Syed Salahuddin

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Syed Mohammed Yusuf Shah
Born (1946-02-18) 18 February 1946 (age 76)
Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir, British Indian Empire
(now in Jammu and Kashmir, India)
Alma materUniversity of Kashmir
Spouse(s)Nafisa
Children7

Mohammad Yusuf Shah, commonly known as Syed Salahuddin, is the head of Hizbul Mujahideen, a separatist and terrorist organisation operating in Kashmir. He also heads the United Jihad Council, a Pakistan-based conglomeration of jihadist militant groups sponsored by the ISI,[1][2] with the goal of merging Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan.[3][4][5][6]

Salahuddin vowed to block any peaceful resolution to the Kashmir conflict, threatened to train more Kashmiri suicide bombers, and vowed to turn the Kashmir valley "into a graveyard for Indian forces."[7][8] He is listed on the Most Wanted List of India's National Investigation Agency.[9] He is named as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Department Of State.[10][11] Salahuddin dismissed the listing as "a joint move by the US, Israel, and India to express their animosity towards Pakistan."[12][13][14]

Early life[]

Syed Mohammad Yusuf Shah was born in December 1946 in Soibugh, Budgam, a village in the Kashmir Valley. His maternal grandfather Gulla Saheb was a well-known spiritual figure. His father was a farmer.[15]

Yusuf Shah studied under his grandfather's guidance, who took an interest in his education. In high school, Shah composed poetry in English and became an impressive debater. He finished Intermediate in science with first class marks.[15] Then he studied arts at the Sri Pratap College, Srinagar and Masters in Political Science at the University of Kashmir, receiving his degree in 1971.[15] Later he became an Islamic teacher at a madrasa.[citation needed]

Jamaat-e-Islami[]

A year after his graduation, Yusuf Shah was appointed as the tehsil chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir for Budgam. Later he became the chief Nizam-e-Aala for the Jamaat-e-Islami's student wing, Tehreek-e-Talaba. In 1986, he was appointed the district chief of Jamaat for the Srinagar district.[15] According to a biography in the Hindustan Times, he was a notable Islamic scholar and preacher.[16] His Friday sermons at the Exhibition Grounds in Srinagar were popular with the youth. His sermons were contemporary and "had the power to articular what was in our minds", according to Showkat Ahmad Bakhshi of the Islamic Students League.[17]

In 1987, Yusuf Shah contested the J&K assembly election as a candidate of the Muslim United Front, in Srinagar's Amira Kadal constituency.[15] The Islamic Students League campaigned for him and provided the "street power" to counter the cadres of the National Conference. Yasin Malik served as his campaign manager and Ajaz Dar, who had a licensed gun, served as his unofficial bodyguard.[17] There is consensus among the scholars that the election was 'stolen' and of the National Conference was declared as the winner despite Yusuf Shah having had the lead.[17][18][19] Yusuf Shah as well as Yasin Malik, along with other supporters, were arrested and put in jail without trial.[20]

Hizbul Mujahideen[]

After his arrest for violent protests and release in 1989, he then joined Hizbul Mujahideen founded by Muhammad Ahsan Dar alias "Master" who later parted from Hizbul Mujahideen. He soon took over as the chief of Hizbul Mujahideen and then adopted nom de guerre "Syed Salahuddin", named after Saladin,[citation needed] the 12th century Muslim political and military leader, who fought in the Crusades.

