Abdul Aziz (Pakistani cleric)

Abdul Aziz Ghazi (Urdu: محمد عبد العزيز‎) is a Pakistani cleric and khateeb (sermon giver) in the central mosque of Islamabad known as Lal Masjid, which was the site of a siege in 2007 with the Pakistani army. he is also the current Chancellor of Jamia Hafsa and Jamia Faridia, Aziz was released from custody by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2009 and acquitted in 2013.

Abdul Aziz Ghazi
Born (1963-01-10) January 10, 1963
Rajanpur, Punjab, Pakistan
Known forPro-Taliban Sermons
ChildrenHassan Ghazi
Parent(s)
RelativesAbdul Rashid Ghazi (brother)
2nd Chancellor of Faridia University
Assumed office
1998
Preceded byMaulana Muhammad Abdullah

Early life

He is an ethnic Baloch, descending from the Sadwani clan of the Mazari tribe, in the town of Rojhan in Rajanpur, the border district of Punjab province of Pakistan. He studied for few years in a public school, and was later sent to Karachi to study in a religious seminary. He graduated from Jamia Uloom-ul-Islamia, a Madrassah in Karachi, where he studied the customary Dars-i Nizami, which is taught at the most elementary level of religious education in Pakistan.[1]

He first came to Islamabad as a six-year-old boy from his home town in Balochistan, when his father was appointed khateeb of Lal Masjid in 1966. Aziz himself was later appointeded at The Mujaddiya Mosque in F8 Islamabad as it's Imam, he would regularly visit his father at the Red Mosque and travel with him to Faridia University.[2]

Lal Masjid

He also warned the government of attacks in the case of a violent police operation launched against the seminary. "If the government fails to eradicate all these moral evils from the society within the specified period of one month the students of the seminary would themselves take actions against all the people involved in such activities," said Abdul Aziz while addressing Friday Prayer congregation at Lal Masjid.[3]

Final Showdown
Main article: Siege of Lal Masjid

The Lal Masjid brigade came to public notice when they kidnapped women (who they accused of being prostitutes) from Islamabad's residential areas and then later kidnapped several police officers. The brigade increased their activities and took to the crime of kidnapping Chinese workers from massage centres. This particular event created international pressure on Pakistan, especially from the Chinese government.

On 3 July 2007, the standoff with the government ended in bloody gun battles in which some publications claim that more than 1,000 Students were killed and scores wounded.[4] The official death toll is much lower, at fewer than 300.[5]

on 4 July 2007 at 8.05, Aziz was arrested while leaving the complex disguised in a burqa. The reason for his cross-dressing escape was later revealed to be that he was called 'by a senior official of an intelligence agency with whom he has been in touch for a long time' (Aziz admitted that he and his brother Ghazi had done this many times before when they were declared wanted by the government). Since this man could not enter into the mosque to meet him, he asked Maulana Aziz to come down to Aabpara police station, situated on a walking distance from the mosque and asked him to wear a burqa to avoid identification.[6]

Release

Aziz was released on 16 April 2009 by the Supreme Court of Pakistan as he awaited trial on Alleged charges of murder, incitement, and kidnapping. He was greeted by throngs of supporters.[7]

Since 2001, 27 different cases have been filed unsuccessfully against him.[8]

References
  1. Lal Masjid : A Brief History.
  2. "Lal Masjid: a history". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  3. Farooq, Umer (7 April 2007). "Religious Cleric Threatens Suicide Attacks". OhmyNews International. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  4. Walsh, Declan (4 July 2007). "Red Mosque leader attempts to flee in burka". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  5. "Pakistan counts costs of bloody end to mosque siege". Reuters. 10 July 2007. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  6. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IG07Df01.html
  7. Walsh, Declan (17 April 2009). "Red Mosque siege leader walks free to hero's welcome". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 November 2010.
  8. Asad, Malik (24 September 2013). "Lal Masjid cleric acquitted in all cases". Dawn News. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
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