Abdul Hameed, Abdul Azeez Makhdoom and Abdul Hakeem Makhdoom launched the Islamic Party of Turkistan in 1940. After being set free from prison in 1979, Abdul Hakeem founded a number of religious schools, including one in
Karghalik, at which Hasan Mahsum studied from 1984 to 1989. Mahsum, a native of Shule (Kunixar) County, became involved with the
East Turkestan independence movement early in his life; in his late 20s, he was already a lecturer at a training camp in
Yecheng County, preaching
Jihad and advocating the use of violence against Chinese authorities. Mahsum reportedly took part in the
Barin uprising in April 1990. He was detained by authorities in Kashgar on May 8, 1990 and was released on November23, 1991. In July 1993, he was imprisoned again for organizing an unlawful assembly commerorating his late teacher Abdul Hakeem. In February 1995, he was transferred to a labor camp and released in April 1996. During the Chinese government “strike hard” campaigns in August 1996, Mahsum was again detained until September 1996. After his release from prison, Mahsum traveled from
Ürümqi to
Beijing and finally to
Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia in January 1997. During his stay in Jeddah from January to March 1997, Mahsum tried to recruit members of the Uyghur community and wealthy businessmen to join his jihad against Beijing. He received little support in Jeddah. From March to April 1997, Mahsum travelled to
Pakistan and from April to May 1997 he travelled to
Turkey to recruit for his cause. Both trips failed to yield recruits for his cause. After the Turkey trip, Mahsum along with a small group of followers travelled to Afghanistan where he was able to network with the Islamists and jihadists. In September 1997, Hasan Mahsum and his deputy Abudukadir Yapuquan established the East Turkistan Islamic Party (ETIP) in Pakistan. After fleeing China in 1997 to Mecca, Mahsum joined the Taliban and lived in Afghanistan and Pakistan; he held an Afghan passport issued by the
Taliban. In early 1999, he was said to have met with
Osama bin Laden, who offered him US$300,000 of financial assistance for the East Turkestan Islamic Movement in the following year; Mahsum himself denied any connection with bin Laden. The Chinese government has accused him of directing a series of violent terrorist activities including robbery and murder in
Ürümqi on February 4, 1999 and violent murders in the
Khotan region on December 14, 1999; it is believed that these attacks were carried out by an operative of his named Mutalif Kasim. == Death ==