'Let's Rise for Jihad': How Hafiz Saeed Incited British Muslims in Glasgow

New Delhi: Hafiz Saeed, 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind, during a tour to Glasgow in 1995 said that when Muslims had the spirit of jihad they had ruled the whole world but today they were being humiliated, revealed a BBC investigation.

The Radio Four documentary, The Dawn of British Jihad, discovered that Hafiz Saeed toured British mosques in 1995. The documentary sets out to examine the idea that radicalisation of British Muslims started well before 9/11 bombings.

Hafiz Saeed's tour of Britain in 1995 was recorded in a magazine published by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The articles, written in Urdu and uncovered by the BBC investigation, were written by the Iman of a mosque in Oldham who accompanied Saeed.

Mr Iqbal said: "There is non-stop talk about Jihad, encouraging British Muslims to join him."

In Glasgow, Saeed addressed a large gathering at the Central Mosque. He claimed Zionists were using billions of dollars to kill the spirit of Jihad - or Holy War - among Muslims.

"They are trying to entice Muslims to the politics of power through democracy...They are also using the interest-based economy to keep Muslims in debt," said Saeed.

Glasgow Central Mosque has not commented on the claims.

During the tour, Saeed also spoke in Birmingham where he urged his audience "Let's all rise up for jihad".

Marked "secret", a December 19, 2017, document from the Pakistan finance ministry directed law enforcement and governments in Pakistan's five provinces to submit an action plan by December 28 for a "takeover" of Saeed's Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation.

The United States has labelled JuD and FIF "terrorist fronts" for Lashkar-e-Taiba, the terror group Saeed founded in 1987.

In Pakistan, however, these outfits operate under the guise of ‘charities’.

If the government follows through with the plan, it would mark the first time Pakistan has made a major move against Saeed's network.

The Donald Trump administration has openly called out Pakistan for its inaction against terror groups operating on its soil.

On December 30, the New York Times had reported that the US was planning to withhold $255 million in aid to Pakistan, reflecting its dissatisfaction with Islamabad's inaction on terrorism.