Hafiz Muhammad Saeed

Hafiz Muhammad Saeed is the head (ameer) of Jama'at-ud-Da'wah Pakistan. He was a professor in Islamic Studies department of University of Engineering and Technology (Lahore) Pakistan. He was sent to Saudi Arabia in the early 1980s by the University for higher studies where he met some Saudi Sheikhs who were taking part in Afghan jihad. They inspired him to join his colleague, Professor Zafar Iqbal, in taking an active role supporting the Mujahideen in Afghanistan. There he met some youth who later became his companions. In 1987 Hafiz Muhammad Saeed along with some Salafi Muslims founded Markaz Dawa-Wal-Irshad, which can be grouped with the Ahle Hadith. This is a puritanical interpretation of Islam that has drawn great financial support from Saudi Arabia. This organization spawned the jihadist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was based in Pakistan before 9/11and was transferred to kashmir after that.Lashkar operates primarily in Indian held Kashmir.