Tahawwur Hussain Rana
Encyclopedia
Tahawwur Hussain Rana (born January 12, 1961) is a Pakistani Canadian
resident of Chicago
, USA who was convicted of providing support to banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba
and plotting an attack on Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten
.
He was however not found guilty of involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks
, a charge which he was originally detained for. Expressing disappointment at the verdict the Government of India
stated that National Investigative Agency
would charge Rana in a court in Delhi
.
in the province of Punjab
, Pakistan
. Rana had his education at Cadet College Hasan Abdal
, a military residential college in Pakistan, before becoming a citizen of Canada. Rana and his wife immigrated to Canada in 1997 and obtained Canadian citizenship in June 2001. Rana and his wife are both physicians by training. Rana has served as a captain general duty practitioner in the Pakistan Army Medical Corps
. He lives primarily in Chicago
and owns several businesses including an immigration service agency. He also owns a home in Ottawa
where his father and brother stay.
His younger brother Abbas Rana is a journalist with The Hill Times
who had been reporting on politics and the Canadian parliament for seven years. Abbas says his brother is innocent and has no links with terrorism; "To the best of my knowledge, these charges are false. I know my brother. I love my brother. He’s a man of integrity, he’s honest, and he’s a hard-working person."
Rana's arrest had a devastating impact on the family. Writing under the heading "Why The Hill Times supports its reporter, Abbas Rana," the weekly's publisher said "As I read about his brother’s case in news stories from Chicago, to India, to Canada, I can’t help but notice the innuendo that appears to imply guilt in the reporting on allegations of terrorism."
When the story of Rana'a arrest broke out in American media, the news was kept hidden from his father who is in poor health. His father, who views cable news, was purposely shielded from watching news. When he gradually learned of the story, he became hospitalised.
While still an officer in the Pakistan Army, Rana deserted the country after he declined from taking a posting to the Siachen glacier. Because of this, he was not able to enter Pakistan. He claims that he had contact with Major Iqbal
, an alleged ISI officia, who promised him he would try to get Rana back on Pakistan, on the condition if Rana helped Iqbal’s friend (Headley) get back to Pakistan. Based on this, Rana's lawyer said Rana had no knowledge of the Mumbai attack and that Headley happened to manipulate Rana’s immigration business as a cover for his visits to Mumbai. In the same interrogation, Rana also testified that Headley may have possibly worked for Lashkar-e-Taiba and at the same time have had links with the ISI, and was involved in militancy in Kashmir
, the newspaper which published the controversial cartoons of prophet Mohammad
. During the subsequent interrogation, it was found out that Rana had traveled to Mumbai
and had stayed in Taj Mahal Palace & Tower
, one of the places which was attacked by terrorists for over four days in November 2008. His trial commenced on May 16, 2011 in Chicago
, Illinois
. However, Rana maintains that he visited India with his wife on the pretext of interviewing people wishing to emigrate to Canada and the US, as part of his immigration consultancy business.
Rana and his family say he is a pacifist and has been duped, cheated and framed by Headley.
support for Lashkar-e-Taiba. On June 9, 2011 jury convicted him of supporting terrorism by providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba
and planning an aborted plot to bomb a Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten. He was acquitted of the third charge of involvement in 2008 Mumbai attacks
. He faces up to 30 years in prison.
Rana's attorney said Rana was "in a state of shock" following the conviction. When he made his way to the court room to hear the verdict, he appeared very tense. Members of his immediate family, including his wife, the two daughters and his mother-in-law were present as well and were seen weeping following the decision.
Pakistani Canadian
- History in Canada :People from the region that would become Pakistan were among the pioneers who migrated from British India to British Columbia at the turn of the century. By 1905, as many as 200 participated in the building of that first community from modern-day Pakistan, which for a time had...
resident of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, USA who was convicted of providing support to banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba
Lashkar-e-Taiba
Lashkar-e-Taiba – also transliterated as Lashkar-i-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Lashkar-i-Taiba, Lashkar Taiba or LeT – is one of the largest and most active militant Islamist terrorist organizations in South Asia, operating mainly from Pakistan.It was founded by Hafiz Muhammad...
and plotting an attack on Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten
Jyllands-Posten
Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten , commonly shortened to Jyllands-Posten or JP, is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper. It is based in Viby, a suburb of Århus, and with a weekday circulation of approximately 120,000 copies, it is among the largest-selling newspaper in Denmark...
.
He was however not found guilty of involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks
2008 Mumbai attacks
The 2008 Mumbai attacks were more than 10 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai, India's largest city, by Islamist attackers who came from Pakistan...
, a charge which he was originally detained for. Expressing disappointment at the verdict the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
stated that National Investigative Agency
National Investigation Agency (India)
National Investigation Agency is a federal agency approved by the Indian Government to combat terror in India. The agency is empowered to deal with terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states. The National Investigation Agency Bill 2008 to create the agency was...
would charge Rana in a court in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.
Personal life
Tahawwur Hussain Rana was born and raised in ChichawatniChichawatni
Chichawatni is a town in the Sahiwal District of the Pakistani province of Punjab. Situated near the Grand Trunk Road, it lies approximately from Sahiwal, the district capital.-Etymology:...
in the province of Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Rana had his education at Cadet College Hasan Abdal
Cadet College Hasan Abdal
Cadet College, Hasan Abdal is a residential high school located in Hasan Abdal, Attock District, Punjab, Pakistan.-History:Cadet College, Hasan Abdal is the first Cadet College in Pakistan and was established by the government of Punjab at the initiative of General Muhammad Ayub Khan, the then...
