Stephen Paster

{{Short description|Alleged member of the Jamaat ul-Fuqra}}

Stephen Paul Paster (born November 1948) is an American from Bronx, New York who has been widely alleged to be a member of the Jamaat ul-Fuqra.{{cite news|last1=Hosenball|first1=Mark|title=Another Holy War, Waged On American Soil|url=http://www.newsweek.com/another-holy-war-waged-american-soil-190202|access-date=January 2, 2017|work=Newsweek|date=February 27, 1994}}{{cite news|last1=Shogreen|first1=Elizabeth|title=Fuqra: A Name For Muslim Terrorism|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19930706/1709695/fuqra-a-name-for-muslim-terrorism|access-date=January 2, 2017|work=Seattle Times|date=July 6, 1993}}{{cite news|title=Rural Muslims Draw New, Unwanted Attention|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/03/us/rural-muslims-draw-new-unwanted-attention.html|access-date=January 2, 2016|work=New York Times|date=January 3, 2002}}{{cite news|title=Paranoia, weapons emerge at Rajneeshee enclave (part 11 of 20)|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/rajneesh/index.ssf/1985/07/paranoia_weapons_emerge_at_raj.html|access-date=January 2, 2017|work=The Oregonian|date=July 10, 1985|ref=oregonian}}

On July 29, 1983, Paster planted and exploded three pipe bombs at the Hotel Rajneesh, a Portland, Oregon hotel then owned by followers of the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. The attack caused $180,000 in damages to the property and severely injured Paster. Though Paster was arrested for the attack, he fled Oregon after being released on bail posted by his wife. The following June he was arrested in Englewood, Colorado and returned to Oregon to face trial for arson. Convicted, Paster was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for his role in the bombing but was released after serving four years.{{cite web|title=198307290006|url=https://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/search/IncidentSummary.aspx?gtdid=198307290006|website=Global Terrorism Database|publisher=University of Maryland|access-date=January 2, 2017}}{{cite book|last1=Combs|first1=Cindy|title=Encyclopedia of Terrorism, Revised Edition|date=2009|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-1438110196|page=152|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H7fT0BQxwDsC}}

Following his release from prison, Paster moved to Lahore, Pakistan and allegedly began teaching "advanced training courses" in guerilla warfare.{{cite web|title=United States: The Jamaat al-Fuqra Threat|url=https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/united-states-jamaat-al-fuqra-threat|website=Stratfor|publisher=Stratfor|access-date=January 2, 2017}}

In addition to the Portland attack, Paster was a leading suspect in two 1984 bombings of Hindu and Vedanta religious sites in Seattle.{{cite web|title=Al-Fuqra Holy Warriors of Terrorism|url=http://archive.adl.org/extremism/moa/al-fuqra.pdf|website=ADL Archive|publisher=Anti-Defamation League|access-date=January 2, 2016}}

Paster is a convert from Judaism to Islam.