How the hasty Afghanistan pull-out by US added to rise in Islamic radicalisation in India

The Al-Qaeda is getting stronger thanks to the backing from the Taliban and this is leading to the problem of radicalisation across the globe

New Delhi, Jun 15: The Al-Qaeda is on overdrive mode and its chief Ayman-al-Zawahiri has released several videos in the past couple of months. The worry however is that most of them are India centric where he comments on India's internal affairs and attempts to instigate Indian Muslims.

For India it is not just the Al-Qaeda which is a worry. With the United States hastily pulling of Afghanistan, the region has been unstable under the rule of the Taliban. This has also led to the strengthening of the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) in Afghanistan. After the Taliban took over several of its leaders were released from prison.

While the ISKP has with the help of Pakistan also targeted the Taliban, the worry is that this group has a hold over many Islamic radicals in India.

The exodus of over 20 persons from Kerala in the past few years was into the ISKP in Afghanistan.

This would basically mean that the Al-Qaeda, ISKP and Muslim Brotherhood have a strong presence in the Indian-Sub Continent. These groups have their proxies in India and they run a radicalisation programme in full force. For instance the proxy for the Al-Qaeda is the Base Movement which is active in Kerala. The Base Movement which follows the Al-Qaeda's ideology aims at targeting the police and judiciary in India, particularly in southern India.

In January 2020, the National Investigation Agency apprehended Bengaluru resident Mehboob Pasha in connection with a case relating to the Al-Hind module being run by Khan Moideen. This ISKP proxy was targeting Hindu leaders apart from recruiting people in South India.

Groups such as the Al-Qaeda in the Sub-Continent have been gaining in strength largely due to backing by Pakistan and the Taliban. An officer explains to OneIndia that the hasty pull out by the US from Afghanistan led to the formation of the Taliban government. The Taliban and Al-Qaeda are know to be close partners for long and hence it became obvious that the government in Afghanistan would help the Al-Qaeda grow.

A report by the UN Security Council's Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team assessed the presence of the Al-Qaeda and Islamic State in Afghanistan. "Member State assessments thus far suggest that Al Qaeda has a safe haven under the Taliban and increased freedom of action. Ayman al-Zawahiri has issued more frequent recorded messages since August, and there is now proof of life for him as recently as February 2022," the report said.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that the statements made by Zawahiri are used by the proxies to radicalise. Such videos have an impact on the minds of many and this results in the easy radicalisation. It works very well for the Al-Qaeda in Jammu and Kashmir, in pockets of Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. This is because there has been a strong history of radicalisation in these areas, officials explain.

The Al-Qaeda has commented on many sensitive issues such as the hijab and Prophet Mohammad comments row. His latest video speaks about how Muslims should adopt prominent jihadis as role models. Officials point out that these calculated statements can not just increase terror strikes across the world, but also lead to the rapid increase of radicalisation in many parts of the world including India.