Jamaat al Fuqra Headquarters
Hancock, NY

Jamaat al Fuqra

Jamaat al Fuqra (Community of the Impoverished) is an international Islamic organization founded by the Pakistani cleric Sheikh Mubarak Ali Jilani Hashemi.[1] Though banned in Pakistan, the group has made significant inroads in the United States and has its headquarters in Hancock, New York.[2] According to a State Department report, Al Fuqra is a group that "seeks to purify Islam through violence."[3] The report also claims that "[al Fuqra] members have purchased isolated rural compounds in North America to live communally, practice their faith, and insulate themselves from Western culture."[4]

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[1] "Al-Fuqra: Holy Warriors of Terrorism," Anti-Defamation League, 1993, http://www.adl.org/extremism/moa/al-fuqra.pdf

[2] "Al-Fuqra: Holy Warriors of Terrorism," Anti-Defamation League, 1993, http://www.adl.org/extremism/moa/al-fuqra.pdf

[3] "Patterns of Global Terrorism: 1999; Appendix B: Background Information on Terrorist Groups," U.S. Department of State, April 2000.

[4] Ibid.