{"id":24891,"date":"2026-03-30T11:27:19","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T11:27:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/?p=24891"},"modified":"2026-03-30T11:27:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T11:27:19","slug":"us-congress-confronts-bangladesh-genocide-but-ignores-the-islamist-infrastructure-behind-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/30\/us-congress-confronts-bangladesh-genocide-but-ignores-the-islamist-infrastructure-behind-it\/","title":{"rendered":"US Congress Confronts Bangladesh Genocide\u2014But Ignores the Islamist Infrastructure Behind It"},"content":{"rendered":"

On March 20, 2026, US Rep. Greg Landsman introduced House Resolution 1130, which recognizes the 1971 atrocities in Bangladesh as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. <\/em>On March 25, 1971… Pakistan’s military launched “Operation Searchlight”, a coordinated campaign of mass murder targeting civilians… that would kill millions of Bangladeshis.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The central flaw in Washington’s current approach is its failure to confront the ideological and organizational infrastructure that enabled the genocide in the first place.<\/em><\/p>\n

Internal documents, congressional inquiries, and independent reports have repeatedly highlighted concerns about affiliated organizations operating in North America. These apprehensions include allegations of financial links to extremist causes and the dissemination of radical ideological material. Yet, apparently due to the influence of Islamists in various walks of life in the US, enforcement remains selective, and political considerations still seem to override security imperatives.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Just as the Muslim Brotherhood spawned terrorist groups such as Hamas, Gama’a Islamiyya (which killed Egyptian President Anwar Sadat), and al Qaeda, Jamaat-e-Islami also spun off terrorist groups across South Asia such as Jaysh-i-Muhammad, Harkat-ul-Mujahidin, and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.” \u2014 Michael Rubin, Middle East expert, Washington Examiner, March 31, 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Within Bangladesh, Jamaat-e-Islami was particularly brutal. It was intimately involved in the 1971 Bangladesh genocide that killed up to 3 million. For this reason, many Bangladeshis consider Jamaat-e-Islami members to be war criminals…. Nevertheless, Jamaat-e-Islami still receives active support from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency… ” \u2014 Michael Rubin, Washington Examiner, March 31, 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n

After recent political upheavals, means of accountability, such as the International Crimes Tribunal established by Bangladesh, have been significantly weakened. Charges against individuals linked to the 1971 atrocities have been dropped, and institutions originally established to deliver justice have faced allegations of politicization and misuse. This reversal not only undermines justice but also emboldens those who seek to revive violent ideologies.<\/em><\/p>\n

If the United States is serious about confronting terrorism, it requires designating organizations with documented links to extremist activities, dismantling financial networks that sustain them, and challenging ideological narratives that legitimize violence. It also requires a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths \u2014 both about past alliances and present-day policy inconsistencies.<\/em><\/p>\n

The introduction of HR-1130 is an opportunity \u2014 perhaps a last opportunity \u2014 to prioritize the victims of genocide but also the forces that made such crimes possible. Without such an alignment, the resolution risks becoming what so many similar initiatives have become: a statement of principle detached from any meaningful policy action.<\/em><\/p>\n

In a welcome moment of moral clarity, the United States Congress took a step toward acknowledging one of the most underreported genocides of the twentieth century. On March 20, 2026, US Rep. Greg Landsman introduced\u00a0House Resolution 1130<\/a>, which\u00a0recognizes<\/a>\u00a0the 1971 atrocities in Bangladesh as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Washington, Beijing, most Arab nations \u2014 as well as Palestinian leaders Yasser Arafat and Amin al-Husseini \u2014 vehemently\u00a0opposed<\/a>\u00a0Bangladesh’s secession from Pakistan in 1971, branding the war of liberation as a “battle between Pakistani Muslims and Bengali Hindus” and comparing it to the Israel-Arab conflict.<\/em><\/p>\n

