ISIS Operative Abu Yusuf's Arrest Should Be an Eye-Opener for Indian Muslims: Role of Ulema in preventing radicalisation
New
Age Islam Special Correspondent
24 August
2020
The ulema have to play an important role in
preventing Muslim youth from being influenced by the extremist and destructive
ideology. A counter campaign against the ISIS propaganda and the extremist
magazine Voice of Hind should be launched by the ulema. But they should
understand that mere rhetoric and platitudes of the kind they have been
spouting for so long will not work. It’s obvious from our experience of the
last decades that their fatwas have failed to act as counter-terrorism tools.
Preventing radicalization is a serious business and ulema should go deep into
the reasons why their platitudinous and hackneyed fatwas do not work.
ISIS Operative Abu Yusuf
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The arrest
of alleged ISIS operative Abu Yusuf from Delhi - Haryana border two days ago is
a grim reminder that the influence of the ISIS in India cannot be ignored.
According to newspaper reports, he was planning lone wolf attacks in New Delhi.
Improvised devices and explosives have reportedly been recovered from him. The
details are yet to come but the Muslims should also keep in mind that the ISIS
is trying to make a dent into the Indian Muslim society by exploiting their
social insecurity and their sense of victimhood in the country in the backdrop
of some recent developments that bear religious and political significance for
them.
The ISIS
has launched an online magazine named Voice of Hind in which the Muslim youth
are cajoled and incited to conduct lone wolf attacks. It has been an strategy
of the terrorist organisations including Al Qaida to incite Muslim youth to
conduct lone wolf attacks with whatever tools they can afford. In this way,
they have tried to create unrest and social strife in Muslim minority
societies. This cannot benefit Muslims in the least. On the contrary, it will
turn Muslims into criminals and terrorists without any positive or creative
goal in life. These extremist organisations only cause civil strife because
through civil strife only they can achieve their goals.
Wife of suspected ISIS operative Abu Yusuf. (ANI Photo)
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The arrest
of Abu Yusuf should be seen from that perspective. The ISIS may inspire Indian
Muslim youth to conduct lone wolf attack through its magazine Voice of Hind.
The modus
operandi of the ISIS is to first cause social strife in the name of seemingly just
causes and then take advantage of the chaotic situation to control the mob.
This happened in Iraq and Syria during the Arab Spring when they turned public
protests against corruption and government apathy towards the common people
into a civil and sectarian war and then established their so-called Caliphate.
In India people have been protesting against government's policies that they
consider unjust and harmful for them.
The ISIS
sees an opportunity in this situation to turn these protests into a civil
strife and help the enemies of India to cause damage to it through internal
strife because they have not been able to harm it militarily. The ISIS has a
firm footing in Afghanistan where the Taliban has been harbouring and
sheltering them.
Alleged ISIS operative 'Abu Yusuf' (in green shirt).
----
And
Pakistan supports Taliban as its policy of strategic depth. It's a known fact
that Pakistan has been using terrorist organisations in Pakistan and
Afghanistan to conduct terrorist attacks in India. Indian government and Indian
Muslims need to remain vigilant against the ISIS so that it cannot radicalise
Indian Muslims and destroy the peace and harmony of the country.
The ulema
have to play an important role in preventing the Muslim youth from being
influenced by the extremist and destructive ideology. A counter campaign
against the ISIS propaganda and the extremist magazine Voice of Hind should be
launched by the ulema. But they should understand that mere rhetoric and
platitudes of the kind they have been spouting will not work. It’s obvious from
our experience of the last decades that their fatwas have failed to act as
counter-terrorism tools. Preventing radicalization is a serious business and
ulema should go deep into the reasons why their platitudinous and hackneyed
fatwas do not work.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/radical-islamism-jihad/isis-operative-abu-yusuf-arrest/d/122708
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