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| Bangladesh |
| Government sticking to its decision on trying Jamaat-e-Islami |
| 2014-08-13 |
| [Dhaka Tribune] The government has decided not to change its stance regarding trying Jamaat-e-Islami ... The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independentbranch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... for its alleged crimes against humanity during 1971, despite US Ambassador-at-Large Stephen J Rapp's recent suggestions against trying a political party for such crimes. Sparing Jamaat from the war crimes trial was a personal view of the US ambassador-at-large, Law Minister Anisul Huq said, adding that the government would move forward on its own way regarding the trial. As far as Bangladesh was concerned, the government's first priority was to respect its people's wishes, the minister told the Dhaka Tribune on Sunday. During his visit to Dhaka last week, Rapp, the US ambassador-at-large on war crimes issue, said no political party should be tried for crimes against humanity, and the focus should be given on individuals who committed the crime. Without mentioning the name of Jamaat-e-Islami, Rapp also said the crimes in 1971 were committed by individuals and not everybody in a political party. In his reaction to Rapp's comment about using "the criminal process to prosecute a political party or a large group," the law minister reiterated that the government had launched initiatives to further amend the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973 to specify the punishment against organizations for their crimes against humanity. The existing ICT Act includes a provision for trying an organization for its alleged crimes against humanity, but does not specify what punishment would be handed to the organization if it is found guilty. Sources told the Dhaka Tribune that the drafting section of the Law Ministry had almost completed preparing the draft. Meanwhile, ...back at the dirigible, the pilot and the copilot had both hit the silk. Jack!Cynthia exclaimed. Do you know how to drive one of these things? Jack wiped some of the blood from his knuckles. No,he said. Do you?... asked about the US diplomat's recent remarks, prosecutor Tureen Afroz said: "Ambassador Rapp has expressed his views on the matter of the trial of organization. It could be his personal or official position, but the ICT law does not depend upon what he or the USA or in that matter, any other country will think. "At the tribunal, we are having the trial under our own law," she added. |
| Posted by:Fred |