Analysing ISIS’ Voice of Hind: How it is being used to provoke Muslims against the government

New Delhi, Oct 23: Voice of Hind, the propaganda digital magazine of the Islamic State has come out with nine editions so far. In every edition, it has sent out a message to the Indian Muslims that they should rise against the government.

In its latest edition, ISIS speaks in detail against the demolition of the Babri Masjid. It also speaks about the acquittals in the case and exhorts the Indian Muslims to wage violent jihad against the Indian government.

In one of its earlier editions, 'Voice of Hind,' has said, "spread coronavirus to as many Kuffars as possible to take them down easily and with less effort." It also speaks about keeping chains, roes and wires and be ready to choke Kuffars and beat them to death.

Tools such as scissors and hammers can be useful. Any sharp object like glass will kill them easily, the magazine also said.

ISIS also has other magazines which are Dabiq and Rumiyah. Those magazines glorified the Caliphat and the good that would come from it. It also spoke about justification of Islamic teaching. However, when it comes to Voice of Hind, which is India centric, there are two intentions. One is the Wilayah of Hind and the other is to instigate the Indian Muslims against the system.

Security analysts that OneIndia spoke with say that the intent of ISIS through this magazine is more towards inciting communal violence. The motive is not mainly to recruit and form modules, but to use the existing system to incite communal tensions. This can be seen from the editions of the magazines that ISIS has released.

During the anti citizenship law protests, the ISIS though this magazine had sought to incite the Muslims. It had similar propaganda material following the Ram Mandir verdict by the Supreme Court. Now, with the Babri Masjid verdict on the acquittals, it has sought to incite the Indian Muslims yet again.

The National Investigation Agency in a chargesheet filed in September had said that the ISIS module was inciting Muslims against non-Muslims. It was also exhorting them to rise against the Indian government.

The analysts cited above say that while setting up of terror modules is also a part of the propaganda, the ISIS in India would prefer to use sensitive issues to create trouble in the country. Setting up modules are relative difficult as they come under the scanner. The primary intention of the ISIS is to create trouble and incite the Muslims against the non-Muslims. In a nut shell, they want the Muslims to unite and fan violence.

When, ISIS speaks about the Wilayah of Hind, it means the setting up of a province.

It feels that it could set up such a province only when there is widespread communal violence, which would unite the Muslims, following which they would subscribe to its ideology.

While charging Jahanzaib Sami, Hina Bashir Beigh, Abdullah Basith, Sadiya Anwar Shaikh and Nabeel Siddick Khatri, the NIA said that the accused persons were in constant touch with the ISIS operatives based out of both Afghanistan and Syria. Based on the instructions given to them, they prepared a magazine called 'Voice of Hind'. The intent was to incite Muslims against Non- Muslims and exhort them to rise against the Government of India and join ISIS.

The magazine eulogised ISIS/ISKP terrorists including Huzaifa-al-Bakistani who was killed in July 2019 in a drone strike in Afghanistan and denigrates the Indian Constitution and democratic system.

Further the accused conspired to utilise the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests to instigate Muslims against the Indian Government by coining seditious slogans and making graffiti at public places and highlighting the same on social and international media.

They were also provoking some gullible youth to participate in anti-CAA protests actively.

In case these protests failed to provoke the Muslims, they were planning to destroy government buildings and public property in a bid to instigate the people to indulge in rioting. They also aimed at exploiting Muslim sentiments, the NIA had also said.