By Rudroneel Ghosh
September 4, 2015
The revelation that the UAE has detained 11 Indians for planning to join the Islamic State (IS) terror group after recently deporting another two with similar motives once again highlights the threat to India’s national security. The men in question were based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and had spent a considerable time in the UAE. They are also accused of trying to recruit, finance and provide logistical support to others willing to join IS.
Clearly, these people have been radicalized during their time in the UAE. The IS propaganda machinery is extremely sophisticated and uses modern tools such as social media to brainwash people and raise recruits. The above mentioned 13 men are in addition to the 17 Indians already known to have joined IS. Given that a substantial Indian-origin community resides in the Middle East, it’s possible that many more Indians may join the jihadi outfit.
The allure isn’t just religion. IS also offers power, sex slaves, money and other forms of wealth to its recruits. Religion is simply a cover for the IS package. In fact, some time back IS had offered fully furnished homes with modern kitchen appliances to its would-be recruits. Such incentives are born out of the modus operandi of the jihadi group which now controls large parts of Syria and Iraq. In these areas substantial portions of the local population have been purged by IS. The latter has also taken over the local administrative machinery and government assets, including official buildings and houses meant for bureaucrats. Such properties are now being offered to jihadi recruits.
The point I am trying to make is that reading the IS phenomenon only through the prism of religion would be a mistake. Sure, religious extremism is a factor. But there are economic factors as well. It’s quite possible that many of the Indian IS recruits were as much motivated by the allure of wealth that they could grab in IS territories as they were by religion.
The question is: How do we deal with Indians joining IS? Admittedly, the number of Indians joining or trying to join IS has been small. Plus, it’s highly unlikely that IS will be able to make serious inroads into India – the jihadi group thrives in chaos. India is certainly not Iraq and Syria, nor is it a Muslim nation. Besides, the Indian Muslim community is rooted in South Asia cultural ethos that is far removed from the Wahhabi ideology of IS. This is not to say there won’t be a handful of misguided people who may be attracted to IS. But these represent the marginal fringe.
That said, IS could certainly carry out lone-wolf terrorist attacks on Indian soil. It could do this through Indians returning home after spending some time with the jihadi group. The Indian security establishment needs to be prepared for such possibilities. In this regard, security agencies would do well to work closely with the Muslim community, identify vulnerable individuals and de-radicalise youths who may have come into contact with IS recruiters. A proactive, sophisticated strategy to counter the IS threat is the need of the hour.
blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/talkingturkey/allure-of-islamic-state-tackling-it-requires-a-sophisticated-strategy/
10:55 PM
Moderate Islamist here
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