During the months of June and July, jihadi clerics in Pakistan organized teaching sessions in more than a dozen Pakistani towns. While teachings of the Koran in madrassas (Islamic seminaries) and mosques are common in every part of Pakistan, the purpose of these sessions was to interpret the "verses on jihad in the Koran," according to the Urdu-language Pakistani jihadi weekly Haftroza Al-Qalam, which belongs to Jaish-e-Muhammad, a terrorist organization headed by Maulana Masood Azhar. In recent years, Jaish-e-Muhammad has emerged as an affiliate of Al-Qaeda. Maulana Masood Azhar was one of three militants released by India in exchange for the passengers of an Indian plane hijacked to Kandahar in 1999.
The magazine reported: "This year 21 annual Tafseer [interpretation of Koran] sessions were held in several big cities of the country. The sessions started on June 18 while the final session began on July 16 and ended on July 21... The first session was held in Karachi [capital of Sindh province] on June 18. The teacher was Maulana Talha Al-Saif."
Following are excerpts from the report:
"Give a Thoughtful Consideration to the Message of… Muhammad Masood Azhar… Which He Gave… on Interpretation of the Verses on Jihad in the Koran"
"[After introductory remarks] Dear readers! Think cool-mindedly and look at the political leaderships and divisions around you without ethnic, national, provincial, or any kind of prejudice and notice. Are they inviting you towards the Holy Koran, giving you the invitation to the righteous way? Do they want to connect you with Allah or with this mundane world? Do they want you to be blessed with the unending blessing of the life hereafter, or want to utilize your energies, finances, and manpower for this world?