We are fighting Pakistan's war in Kashmir and if it withdraws its support, the war would be fought inside Pakistan

— Syed Salahuddin[21]

In June 2012 in an interview, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin accepted that Pakistan had been backing Hizb-ul-Mujahideen for fight in Kashmir.[21] He had declared to start attacking Pakistan if Pakistan stopped backing jihadis in Jammu and Kashmir who, he claimed, were fighting "Pakistan's war".[21][4]

Designation as a terrorist by U.S.[]

On 26 June 2017 the US Department of State has designated Mohammad Yusuf Shah, also known as Syed Salahuddin, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which imposes sanctions on foreign persons who have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States. As a consequence of this designation, U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with Salahuddin and all of Salahuddin's property and interests in property subject to United States jurisdiction are blocked.[7]

Family[]

Shah is married, with five sons and two daughters.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ International Crisis Group (2002), Kashmir: Confrontation and Miscalculation, International Crisis Group, p. 6
  2. ^ Snedden, Christopher (2013) [first published as The Untold Story of the People of Azad Kashmir, 2012]. Kashmir: The Unwritten History. HarperCollins India. p. 198. ISBN 978-9350298985.
  3. ^ PTI (8 June 2012). "Hizb chief Syed Salahuddin warns Pakistan against withdrawing support on Kashmir". The Times of India. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Normalization of Indo-Pak ties hurts Kashmir cause: Salahuddin". Arab News. 8 June 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  5. ^ Diplomat, Kunwar Khuldune Shahid, The. "Time for Pakistan to Cut Ties With Hizbul Mujahideen". The Diplomat. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  6. ^ Pike, John. "Hizb-ul-Mujahideen". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  7. ^ a b "State Department Terrorist Designations of Mohammad Yusuf Shah AKA Syed Salahuddin". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  8. ^ Siddiqui, AP | Naveed (26 June 2017). "Kashmiri militant leader punished as Modi visits US". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  9. ^ Bloeria, Conflicts in Jammu and Kashmir 2012.
  10. ^ "State Department Terrorist Designations of Mohammad Yusuf Shah AKA Syed Salahuddin".
  11. ^ "India stands vindicated as US names Hizbul chief Syed Salahuddin 'global terrorist'".
  12. ^ "Top Kashmiri militant sees 'India-US-Israel nexus' behind his terrorist designation - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 1 July 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  13. ^ "In TV Interview, Hizbul Mujahideen's Syed Salahuddin Exposes Pakistan's Role In Terror". NDTV.com. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  14. ^ "Blacklisted Kashmiri Leader Vows To Continue Fight Over Kashmir | TOLOnews". TOLOnews. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  15. ^ a b c d e 'Nobody can hand me over to India', Rediff, 8 August 2006.
  16. ^ Abhishek Saha, Syed Salahuddin: From political science student in Kashmir to ‘global terrorist’, Hindustan times, 27 June 2017.
  17. ^ a b c Saima Bhat, Battleground Amira Kadal, Kashmir Life, 24 March 2016.
  18. ^ Bose, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace (2003), pp. 48–49: "As counting of ballots begins, it becomes clear that the MUF’s Yusuf Shah, a member of a conservative religious party called the Jama'at-i-Islami, is winning by a landslide. This is his third attempt to be elected to the IJK assembly, and finally the public seems to be en masse on his side. The other Shah, routed in the contest, leaves the counting center in a visibly dejected mood and goes home. But he is summoned back—to be declared the winner by presiding officials."
  19. ^ Habibullah, Wajahat (2008), My Kashmir: Conflict and the Prospects for Enduring Peace, Washington DC: United States Institute for Peace Press, p. 61, ISBN 978-1-60127-031-3, Having spoken to several participants, I am satisfied that there is not the slightest exaggeration in Bose's account of what transpired in the Amira Kadal constituency.
  20. ^ Bose, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace 2003, pp. 48–49.
  21. ^ a b c PTI (8 June 2012). "Hizb chief Syed Salahuddin warns Pakistan against withdrawing support on Kashmir". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 June 2013.

External links[]

Bibliography[]

  • Bloeria, S. S. (2012), "Conflict overview", in V. R. Raghavan (ed.), Conflicts in Jammu and Kashmir: Impact on Polity, Society and Economy, Vij Books India Pvt Ltd, pp. 15–56, ISBN 978-93-82573-33-3

Further reading[]

  • Most Wanted Profiles of Terror by K.P.S Gill, ISBN 81-7436-207-X
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