Name of Organization   SIPAH-E-MUHAMMAD

Formation  

Established-1993

Sipah-e Muhammad is a Shia militant organization established in 1993 by Maulana Abbas Yazdani in order to tackle the militancy of Sipah-e Sahaba Pakistan, after he realized the Shia organization Tehreek-e Jafria would not permit their youth to counter the militancy of Sipah-e Sahaba [1]

Leadership   Founder-Maulana Abbas Yazdani: is the founder of Sipah-e Muhammad. He was assassinated in 1996.

Chief-Ghulam Raza Naqvi is the Saalar-e Aala or chief of Sipah-e Muhammad who is currently in prison on charges of murder.

Leader-Munawar Abbas Alvi is another leader of Sipah-e Muhammad who is in prison as well.
 

School of Thought   Shia 

Structure of the Organization  

Unknown 

Financial Resources  

It is speculated that it has links with Iran. It is also backed by Shia political and religious organizations [2].  

Status  

Proscribed on 14th August 2001 

Recruitment tools & demographics  

Recruitment sources of the organization are unknown but some of the youth from Imamia student organization joined the group, so it is assumed they also play a role in helping recruit other people in the organization.  

Ideology  

The organization was formed to counter Sipah-e Sahaba’s militancy against Shias. 

Areas of Operation   Mainly Punjab

Linkages   The organization is believed to have close links with Iran [3].  
Tools   Unknown 
    Audio / Video:
Unknown 

Social Media:
Unknown 
Facebook:
The group is active on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/SIPAH-E-MUHAMMAD-SAWS-Ghulam-RAZA-Naqvi/189083447783262 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sipah-e-Muhammad-jhang/115503538551933 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sipah-E-Muhammad-Pakistan-SMP/262915707064580 

Twitter
https://twitter.com/SMPKhi110 
https://twitter.com/farazptcl 
https://twitter.com/smppakistan 
 
 
 

web site   http://www.kr-hcy.com/articles/militancy.shtml 
Name Variations   Also known as Army of Muhammad 
 

Who they are

Sipah-e Muhammad is a splinter group of Tehreek-e Jafria Pakistan, formed in order to counter Sipah-e Sahaba’s militancy against the Shia community. It has been involved in a number of militant and terrorist activities including the murder of the founder of Sipah-e Sahaba Pakistan Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi in 1990. The organization was banned by General Pervez Musharraf on 14th August 2001 [4]

History

1993-Sipah-e Muhammad was established in 1993 by Maulana Mureed Abbas Yazdani in order to protect the Shia community from Sipah-e Sahaba’s militant activities and to counter them. Since the group’s formation it has been involved in a number of militant activities, including assassinations of members and leaders of rival groups as well as robberies. The organization is believed to be involved in the attack on a mosque controlled by Sipah-e Sahaba in 2001, which claimed the lives of nine people.
The founder of Sipah-e Muhammad, Maulana Yazdani was murdered in 1996. Ghulam Raza Naqvi is the current chief of the group, who is in prison
[5].

Organization's Message

The outfit claims to protect the interests of the Shia community from rival militants.

Target Audience

The group focuses on people with a Shia school of thought.

Tools

TSipah-e Muhammad uses social media like Facebook and twitter to disseminate its agenda.
Social Media
Following is the Facebook page of Sipah-e Muhammad:


 

This page has 515 likes and with comments

 

The above Facebook page is of Sipah-e Muhammad’s Jhang chapter which has been liked by 899 people

 

Above is the Facebook page of Sipah-e Muhammad’s current leader Ghulam Raza Naqvi, who is currently in prison. The page is liked by 335 people and there are comments on this page of some people who consider Ghulam Raza Naqvi innocent and say he is being treated unfairly, to download complete detail of tools used click here.

 
 

Splinter Groups

N/A

 

References:

[1] Sipah-e Muhammad. SATP. Accessed online from: http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/terroristoutfits/SMP.htm. Date of access: December 5, 2013.

[2] Mujtaba Rathore, Masror Hausen, Amir Rana, Safdar Sial and Abdul Mateen. Profiling the Violence in Karachi. Conflict and Peace Studies, Volume 2, Number 3. July-Sept 2009. Page number 17 

[3] http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/terroristoutfits/SMP.htm

[4] Ibid

[5] Ibid

[6] Sipah-e Muhammad: Facebook. Accessed online from: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sipah-E-Muhammad-Pakistan-SMP/262915707064580. Date of access: December 5, 2013.

[7] Blanchard C. M. (2009). Shia Islam: Development and Basic Tenets. Shia Practices and Core Beliefs. January 28, 2009. Congressional Research Service (CRS). Retrieved on: December 27, 2012.Retrieved from: http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RS21745.pdf