Trump Admin Faces Backlash for Including Ex-Jihadis in White House Panel

Washington: US President Donald Trump has appointed Ismail Royer and Sheikh Hamza Yusuf in the newly formed advisory board of the White House under the Religious Freedom Commission. As soon as the information about this decision taken by the Trump administration on Friday came out, a controversy has arisen, the reason for this is the controversial history of Ismail and Hamza. Ismail has taken training in the camp of terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba. At the same time, the other member Yusuf has also been accused of having links with terrorist groups. In such a situation, Americans are angry with the inclusion of Ismail Royer and Sheikh Hamza Yusuf in the White House panel. Even Trump's close aides have criticized this decision and called it a 'blunder' of the US President on the issue of terrorism.

Ismail Royer, who has been included in the religious freedom panel associated with Trump, has received training from Lashkar-e-Taiba active in Pakistan in the year 2000 and is accused of spreading terrorism against India in Kashmir. Royer, who is called a former jihadi, has served 13 years in prison on terrorism related charges. In 2003, Royer was accused of spreading terrorism in America. He has also been accused of being associated with Al-Qaeda. Ismail was sentenced to 20 years in 2004 but was released after 13 years.

Ismail had stayed in Muridke

According to ET report, in the year 2001, the duo of Ismail Royer and Sheikh Hamza had traveled to Muridke in Pakistan for training. Muridke was also on the target of the Indian Army during India's recent Operation Sindoor. Muridke is famous all over the world for terror training camps. Terrorists trained here have targeted India.

According to the indictment of the US Justice Department, these two, along with others, were part of the Virginia Jihadi Network, which was busted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation after the 9/11 attacks. Lashkar-e-Taiba is a banned group in India and the US. This organization has been involved in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. In such a situation, Indians are also angry with this decision of Trump. Indians are seeing it as a betrayal by Trump.

The second member of the White House panel is Sheikh Hamza Yusuf. Yusuf has been accused of helping fundamentalists and having links with banned terrorist groups. Those who have questioned the decision of the Trump administration include common people as well as political activists and investigative journalist Lara Rumer. She has called it a very bad decision of Trump. Many other experts writing on America and terrorism have said that Trump's decision has given a big blow to America's anti-terrorism stance of recent years.