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| India-Pakistan |
| From Birmingham bakery to Pakistani prison, the mystery of Rashid Rauf |
| 2006-08-19 |
| Before dawn most mornings, a van loaded with pallets of goods  from nan bread to muffins  leaves the Rauf family bakery to deliver to supermarkets and grocers in Birmingham. Since it was established 25 years ago, the bakery in the Bordesley Green area has prospered through the hard work of its owners, meeting the demands of a diverse city by producing items from Asian sweets to iced sticky buns. Until 2002, the delivery round would have been completed by Rashid Rauf, the eldest son of the firm's founder, Abdul Rauf, a devout Muslim who came to Britain from rural Pakistan in the early 1980s. Rashid's work was interspersed with visits to the nearby mosque, starting each day at 5am, and sessions at a gym. Like the rest of his family, he was unobtrusive and polite. Rashid, 25, is now described with other labels  among them "Mr Talibrum". He has been variously accused of being the "key player" , the "Mr Big" and the "mastermind" of the alleged plot to blow up transatlantic airliners, foiled 10 days ago by the police and security services in Britain and Pakistan. He was arrested on 7 August, two days before the operation that led to the detention of 24 people in Britain, including his brother, Tayib, as he tried to board a bus in Bahawalpur, a dusty backwater 300 miles south-west of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. |
| Posted by:john |
| #3 An outbuilding behind the family home, which was alleged to house an extremist mosque, has turned out to be used by their mother, Salma, to teach children the Koran. In other words, an extremist mosque. We cannot even imagine that the Rauf family is involved in this. They are very pious people." And isn't it the "very pious" Muslims who are most dedicated to jihad? Wahabbists, the most pious of all Muslims would love nothing more than to take the elaborately decorated shrines in Mecca and Medina and paint them stark pure white to eliminate their idoltarous embellishments. The very pious Taleban blasted priceless megalithic Buddhas in the name of religious purity. Less pious Muslims tend to be those Mythical Moderate Muslim™. In other words, these days "very pious" only tends to set off alarm bells. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-08-19 20:46 |
| #2 But with British sources playing down suggestions that Rashid was the " controlling mind" of the alleged plot Perv needs a new cover story... MI5 isnt buying what he's selling. |
| Posted by: john 2006-08-19 12:52 |
| #1 Ahh Pakistan: My Land of Sky Blue Allah Akbars™ and the Home of our Master Race™. |
| Posted by: Mr Paki 2006-08-19 11:56 |