The International Crimes Tribunal yesterday vehemently criticised Jamaat-e-Islami for abusing Islam in a bid to foil the birth of Bangladesh from occupational Pakistan in 1971 and for committing the most heinous crimes in the name of Islam.
Tribunal 1 in its 204-page verdict in Jamaat Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami’s case discussed elaborately how the party had misused Islam. The title of the section in the verdict was “Misuse of religion in politics by Jamaat-e-Islami during the War of Liberation of Bangladesh in 1971.”
The three-member tribunal of Tribunal Chairman M Enayetur Rahim and members Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Anwarul Haque sentenced Nizami to death on four charges of crimes against humanity he had committed during the Liberation War of 1971.
The three-member tribunal said: “We have no hesitation to hold that during the Liberation War in 1971 the offences as crimes against Humanity, namely murder, extermination, torture, rape, arson and other inhuman acts committed by Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Chhatra Sangha, Al-Badr and Razakar Bahinis, are absolutely against the sanction of the Holy Qur’an and Hadiths.”
Tribunal said in the verdict: “Nizami being a renowned Islamic Scholar [as claimed by the defence] also violated the Quranic injunctions and prophetic traditions.”
They said Nizami had played anti-Islamic role by forming al-Badr force, the “death squad” and commanding, supporting, and encouraging the force in order to exterminate and kill Bangli intellectuals and pro-liberation people and also providing moral support and endorsing the barbaric activities of Pakistan Army.
“We are constrained to hold that Motiur Rahman Nizami being educated in Islamic education had consciously and also deliberately misused the name of the Almighty Allah and the holy religion ‘Islam’ in 1971 during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in order to ruin and root out the ‘Bangalee Nation’,” said the verdict.
It said wrong messages, namely “Pakistan is the house of Allah,” “Hindus are always enemies of Muslims” and “Islam and Pakistan are one and indivisible” had been infused in the minds of young members of Razakar and al-Badr forces as the gospel of truth and inspired by the propaganda in the name of Islamic ideology they committed more atrocities vigorously in collaboration with the Pakistan occupation forces.
“The citations...are the classic instances of misuse of Islam in politics in the name of protecting Pakistan,” said the verdict.
The judges also said Nizami as the president of Islami Chhatra Sangha – now Islami Chhatra Shibir – as well as a High Command of al-Badr actively participated in the atrocities in Pabna and Dhaka in collaboration with Razakar, al-Badr and the Pakistan occupation forces.
“It has been proved by both documentary and oral evidence that Al-Badr Bahini was formed by the members of [Chhatra Sangha] over which the accused had exclusive control but he did not prevent his subordinates from committing atrocities and crimes against Humanity during the Liberation War, 1971,” said the verdict.
Considering all facts and evidence, the judges said: “We do not hesitate to observe that during the War of Liberation both Jamaat-e-Islami and its notorious student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha (now Islami Chhatra Shibir) functioned as a ‘communal’ as well as ‘criminal organisation’ to implement the plan and design of Pakistan occupation army which resulted in killing of innumerable unarmed civilians and Bangalee intellectuals in 1971.”