmir, the Himalayan territory that India and Pakistan have fought over for almost 50 years. After the government banned several groups in early 2002, most changed their names and continued operating. Despite calls for the reform of madrassas, the Islamic boarding schools, little has changed. In March, the International Crisis Group released a policy brief asking Pakistan to prevent extremist groups, including those operating under new names, from participating in further earthquake relief and reconstruction work. "The jihadis are going to gain in every possible way from the earthquake," said Samina Ahmed, South Asia project director for the International Crisis Group, a non-profit agency specializing in conflict resolution. "With the support of Pakistan, they have managed to gain themselves a whole new recruiting ground. They are seen as the saviors. What easier way to spread their message and gain recruits?" Jamaat ul Dawa is considered to be the fundraising front for Lashkar-e-Taiba, the militant group fighting Indian troops in disputed Kashmir and blamed for most major terrorist attacks in India. Some of Lashkar-e-Taiba's top leaders have been linked to al-Qaida, and several followers have been picked up in Iraq. In 2002, Pakistan banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is also designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. The man who founded Lashkar-e-Taiba formed Jamaat ul Dawa although leaders say there is no connection between the groups. Efforts to place Jamaat ul Dawa on international terrorist group lists slowed after the earthquake, largely because of the group's relief work. Attacks by militants crossing the line of control into the Indian side of Kashmir have decreased since the earthquake. But two major terrorist attacks elsewhere in India since October have been blamed on Lashkar-e-Taiba. Al Rasheed Trust is associated with Jaish-e-Muhammad, a militant group also banned by Pakistan in 2002, according to the International Crisis Group. The U.S. government froze Al Rasheed's U.S. assets in 2003 on allegations of sending money to al-Qaida. Both Jamaat ul Dawa and Al Rasheed are on Pakistan's terrorism watch list, but neither has been banned. In Kashmir, government officials praised the groups' relief work. Sikandar Hayat Khan, the prime minister of the Pakistan side of Kashmir, said the groups have been serving humanity. "They did their best," Khan said. "What Islam teaches us and what they are doing here, I think the two are the same." He said he did not believe Jamaat ul Dawa was a militant group. He said the government was "watching" Al Rasheed. "If they do something against here or the world community, we will not allow it," he said. Even Western diplomats praised relief work by the militants. "The only organized force I saw up there was the jihadi groups," said a Western embassy worker who visited two days after the quake. "We provide people all basic amenities at the hospital and the camp, but we can't give them luxuries," said Dr. Ahmad Ammad at Jamaat ul Dawa hospital in Muzaffarabad. "We give them food and clothes. Other things, we don't like to provide, like TVs or radios. It's better for people to remember God than watch TV." Khalid Usman, in charge of logistics for Al Rasheed in Muzaffarabad, said the trust was a humanitarian agency, not a militant group. "We have no political agenda," Usman said. "We have no affiliation with any political or jihadi organization. We try to help deprived people." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |