Inside the Pakistani school accused of teaching terrorism
By Justin Huggler in Muridke, Pakistan
Published: 16 July 2005
Trying to retrace the footsteps of a London suicide bomber through
Pakistan can be a nerve-racking experience. When you turn up at the
madrassa that Shahzad Tanweer is alleged to have visited just outside
Lahore around six months ago, the first thing you see is a pair of
bearded security guards armed with Kalashnikovs, who glare menacingly
through the car windows.
The reputation of the Markaz Taiba madrassa goes before it.
Journalists who have tried to enter before have been turned away, even
threatened. Local people refer to the students as mujahedin. The
school is openly run by an organisation that everybody in Pakistan
knows is linked to militants fighting in Kashmir.
But when The Independent visited yesterday, the madrassa couldn't have
been more welcoming. We were invited to join a game of cricket with
the students. The school administrators wanted to show off their
horses, on which the students learn to ride, and the pride of their
stable, a thoroughbred stallion who reared on his hind legs when a
trainer cracked his whip.
We were given a tour of badminton courts and the computer suite. Could
this really be the "terror school" of yesterday's news reports? But
for the mosque, it looked pretty much like a wealthy private school in
Britain: red-brick buildings housing the classrooms, wide playing
fields, a large swimming pool.
The madrassa includes a school for children aged between six and 17
and a university. It doesn't offer only religious education but
computer science, engineering and medicine.
This is the place that Pakistani intelligence sources say Tanweer
attended for four or five days during a two-month trip to Pakistan
that began last December. "It's not possible because it is our policy
not to accept any foreign students," says Professor Zafar Iqbal, the
director of education, a nervous man with red highlights in his beard
and thinning hair. He comes out with the answer before you finish the
question - it's clearly prepared.
However, Pakistani intelligence sources say Tanweer was not a student
but just visited. The professor denies that too.
When you ask him about the London bombings, he says: "I've been very
busy writing a book. Today was the first I heard about the bombing. I
think it's possible some Jews did it. I don't think Christians and
Muslims were involved in this." That is a familiar conspiracy theory
in Pakistan.
"Have you seen any militant activity here?" asked Yahyaa Mujahid, the
information secretary of Jamat-ud-Dawa, the political party that runs
the madrassa. "You can go anywhere you want. You can go alone and look
. "
But for all the harmless image the madrassa was giving off yesterday,
it is no secret in Pakistan the full story is not quite so innocent.
Abu Talha Rashid Minhas, from the education department, parries every
question with a polite smile, until you ask about the madrassa's
involvement in Indian-held Kashmir. He holds your eyes an instant, a
hard look, before waving away the question.
The Jamat-ud-Dawa, which owns and runs the madrassa, used to be, and
is widely believed still to be, the political wing of the Lashkar-e-
Toiba, a group of armed militants fighting in Kashmir. What we saw
yesterday appears to have been a carefully orchestrated charm
offensive.
Mr Mujahid openly admits the past connection but claims the Jamat-ud-
Dawa severed all links with the militant group after it was banned by
President Pervez Musharraf last year. Pakistani journalists say they
believe the two groups are still linked.
"How can there be any militant activity here?" asks Mr Mujahid. " We
are just outside Lahore. We are closely watched by the security
forces." And that begs a question, with Pakistani intelligence naming
the madrassa as a link in the Pakistani connection to the London
bombings.
There are an estimated 10,0000 madrasas in Pakistan, providing
education to students from poor rural families. Many are financed by
donations from Saudi Arabia, and teach an austere form of Wahabi
Islam, but critics accuse them of extremism.
This is not Jamaat-ud-Dawa's only madrassa in Pakistan. The
organisation has 137 all over the country. Altogether, it teaches
22,000 students. As one Pakistani journalist put it: "If all the other
groups with militant links are banned, why does the government still
allow Jammat-ud-Dawa to operate freely?"
Trying to retrace the footsteps of a London suicide bomber through
Pakistan can be a nerve-racking experience. When you turn up at the
madrassa that Shahzad Tanweer is alleged to have visited just outside
Lahore around six months ago, the first thing you see is a pair of
bearded security guards armed with Kalashnikovs, who glare menacingly
through the car windows.
The reputation of the Markaz Taiba madrassa goes before it.
Journalists who have tried to enter before have been turned away, even
threatened. Local people refer to the students as mujahedin. The
school is openly run by an organisation that everybody in Pakistan
knows is linked to militants fighting in Kashmir.
But when The Independent visited yesterday, the madrassa couldn't have
been more welcoming. We were invited to join a game of cricket with
the students. The school administrators wanted to show off their
horses, on which the students learn to ride, and the pride of their
stable, a thoroughbred stallion who reared on his hind legs when a
trainer cracked his whip.