The House resolution, which has been referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs,\u00a0recalls<\/a>\u00a0the events of March 25, 1971, when Pakistan’s military launched “Operation Searchlight”, a coordinated campaign of mass murder targeting civilians in East Pakistan. Bengali Hindus, intellectuals, and pro-independence activists were systematically hunted down. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested, and a campaign of violence began that would kill millions of Bangladeshis.<\/em><\/p>\n

Although the resolution calls upon the US president to recognize the atrocities committed in 1971 against ethnic Bengali Hindus by Pakistan’s army and their allies in the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) movement as crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide, it remains unclear whether the US will designate Jamaat-e-Islami as a Foreign Terrorist Organization for committing such atrocities.<\/em><\/p>\n

For decades, this\u00a0genocide<\/a>\u00a0remained politically inconvenient. During the Cold War, Pakistan’s strategic importance shielded it from accountability, while Islamist narratives distorted the truth \u2014 portraying the conflict as a religious struggle rather than a national liberation movement.<\/em><\/p>\n

Now, more than 50 years later, Washington appears ready to correct the historical record. But recognition alone is not enough. The central flaw in Washington’s current approach is its failure to confront the ideological and organizational infrastructure that enabled the genocide in the first place.<\/em><\/p>\n

At the core of that infrastructure is Jamaat-e-Islami, which actively collaborated with Pakistani forces in 1971. Its militias participated directly in the mass murders, particularly targeting minority communities. Its ideology \u2014 rooted in the writings of its founder Abul Ala Mawdudi \u2014 provides religious justification for violence in pursuit of a theocratic political order. This ideology has not disappeared.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today, Jamaat-e-Islami and its affiliates continue to operate across multiple countries, often under the guise of charitable, educational, or advocacy organizations. In some instances, these entities have been linked to extremist financing networks and the promotion of radical indoctrination.<\/em><\/p>\n

In 2019, South Asia expert Seth Oldmixon\u00a0highlighted<\/a>\u00a0the role of Jamaat-e-Islami in promoting and exporting religious extremism and terrorism on a global scale. He noted the enduring legacy of Mawdudi, and warned of the dangers of ignoring the activities of JI and its affiliates in North America.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Jamaat-e-Islami’s guiding ideology and its goal of establishing a global theocracy have not changed from Mawdudi’s original vision,” Oldmixon said. He further noted continued calls for jihad by senior JI leaders, as well as ongoing violence by JI and its affiliates.<\/em><\/p>\n

JI’s commitment to extremism is clear from its public rhetoric. Oldmixon\u00a0pointed out<\/a>\u00a0that in 2012, a senior Pakistani JI official\u00a0said<\/a>: “I salute the Afghan Taliban. They have defeated America and have destroyed NATO”.<\/em><\/p>\n

On November 1, 2019, US Senator Jim Banks (R-IN), and US Reps. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) and Randy Weber (R-TX)\u00a0wrote<\/a>\u00a0to State Department Counterterrorism Coordinator Nathan Sales,\u00a0presenting<\/a>\u00a0substantial evidence of terror-financing links between JI and its affiliates \u2014 Helping Hands for Relief and Development (HHRD) and the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA).<\/em><\/p>\n

In a 2010 report, the Investigative Project on Terrorism\u00a0wrote<\/a>:<\/em><\/p>\n

“The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), a leading ‘domestic affiliate’ of the South Asian Sunni revivalist movement Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), was established in 1968 and formally incorporated in 1987 in Jamaica, N.Y. An introductory brochure states ICNA’s goal is ‘[t]o achieve the pleasure of Allah through the establishment of the Islamic system in this land.'”<\/em><\/p>\n

Despite\u00a0mounting<\/a>\u00a0evidence<\/a>\u00a0and longstanding\u00a0concerns<\/a>, the United States has not designated Jamaat-e-Islami as a terrorist organization.<\/em><\/p>\n

