The educated Islamic terrorist: Kashmir now follows the global trend

New Delhi, July 9: On Sunday, July 8, the death anniversary of Burhan Wani, the Hizbul Mujahideen proclaimed that the younger brother of an IPS officer had joined the outfit in Kashmir. The outfit went on to release more pictures of those who had joined the outfit in the past few months. In all there were at least a dozen images of new recruits which were circulated by the Hizbul Mujahideen on July 8.

Among the photos released, one is of Shamshul Haq Mengnoo, the younger brother of an IPS officer, posted in the Northeast. Shamsul, who dropped out of college joined the outfit in May, following which his parents had filed a missing complaint.

The outfit also released images of new recruits from Shopian, Kulgam, Anantnag and Pulwama.

Images of four others from Handwara, Kupwara and Baramulla and one from Budgam were also released by the outfit. The images also include one of Irfan Rashid Dar, a 22 year old special police officer from Pulwama, who had gone missing with his service rifle on June 26.

The new Hizbul recruits include Adfar Fayaz of Gulshanpora Tral, Shearaz Ahmad Bhat of Kralwari Chadoora in Budgam, Liyakat Ahmad Lone of Harwan Sopore, Adil Ahmad Pall of Maldera Shopian, Zahoor Ahmad Mir of Thayan Kalaroos in Kupwara, Tariq Ahmad Bhat of Khasipora, Shopian; Irfan Rasheed Dar of Lilopora Nehama and Abdul Gani Khaja of Kralgund Kupwara.

Not just the Hizbul Mujahideen, but even the Lashkar-e-Tayiba had circulated information about two youth Zahid Ahmad Bhat of Dabrgama Pulwama and Arshid Khan of Ganapora Shopian joining them.

The rise of the educated terrorist:

If one closely observes the pattern, it is clear that more educated youth are taking to terror in the Valley. Incidentally Shamshul is the fourth highly educated terrorist to join a terror group. In January, a 26-year-old PhD scholar Manan Bashir Wani of Kupwara left Aligarh Muslim University to join Hizbul.

In March, Junaid Ahmad Khan, 26, son of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat chief Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai took up the gun. Khan had done Masters Degree in Business Administration from Kashmir University.

Meanwhile, a youth Abid Hussain Bhat hailing from Sazan village in Doda has reportedly joined militancy.

The fact that more educated terrorists are emerging is a worrying sign. It must be noted that at least 62 per cent of the Islamic terrorists are educated. Take the case of the Dhaka attackers of Kafeel Ahmed, the Glasgow bomber. All of them were highly educated and came from a good background.

Even two-thirds of the 9/11 attackers were educated.

Several surveys have shown that 62 per cent of today's terrorists have had a decent education and brought up in well to do homes.

Why are educated terrorists preferred:

Terrorist groups while recruiting give the first preference to the Engineers. This is due to the fact that Engineers have technical expertise and would help in high profile operations. While this is a technicality, why would a well educated person who has no dearth of money enter into the world of terror?

A document titled Radicalisation of Muslims in the United Kingdom states that the age at which a Muslims becomes radical is at 21 years. Further the document states that a Muslim is vulnerable to radicalisation between the ages of 16 and 34.

It makes it clear that poverty or lack of education are not the reasons for terrorism. It is the thinking mind which takes up to terrorism as they are in a position to analyse and interpret things.

The report states that there are a couple of reasons for radicalisation. The educated youth feel that it is the Western Policy that has led to Islam being under siege. Further the death of a loved one is one of the causes. Ten per cent have taken to terror after a life trauma. Criminal records is one more reason. It has been found that 2/3rds of the Muslim prisoners who are not religious get radicalised while in jail.