Abdul Rashid Ghazi

Abdul Rashid
عبدالرشيد
Born (1964-01-29)January 29, 1964
Islamabad, Pakistan
Died July 10, 2007(2007-07-10) (aged 43)
Lal Masjid, Islamabad, Pakistan
Cause of death Gunshot injury
Resting place Basti Abdullah, Rojhan, Rajanpur
Nationality Pakistan
Alma mater Quaid-i-Azam University
Religion Islam
Children Haroon Rashid
Haris Rashid

Military career

Allegiance Islamic students
Years of service 1998–2007
Battles/wars

War in North-West Pakistan
Siege of Lal Masjid †

Abdul Rashid (عبدالرشيد; ca. 1964 – July 10, 2007)[1] was an Islamist Pakistani fundamentalist; son of Muhammad Abdullah, and younger brother of Abdul Aziz. He was descended from the Sadwani clan of Mazari tribe in the town of Rojhan in Rajanpur, the border district of Punjab province of Pakistan.[2]

Abdul Rashid was killed during Operation Silence after Pakistan Army Special Operations Commands's teams stormed the Madrasah he and his students had been using.

Early life

In his youth Abdul Rashid defied his father's wish that he receive formal Islamic education as he wanted to live a modern life. He completed his MSc in International Relations from Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad in 1987–1988.[3] According to one of his professors, "He was a normal, modern student who was well adjusted to a co-educational system.".[3] After finishing this degree he obtained a job at the Ministry of Education in Islamabad, and also worked with UNESCO.[3]

After the assassination of his father inside the mosque in 1998,[3] he and his brother became leaders of Jamia Hafsa and Jamia Faridia madrassas.

Under the leadership of and his brother the mosque and the madrassa attached to it challenged the policies of the Pakistani government; in particular the military operations against pro-Taleban militants in Pakistan's tribal areas. A fatwa issued by the mosque describing militants killed during the campaign as 'martyrs' led to a rapid deterioration in relations between Pervez Musharraf and . The Pakistan government claimed was involved in a plot against the president, the army and parliament; however this was later refuted by the government minister for religious affairs.[4]

Death

The Pakistan Army decided to take an action against , and it began as Pakistan Army Special Forces (SF), Pakistan Army Rangers, and Special Service Group (SSG) stormed the mosque. The Pakistan Ministry of Interior reported that was killed on 10 July 2007 during Operation Silence. According to the ISPR the body of was found in the basement of the Lal Masjid.

References

  1. ↑ Cameron-Moore, Simon "Pakistan counts costs of bloody end to mosque siege" Reuters, 10, July 2007 retrieved 27 July 2009.
  2. ↑ Tadfeen Islamabad mein ki jaey BBCUrdu, 11 July 2007, retrieved 21 July 2009 Archived November 8, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Islamabad Red Mosque Cleric Killed" Pakistan Times, 11 July 2007, retrieved 27 July 2009
  4. ↑ Farooqui, Asif "Obituary: Abdul Rashid ", BBC, July, 2007 , retrieved 27 July 2009.

External links

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