Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami

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Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (meaning Movement of Islamic Holy War) (HuJI) is a Sunni Islamic fundamentalist paramilitary organization. Formed in 1980 to fight the Soviets in the Soviet-Afghan War, HuJI continued in existence after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989. In 1993, HuJI merged with a group known as Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HUM) to form Harkat-ul-Ansar (HUA). They dissolved back into separate entities after HUA was labeled a terrorist organization by the United States in 1997. HuJI, with an estimated 2,000 dedicated fighters among 15,000 odd members, is also closely affiliated with al-Qaeda.

HuJI has recently come to international attention for its actions in Bangladesh. Committed to establishing an Islamic rule akin to the Taliban in Afghanistan, HuJI failed in a scheme to assassinate the prime minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina around the year 2000, and has been blamed for a number of bombings in 2005. In October 2005 it was officially banned by the government of Bangladesh.

[edit] References

• Rahman, Waliur. "Dhaka outlaws third Islamic group", BBC News, Oct. 17, 2005. Accessed June 16, 2006.
• Ramachandran, Sudha. "PART 2: Behind the Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami", Asia Times, Dec. 10, 2004. Accessed June 16, 2006.