Author: S Balakrishnan
Publication: The New Indian Express
Date: March 30, 2008
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Post_merger_with_Lashkar_Dawoods_men_change_sect/articleshow/2910488.cms
Intelligence agencies who have discovered
the close synergy between the Dawood Ibrahim gang and the ISI-backed Lashkar-e-Toiba
say that consequent to the "merger" with the jehadi group, most
members of the underworld outfit have embraced the Ahle Hadees sect.
"We are not saying that all Ahle Hadees
adherents are terrorists or D-Company members. But it is a fact that now an
overwhelming number of Dawood's gang members subscribe to the Ahled Hadees
sect," a senior security official told TOI on Friday. The Times of India
had on March 28 reported how the D-gang is now a part of LeT.
The Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees was founded
on December 22, 1906 with a view to "propagating pristine Islamic message
among Muslims in a systematic way and to motivate Muslims to adhere to the
pristine monotheism (Tawheed)".
Its fundamentalist outlook is backed by Wahabi
Islamic scholars of Saudi Arabia which is known to fund such religious activities.
This sect suffered badly during the 1947 partition
since most of its main centres were located in Pakistan.
In 1952, its leader Maulana Abdul Wahab held
a conference in UP to revive the movement and significantly it was attended
by the then Saudi ambassador to India.
Ahle Hadees is so fundamentalist that it enjoins
its followers to stop going to dargahs , do away with taweez (amulets) and
stop listening to even religious qawwalis .
Its face, rabble rousing Hafeez Sayeed, spews
venom against other faiths, calling upon his followers to ensure the global
domination of Islam.
Prior to the coming together of Lashkar and
D-Company, members of Dawood's gang were split among diverse Islamic sects
with only a section following Ahle Hadees. In fact, these differences did
not bother Dawood who never showed any inclination towards religion.
But now most D-gang members believe in the
Ahle Hadees teachings and are highly-motivated by them. "This makes it
easy for the ISI-backed LeT to indoctrinate and train the gang members in
terror activities. They are no more fighting for money, but for a larger cause
which guarantees them a place in heaven," a security official observed.