An audio tape allegedly from the leader of Al-Qaeda has called on the Muslims of Bangladesh to rise up against Sheikh Hasina’s regime in order to protect Islam, stating that the idea of the “Bengali nation” has failed.
In a 29 minute audio clip Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri charges the Awami-led government for killing thousands of people during last year’s brutal crackdown on the peaceful protest by Hefazat-e-Islam, known as the “Motijheel Massacre”.
Hefazat-e-Islami has denied any ties with Al-Qaeda after the audio recording was presented to their leadership.
Speaking in Arabic on a jihadist website, the Egyptian-born surgeon declared the Bangladeshi government as anti-Islam, secular and atheistic. He also made his disgust for the illegal trials and execution of Abdul Quader Molla very clear.
If the audio clip is authentic, this is the first time Al-Qaeda have made a public address to Bangladesh.
Transcript
The first two minutes of the clip shows footage of last year’s May 5th police crackdown of Hefazat-e Islam’s sit in rally in Dhaka. Then al-Zawahiri attacks the Western media’s silence on “how Muslims are massacred in Bangladesh”.
In the audio clip al-Zawahiri states: “A massacre of Muslims is being carried out these days and the western media is colluding with the killers to belittle its significance and hide the facts. This is the bloodbath taking place in Bangladesh, without the Muslims paying least attention to it. However the real victim was the Muslim Ummah in the subcontinent generally, and in Bangladesh and Pakistan specifically.
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“The crimes that are being committed in Bangladesh today against the core beliefs of Islam, the Prophet of Islam (saw), and the Muslim Ummah are only the fruits of the rotten seeds sown by these criminals.
“Their purpose was not independence from Pakistan, stopping the aggression against the people of Bangladesh or getting rid of military rule in Pakistan. None of these was the real objective…The real purpose was weathering the Muslim Ummah in the subcontinent.
“It was to rip the Ummah apart into pieces, bleed it to death by getting it entangled in mutual strife, regional conflicts and wars. Above all, their purpose was to attack the real capital of this Ummah, and the secret of its strength, the Islamic faith.
“Those who allied with India against Pakistan by claiming that they sought to defend the honour and sanctities of Bengalis are the same people who are attacking the sanctities, beliefs, honour, lives and properties of Bengalis today.
“Bangladesh, which they claimed to have won from Pakistan so that it may get its freedom, is being turned into a subjugated surrogate of India.”
Islamic uprising
Towards the end of the clip, al-Zawahiri makes an appeal to Muslims in general and the scholars of Bangladesh to revolt against the Awami-led government.
“My Muslim brothers in Bangladesh, I invite you to confront this crusader onslaught against Islam, which is being orchestrated by the leading criminals in the subcontinent and the West against Islam, the Prophet of Islam and the Islamic creed, so that they may turn you into slaves of a despotic and disbelieving system.
“I invite you to back them (scholars) and support them and guard them. And I invite you to launch a massive public uprising in defence of Islam against the enemies of Islam. I invite the leading Islamic scholars of Bangladesh to fulfil the role that Islam has given them.”
A copy of the purported al-Zawahiri recording is available with www.bdnews24.com.