, a military residential college in Pakistan, before becoming a citizen of Canada. Rana and his wife immigrated to Canada in 1997 and obtained Canadian citizenship in June 2001. Rana and his wife are both physicians by training. Rana has served as a captain general duty practitioner in the Pakistan Army Medical Corps
Pakistan Army Medical Corps
The Pakistan Army Medical Corps, Urdu: ﺁرمى مڈيكل كور; Army medical Core, abbreviated as the AMC, is a military administrative non-combatant staff corps, and a primary military medical command of the Pakistan Army. Initially part of the Indian Army Medical Corps, it was born in 1947 and served...
. He lives primarily in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and owns several businesses including an immigration service agency. He also owns a home in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
where his father and brother stay.
His younger brother Abbas Rana is a journalist with The Hill Times
The Hill Times
The Hill Times is a Canadian weekly newspaper that covers the federal government and politics. Founded in 1989, this Ottawa based periodical is owned by Jim Creskey and Ross Dickson....
who had been reporting on politics and the Canadian parliament for seven years. Abbas says his brother is innocent and has no links with terrorism; "To the best of my knowledge, these charges are false. I know my brother. I love my brother. He’s a man of integrity, he’s honest, and he’s a hard-working person."
Rana's arrest had a devastating impact on the family. Writing under the heading "Why The Hill Times supports its reporter, Abbas Rana," the weekly's publisher said "As I read about his brother’s case in news stories from Chicago, to India, to Canada, I can’t help but notice the innuendo that appears to imply guilt in the reporting on allegations of terrorism."
When the story of Rana'a arrest broke out in American media, the news was kept hidden from his father who is in poor health. His father, who views cable news, was purposely shielded from watching news. When he gradually learned of the story, he became hospitalised.
While still an officer in the Pakistan Army, Rana deserted the country after he declined from taking a posting to the Siachen glacier. Because of this, he was not able to enter Pakistan. He claims that he had contact with Major Iqbal
Major Iqbal
Major Iqbal is a Pakistani national who has been indicted in United States district court in Chicago on April 25, 2011 as an alleged conspirator in 2008 Mumbai attacks. Iqbal occasionally went by the name of Chaudhery Khan. The trial started at a time when U.S. relations with Pakistan were strained...
, an alleged ISI officia, who promised him he would try to get Rana back on Pakistan, on the condition if Rana helped Iqbal’s friend (Headley) get back to Pakistan. Based on this, Rana's lawyer said Rana had no knowledge of the Mumbai attack and that Headley happened to manipulate Rana’s immigration business as a cover for his visits to Mumbai. In the same interrogation, Rana also testified that Headley may have possibly worked for Lashkar-e-Taiba and at the same time have had links with the ISI, and was involved in militancy in Kashmir
Kashmir conflict
The Kashmir conflict is a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir region, the northwesternmost region of South Asia....
Arrest
Rana and his childhood friend David Coleman Headley were charged and arrested on 18 October 2009 for plotting attacks on the offices of Jyllands-PostenJyllands-Posten
Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten , commonly shortened to Jyllands-Posten or JP, is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper. It is based in Viby, a suburb of Århus, and with a weekday circulation of approximately 120,000 copies, it is among the largest-selling newspaper in Denmark...
, the newspaper which published the controversial cartoons of prophet Mohammad
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
. During the subsequent interrogation, it was found out that Rana had traveled to Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and had stayed in Taj Mahal Palace & Tower
Taj Mahal Palace & Tower
The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower is a five-star hotel located in the Colaba region of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, next to the Gateway of India. Part of the Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, this building is considered the flagship property of the group and contains 565 rooms...
, one of the places which was attacked by terrorists for over four days in November 2008. His trial commenced on May 16, 2011 in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. However, Rana maintains that he visited India with his wife on the pretext of interviewing people wishing to emigrate to Canada and the US, as part of his immigration consultancy business.
Rana and his family say he is a pacifist and has been duped, cheated and framed by Headley.
Trial
The opening statements of the trial were made on May 23, 2011 in Chicago. Key testimony at the trial was provided by Governments witness and Rana's childhood friend Headley who also provided details of Pakistan's Inter-Services IntelligenceInter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
support for Lashkar-e-Taiba. On June 9, 2011 jury convicted him of supporting terrorism by providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba
Lashkar-e-Taiba
Lashkar-e-Taiba – also transliterated as Lashkar-i-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Lashkar-i-Taiba, Lashkar Taiba or LeT – is one of the largest and most active militant Islamist terrorist organizations in South Asia, operating mainly from Pakistan.It was founded by Hafiz Muhammad...
and planning an aborted plot to bomb a Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten. He was acquitted of the third charge of involvement in 2008 Mumbai attacks
2008 Mumbai attacks
The 2008 Mumbai attacks were more than 10 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai, India's largest city, by Islamist attackers who came from Pakistan...
. He faces up to 30 years in prison.
Rana's attorney said Rana was "in a state of shock" following the conviction. When he made his way to the court room to hear the verdict, he appeared very tense. Members of his immediate family, including his wife, the two daughters and his mother-in-law were present as well and were seen weeping following the decision.
External links
- Chicago Businessman Tahawwur Hussain Rana Guilty of Providing Material Support to Terror Group and Supporting Role in Denmark Terrorism Conspiracy, FBI press release
- CHICAGOANS TAHAWWUR RANA AND DAVID HEADLEY INDICTED FOR ALLEGED ROLES IN INDIA AND DENMARK TERRORISM CONSPIRACIES;ILYAS KASHMIRI AND RETIRED PAKISTANI MAJOR CHARGED IN DENMARKPLOT, USDOJ statement
- Q&A: Tahawwur Rana trial, BBC, 2011-05-23