Hezb-ul Mujahideen

HM, HuM

12/12/2006

Hezbul Mujahideen, often written as or Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, is the largest Pakistani/Kashmiri militant group. They officially support the establishment of an Islamic theocracy in Kashmir. Ultimately, they envision Kashmir's accession to Pakistan, but only after Pakistan becomes Allah's theocratic enclave.

The Party of Holy Islamic Warriors is the militant wing of Pakistan's largest political party - the Jamaat-i-Islami. In that regard it is similar to al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades being the terrorist arm of Yasser Arafat's Fatah political party. However, to be fair, the terrorist organization HAMAS is now the largest Islamic party of the so-called "Palestinian people.".

Hezbul Mujahideen jihadists have targeted Indian security forces and pro-choice Hindu politicians in Kashmir. Quite often they conduct joint operations with other Kashmiri/Pakistani militants - most especially Jaish-e-Muhammad.

The Party of Holy Islamic Warriors operated in Afghanistan through the mid-1990s during the Great Jihad. As such, they trained alongside the Afghan Hezb-ul-Islami Gulbuddin until the Taliban takeover. Allah's associates originally called themselves "Al Badr" in honor of Muhammad's first semi-successful terrorist raid.

The Hezb-ul-Mujahideen is made up primarily of fundamentalist Kashmiri and Pakistani Muslims but with some foreign jihadists. While Indian intelligence reports that the Islamic club is responsible for about 20% of terrorist strikes, Pakistani reports estimate that it controls about 60% of the Islamic terrorists operating in Kashmir.

The Jamaat-e-Islami Party set up its terrorist front at the urging of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence - the Land of Pure Islam's equivalent to America's CIA. The salafi Muslims in the ISI envisioned Hezb-ul-Mujahideen as an fundamentalist Islamic weapon they could deploy without engendering the wrath of the West - which is easily fooled by names and usually blames symptoms rather than sources.

Since 1997, the Party of Holy Warriors has been operating in tandem with the Lashkar-e-Tayyba and Jaish-e-Muhammad. HM provides the local knowledge and support to organizations like Harkat-ul Ansar and the Lashkar-e-Tayyba, whose cadre are largely foreign jihadists.

Muhammad Yusuf Shah, better known as Syed Salahuddin, is the founder and supreme commander of Hezb-ul-Mujahideen. Salahuddin is also the leader of the United Jihad Council, a conglomeration of 14 Islamic terrorist organizations operating in Kashmir at the direction of Pakistan. In addition to his own organization, members of the United Jihad Council include Lashkar-e-Tayyba (Taiba), Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen, and Jaish-e-Muhammad.

Salahuddin was born in Indian-administered Kashmir in 1946. A good student, he originally pursued a career in medicine before deciding to major in political science at the University of Kashmir in the early 1970s. During his time in college, Salahuddin became involved with Islamist political parties such as the Jamaat-e-Islami, and in 1987 he attempted to run for state assembly as a member of the Muslim United Front Party. However, he was arrested by Indian security forces before the elections for promoting the overthrow of the Indian government by violent means. Once released from prison, Salahuddin was named the leader of Hezb-ul-Mujahideen in 1990.

Under his control, the Party of Holy Warriors became an extremely violent terrorist organization. Although Salahuddin publicly denounced attacks on civilians, HM assaults have killed countless innocent people over the years.

Abdul Majeed Dar eventually came to lead Salahuddin's Hizbul Mujahideen. As chief commander of operations, Majeed Dar was influential in preparing new militants for terrorist assaults. He oversaw recruitment, indoctrination, and training. He also managed several terrorist camps throughout Pakistan.

Majeed Dar was chiefly responsible for a ceasefire offer made to the Indian government on July 24th, 2000. He met with Indian officials to discuss the deal on August 3rd. Though the offer was withdrawn within a week of the meeting, the initiative ruined Dar's standing in Hezb-ul-Mujahideen. Dar split with the group's spiritual leader, Syed Salahuddin, sparking bloody rivalry.

Dar went into hiding in Kashmir. During this time his ties to the Pakistani intelligence service, military, and government withered. So Salahuddin went on the offensive, killing Dar loyalists and accusing Dar himself of working with the Indians. Salahuddin formally expelled Dar from the group in May 2002 - calling his an apostate - a peace-loving Muslim who must be killed. Dar was subsequently murdered in his home near Sopore, Kashmir on March 23, 2003 by two Islamic gunman. Before his death, the Western media and politicians, not understanding the Qur'an condemnation of peaceful Muslim hypocrites in the Qur'an's 9th surah, considered Majeed Dar as a promising moderate Muslim with whom they could negotiate.