Maulana Fazlullah

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Fazlullah's madrasa at Imam Dherai, Swat.
Fazlullah's madrasa at Imam Dherai, Swat.

Maulana Fazlullah, nicknamed "Radio Mullah", is the leader of Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM), a banned Pakistani Islamic fundamentalist militant group which aims to enforce Shariah in the country. He is the son-in-law of the group's founder, Sufi Muhammad.

With the support of more than 4,500 armed volunteers, by late October 2007 Fazlullah had established a "parallel government" in 59 villages in Swat by starting Islamic courts to enforce sharia law.[1]

Maulana Fazlullah runs an illegal local FM channel in the NWFP's Swat Valley. He preaches forcing vice and virtue and has an anti-Western Jihadi stance. He is considered pro-Taliban and a very powerful figure in the area.

On September 21, 2007, Fazlullah announced he was terminating a truce reached four months before with the government.[2]

With the support of Malak Sirrajuddin ( Younger son of Malak Sharifullah ) Fazalullah gained enormous power in Mamdheerai and in the surrounding area. There's only one known alleged picture[2] of Mualana Fazlullah obtained by the American news channel MSNBC.

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[edit] Anti-Polio Stance

He opposed and resisted a Polio vaccination drive in North-West Frontier Province claiming it a conspiracy of the Jews and Christians to keep Muslims impotent, according to a listener. In some sermons he had also considered it against Islamic norms. He considered Hepatitis C as a more important health issue than Polio and questioned the West's intentions. The propaganda had hindered the drive immensely as the local people saw volunteers and workers for the World Health Organization vaccination program as a threat and in some cases the immunization teams were physically beaten.

[edit] Eradication of Sins and the Attacks on Music Shops

See also: religious police
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He leads a drive of eradicating vice such as music, dancing, of what he calls "major sources of sin" such as TVs, CDs, computers and other video equipments by burning the electronics or the shops they're housed in. Though he considers most communication based electronics as "major sources of sin" he transmits broadcasts of his sermons on an illegal local FM radio channel, hence the nickname "Radio Mullah".

[edit] Current Military Situation

On the 26th of October, thousands of Pakistani troops were inducted in Swat Valley, which resulted in heavy clashes between the local Taliban militia and security forces. A suicide bomber also struck a military vehicle, resulting in the deaths of 30 security personnel and civilians. On November 11th, Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf announced that the imposition of Emergency in the country would enable Federal troops to enage effectively in Swat province, which they had already started doing. Previously, these troops were available but not requisitioned, he said. On asked whether this operation would continue even after the general elections, he said the army was determined to continue with the offensive resolutely. On the 29th of November, Pakistani security forces captured Fazlullah's headquarters and arrested his brother, Fazlullah himself had already fled to another village. Security Forces have now retaken most of the Swat region. On January 26th of 2008, it is believed Maulvi Abdul Raziq, a close aide of hardline cleric Maulana Fazlullah, was arrested in the Kot area of Charbagh.

[edit] Benazir Bhutto Assassination

In an address to the nation on January 2nd 2008, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said that he believed Maulana Fazlullah and Baitullah Mehsud were prime suspects in the assassination of Bhutto.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1], Qayum, Khalid and Ahmed, Khaleeq, "Pakistan Deploys Troops in Swat to Curb Militants (Update 1)", Bloomberg News, October 25, 2007, article references Dawn newspaper in Pakistan, "citing Badshah Gul, home secretary of the province"; accessed November 7, 2007
  2. ^ [http
    //www.dawn.com/2007/09/22/top9.htm]Hameedullah, Khan, "Swat cleric 'ends' peace deal", Dawn newspaper, September 22, 2007

[edit] External links

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