We were given a tour of badminton courts and the computer suite. Could
this really be the "terror school" of yesterday's news reports? But
for the mosque, it looked pretty much like a wealthy private school in
Britain: red-brick buildings housing the classrooms, wide playing
fields, a large swimming pool.
The madrassa includes a school for children aged between six and 17
and a university. It doesn't offer only religious education but
computer science, engineering and medicine.
This is the place that Pakistani intelligence sources say Tanweer
attended for four or five days during a two-month trip to Pakistan
that began last December. "It's not possible because it is our policy
not to accept any foreign students," says Professor Zafar Iqbal, the
director of education, a nervous man with red highlights in his beard
and thinning hair. He comes out with the answer before you finish the
question - it's clearly prepared.
However, Pakistani intelligence sources say Tanweer was not a student
but just visited. The professor denies that too.
When you ask him about the London bombings, he says: "I've been very
busy writing a book. Today was the first I heard about the bombing. I
think it's possible some Jews did it. I don't think Christians and
Muslims were involved in this." That is a familiar conspiracy theory
in Pakistan.
"Have you seen any militant activity here?" asked Yahyaa Mujahid, the
information secretary of Jamat-ud-Dawa, the political party that runs
the madrassa. "You can go anywhere you want. You can go alone and look
. "
But for all the harmless image the madrassa was giving off yesterday,
it is no secret in Pakistan the full story is not quite so innocent.
Abu Talha Rashid Minhas, from the education department, parries every
question with a polite smile, until you ask about the madrassa's
involvement in Indian-held Kashmir. He holds your eyes an instant, a
hard look, before waving away the question.
The Jamat-ud-Dawa, which owns and runs the madrassa, used to be, and
is widely believed still to be, the political wing of the Lashkar-e-
Toiba, a group of armed militants fighting in Kashmir. What we saw
yesterday appears to have been a carefully orchestrated charm
offensive.
Mr Mujahid openly admits the past connection but claims the Jamat-ud-
Dawa severed all links with the militant group after it was banned by
President Pervez Musharraf last year. Pakistani journalists say they
believe the two groups are still linked.
"How can there be any militant activity here?" asks Mr Mujahid. " We
are just outside Lahore. We are closely watched by the security
forces." And that begs a question, with Pakistani intelligence naming
the madrassa as a link in the Pakistani connection to the London
bombings.
There are an estimated 10,0000 madrasas in Pakistan, providing
education to students from poor rural families. Many are financed by
donations from Saudi Arabia, and teach an austere form of Wahabi
Islam, but critics accuse them of extremism.
This is not Jamaat-ud-Dawa's only madrassa in Pakistan. The
organisation has 137 all over the country. Altogether, it teaches
22,000 students. As one Pakistani journalist put it: "If all the other
groups with militant links are banned, why does the government still
allow Jammat-ud-Dawa to operate freely?" Also in this section
* Pakistan 'helped prevent militant attack on Britain before
election'
* Three-way train pile-up in Pakistan kills 128
* 40,000 take to streets and demand Arroyo resignation
* Bengal Communists to sell 'icon of colonial decadence'
Independent Porfolio Content
* Four 'dangerous' militants escape from Afghan jail Independent
Porfolio Content
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* A
* A
* A
London bombings
* Bomber's family: why we fear the racial backlash
* Egyptian police hold Leeds-based scientist
* Muslim fears of revenge attacks grow
* Extremist network extends worldwide
* Labour MPs blame bombings on Iraq war
* Bombers had been banned from mosques
* New terror laws to target 'indirect incitement'
* Victims: Funeral tribute to East End woman
* Home-made explosives: the facts
* Howard Jacobson: A little religion, laced with compromise
Independent Porfolio Content
* Paul Vallely: Bridging the cultures Independent Porfolio Content
* Leading article: Little consoling in what we have learnt
Independent Porfolio Content
Editor's Choice
Colin Firth
Why he is fighting for the world's poorest coffee farmers
The big chill
Mark Hix suggests some cold comforts for summer days
Wildlife destinations
Stalk the Big Five - with crocodiles and hippos thrown in
Cash injection?
Investing in the healthcare sector can be good for you
48 Hours In: Kyoto
There's more to this beautiful city than global warming
Democracy campaign
Join our petition
Day in a page
* Sun |
* Mon |
* Tue |
* Wed |
* Thu |
* Fri |
* Sat |
Find articles published on:
Top stories
* Market Report: Market falls as investors make room for Shell *
British Gas axes 2,000 jobs - and half may be moved to India *
Bomber's family: why we fear the racial backlash * Three British
soldiers killed in Iraq * Jarvis reveals huge losses and threatens
to delist * Meadow is struck off for giving misleading evidence
* Terms of Use |
* Privacy Policy, including use of cookies |
* Sign up for our free daily news update |
* Freelance contributions |
* RSS Feeds |
* Contact us |
© 2005 Independent News & Media (UK) Ltd.
Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Unsubscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
List owner : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
