Ghulam Azam provoked attacks

War crimes accused Ghulam Azam provoked his followers to attack the Hindus during the Liberation War, the prosecution yesterday told the International Crimes Tribunal-1 while placing its closing arguments.
Prosecutor Sultan Mahmud Simon said Ghulam Azam used to say that Hindus have always been the enemy of Muslims.
“There is no evidence that Hindus are friends of Muslims. Those, who do not have any strength, wish to get independence with the help of Hindustan,” Simon said quoting Ghulam Azam.
Ghulam Azam said this while addressing a meeting of Rajshahi Peace Committee (an auxiliary force of the Pakistani army) at the local Municipal Hall on July 16, 1971.
In his speech, the war crimes accused blamed the Hindus for creating rift between Muslims by raising the issue of Bangalee and non-Bangalee.
Jamaat's mouthpiece daily Sangram published the report on July 19, 1971.
Saying that such statement proves Ghulam Azam was not non-communal, Simon said the former Jamaat chief had isolated the Hindus on religious grounds and made them a target of attack.
“As a result of the incitement we find that Hindus were eliminated and driven out of the country,” Simon said.
Earlier, Ghulam Azam's son Brig Gen (dismissed) Abdullahil Aman Azmi in his testimony claimed that his father nurtured non-communalism belief.
Simon said the pieces of evidence show Azmi's deposition was not true.
Ghulam Azam is facing five charges -- conspiracy, planning, incitement, complicity, torture and murder -- of crimes against humanity.
The prosecution has been placing closing arguments in the war crimes case against him for the last five days. The prosecution's arguments are based on newspaper reports, documents and statements allegedly made by Ghulam Azam in 1971.
In another meeting of a Peace Committee, Ghulam Azam had said those, who defy the integrity of Pakistan, had no right to reside in the then East Pakistan and they should leave the country.
Peace Committee organised the meeting at the Republic Square of Brahmanbaria on July 18, 1971.
Simon said by making such calls, Ghulam Azam provoked auxiliary forces to attack freedom mongers.
On August 14, 1971, during a symposium organised by the Central Shanti Committee on the 25th Independence Day of Pakistan at the Curzon Hall, Ghulam Azam said if Pakistan existed, then only the rights of Bangalee Muslim would sustain.
Daily Azad published a report on it.
The prosecutor said such statements were tantamount to provocation.
Three days later Ghulam Azam at Lahore Airport told journalists that there was only one path left for Pakistan since “India was sending in armed insurgents and also because India was supplying arms and ammunition to the miscreants [freedom fighters]”, and that path was replying by the force of arms.
The report was published on August 18, 1971, in the daily Purbadesh.
The prosecutor told the tribunal that by saying this Ghulam Azam gave a clear indication of serious incitement.
Simon said the accused made the opening speech on October 3, 1971 at the meeting of the Majlis-e-Shura of the Jamaat-e-Islami in Dhaka where he used religious sentiments to incite the commissioning of crimes.
The war crimes accused had called upon his party activists and followers to prepare themselves for the highest possible sacrifice to protect Pakistan and said protecting Pakistan was a holy responsibility.
Simon argued that such a call made by the accused amounts to inciting the Pakistan army and its auxiliary forces to commit war crimes during the Liberation War in 1971.
The proceeding of the case was adjourned until today.
Earlier, defence counsel Gazi MH Tamim prayed that Tribunal-1 adjourns the days proceeding as senior lawyers failed to go to court due to some unavoidable circumstances.
The Tribunal-1 rejected the prayer as it considered “unavoidable circumstances” as a common phenomenon on hartal days.