Policy experts have long\u00a0warned<\/a>\u00a0that Jamaat functions as part of a broader Islamist ecosystem connected to the\u00a0Muslim Brotherhood<\/a>\u00a0— a network that historically has served as a radical incubator for groups such as Hamas, Al Qaeda, and others.<\/em><\/p>\n

Internal\u00a0documents<\/a>, congressional\u00a0inquiries<\/a>, and independent\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0have\u00a0repeatedly<\/a>\u00a0highlighted<\/a>\u00a0concerns<\/a>\u00a0about affiliated organizations operating in North America. These apprehensions include allegations of financial links to extremist causes and the dissemination of radical ideological material. Yet, apparently due to the influence of\u00a0Islamists<\/a>\u00a0in various walks of life in the US, enforcement remains selective, and\u00a0political considerations<\/a>\u00a0still seem to override security imperatives.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Muslim Brotherhood’s expansion continues under various fronts and affiliated entities. Despite growing concerns, these organizations or their affiliates continue to\u00a0operate in many countries<\/a>, including the United Kingdom. A December 17, 2015\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0by the UK House of Commons noted that the Muslim Brotherhood had developed an extensive international network and was using Europe as a key base for its global activities.<\/em><\/p>\n

Calling for the designation of Jamaat-e-Islami as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, analyst Michael Rubin has\u00a0argued<\/a>:<\/em><\/p>\n

“Just as the Muslim Brotherhood spawned terrorist groups such as Hamas, Gama’a Islamiyya (which killed Egyptian President Anwar Sadat), and al Qaeda, Jamaat-e-Islami also spun off terrorist groups across South Asia such as Jaysh-i-Muhammad, Harkat-ul-Mujahidin, and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Within Bangladesh, Jamaat-e-Islami was particularly brutal. It was intimately involved in the 1971 Bangladesh genocide that killed up to 3 million. For this reason, many Bangladeshis consider Jamaat-e-Islami members to be war criminals. Indeed, Jamaat-e-Islami became just the second political party after Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party to face an international tribunal for its crimes. Nevertheless, Jamaat-e-Islami still receives active support from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency, the same group that helped hide al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden and sponsored the Taliban insurgency.”<\/em><\/p>\n

While Washington acknowledges the crimes of 1971, it continues to tolerate \u2014 and sometimes even engage with \u2014 entities that share the same ideological foundations that made these jihadi crimes possible.<\/em><\/p>\n

After recent political upheavals, means of accountability, such as the International Crimes Tribunal established by Bangladesh, have been significantly\u00a0weakened<\/a>. Charges against individuals linked to the 1971 atrocities have been dropped, and institutions originally established to deliver justice have faced allegations of politicization and misuse. This reversal not only undermines justice but also emboldens those who seek to revive violent ideologies.<\/em><\/p>\n

The lesson of 1971 is clear: ignoring Islamist extremism only allows it to adapt, evolve, and re-emerge in new and often more sophisticated forms. If the United States is serious about confronting terrorism, it requires designating organizations with documented links to extremist activities, dismantling financial networks that sustain them, and challenging ideological narratives that legitimize violence. It also requires a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths \u2014 both about past alliances and present-day policy inconsistencies.<\/em><\/p>\n

The introduction of HR-1130 is an opportunity \u2014 perhaps a last opportunity \u2014 to prioritize the victims of genocide but also the forces that made such crimes possible. Without such an alignment, the resolution risks becoming what so many similar initiatives have become: a statement of principle detached from any meaningful policy action. History has already demonstrated the cost of such dismissal. The question now is whether Washington is prepared to learn from it.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On March 20, 2026, US Rep. Greg Landsman introduced House Resolution 1130, which recognizes the 1971 atrocities in Bangladesh as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. On March 25, 1971… Pakistan’s military launched “Operation Searchlight”, a coordinated campaign of mass murder targeting civilians… that would kill millions of Bangladeshis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47471,"featured_media":24892,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[198,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-slider","category-top-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47471"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24891"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24893,"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24891\/revisions\/24893"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}