Indian Muslims not involved with al-Qaeda

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, July 29: National Security Advisor (NSA) M K Narayanan has assertively dismissed the speculation that after the botched London bombings and the suicide attack on Glasgow airport, there were credible reasons to believe that the Indian Muslim diaspora was involved with dreaded terror outfit al-Qaeda.

''I think this is being overblown tremendously. Kafeel Ahmed is a young man who was inveigled. It's obvious that the London and Glasgow bombings are botched attempts. Somebody has been instigated on a short term (basis),'' Mr Narayanan said.

He, however, revealed that the al-Qaeda was keen to ''punch a hole'' in the Indian Muslim community and ''on a couple of occasions they have come and done a recce and gone back...but the programme on which they worked never worked out...They've not yet done something.'' In an interview with Karan Thapar for CNBC's India Tonight programme, Mr Narayanan also said his worst fear was a collpase of communal harmony in the country.

''My worst fear is that our USP - our multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious society, an inclusive society - may get disturbed if more and more incidents of this kind take place and if people talk of the Indian Muslim being behind it.'' He said it might disturb what he felt was ''a very very comfortable relationship the minorities in India have with the rest of the country.'' Elaborating, the NSA said al-Qaeda was scouting more and more recruits across the globe and they would like to punch a hole in the Indian Muslim community.

''They see this as a setback or failure as far as the Indian Muslim community is concerned...We are all the time on the look out for al-Qaeda movements.'' He said there was a team which had come once to India and done a recce and gone back but the programme on which they worked did not materialise.

''The fact they may carry out forays in India is something we are prepared to guard against,'' he added.

Mr. Narayanan also said that while ''a few bad men'' could be involved with al-Qaeda, it would be wrong to talk of 'the Indian Muslim'.

''My impression is there is no Indian Muslim in one of these (al Qaeda) camps. Sometimes an odd individual might be instigated to do something. I think one should be very careful about using the term the Indian Muslim.

''I think the Indian Muslim is far better integrated than the immigrant Muslim in the UK or elsewhere. You can always find a few bad men rather than talking about them as Indian Muslims.''

UNI

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