The Islamic State in Pakistan&nbsp;

 
Since November 2016, the Islamic State has increased its activity in Pakistan. The terrorist organisation killed 144 citizens and injured more than 300, almost all of them innocent civilians. This is a worrying sign of the group&#39;s increased activity in the country.

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The Islamic State in Pakistan killed 144 people from November 2016 to February 2017. (WION)
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&quot;Several groups in the region&nbsp;have been engaged, one way or the other, by the Islamic State,&quot; says Khadim Hussain, a Pakistani author and counter-terrorism expert. &quot;All these groups actually belong to the Pakistani Taliban. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) established an organized cell of IS which was later acknowledged through a video message by Abu Bakr-al Baghdadi.&quot;&nbsp;

TTP is the umbrella organisation where almost all Pakistan&#39;s terror groups converge. &nbsp;

In 2014, The Express Tribune reported that a representative of the Islamic State visited the Balochistan-based terror group Jundallah whose spokesperson said the purpose of the visit was to assess the possibility for the Islamic State to establish a presence in Pakistan.

The IS in Pakistan is not a foreign presence though. There is no relevant influx of militants abandoning West Asia&#39;s battlefields to start over in Pakistan. It is a local network made of groups who are unsatisfied with the Pakistani Taliban leadership and fascinated by the IS&#39; territorial acquisitions. &nbsp;

&quot;If we, for instance, take the case of the Khyber Agency in Pakistan where Lashkar-e-Islam was active long time ago, we see that nowadays most of IS fighters present in the neighbouring Afghan province of Nangarhar belonged to Lashkar-e-Islam,&quot; says Hussain.&nbsp;

Control of territory is probably the most appealing factor: Pakistani Taliban exercises control over certain areas of Pakistan, mainly on the Afghan border, but they are still a non-state actor. They have never succeeded in becoming &#39;the state&#39;.&nbsp;

&quot;The IS now an organised structure (in Pakistan). There are cells present in the north-west, in the east and in the south but an&nbsp;organised structure has been established in the border&nbsp;areas of Afghanistan. As far as the narrative is concerned, the individuals, the cells and the organised structure, the IS perhaps has enough presence in Pakistan,&quot; says Hussain.&nbsp;

The Islamic State is like a brand, anyone who is in line with its narrative can adopt it. Its central leadership often publicly recognises new affiliated groups, showing a capability of responding and addressing quickly to their global partners. In doing so, they normally do not impose their men from the centre, but rather rely on local networks. &nbsp;

&quot;The Islamic State adapts to the context. In Pakistan they have local members, speaking the local language&nbsp;and they know&nbsp;and follow&nbsp;local traditions,&quot; says&lrm; Ijaz Khan, counter-terrorism policy consultant and professor at the University of Peshawar. &quot;IS is the next level of Islamist extremism, it is the first strongly pan-Islamic organisation. Al-Qaida&nbsp;has definitely become secondary to them.&quot;&nbsp;

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The five deadliest terror attacks in Pakistan caused 345 victims. (WION)
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Fighters might not come from West Asia, but money does!&nbsp;

Every terrorist group needs to buy equipment, protection and must pay salaries. The Islamic State in Pakistan makes no exception.&nbsp;

&quot;Reports of individuals who belong to the Islamic State or who are very close to it tell us that a large part of the money is transferred from the base of IS in the Middle-East. These are not small amount of funds, one can assume that 40 per cent of this&nbsp;money comes from criminal activities like kidnapping and extortion,&quot; says Hussain.

&quot;There can be many ways to bring money to Pakistan, but perhaps one of the most common is through &quot;Hundis&quot;. This mode of transferring money is yet to be arrested completely in the country,&quot; Hussain adds.&nbsp;

Hundis are bills of exchange, widely used by emigrants to send back remittances. This system is very common in South Asia, it operates through family or community connections and relies on trusted middlemen working outside the official bank circuit. It does not leave any track, making it a perfect way to avoid taxation and questioning. &nbsp;

Even if Hundi is formally illegal in Pakistan, it is a consolidated and ancient tradition and people value its secrecy and velocity. The Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported that in 2015 &quot;as much as $15bn has been transacted through hundi and hawala in a year. The actual volume could actually be double the projected figure as reliable data is not available.&quot;&nbsp;

The tens of thousands Madrasas across the country could also play a role in funding terrorist activities.&nbsp;

&quot;There is also, perhaps, the probability that funds are transferred to Madrasas and from there they are channelled to IS cells. There have been reports of many madrasas in Pakistan, and even in Islamabad which has&nbsp;been accused of collecting money and then sending them to fighters,&quot; says Hussain.&nbsp;

Following and stopping the money will be way more effective than military actions. The problem is that it could also expose high profile individuals who got corrupted to cover ambiguous financial operations.&nbsp;

Organised force is not enough&nbsp;

 
After the recent<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/at-least-72-killed-in-blast-at-sufi-shrine-in-pakistan-12484"> Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Sufi shrine attack</a>, the Pakistani army launched a<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/after-attack-on-shrine-pak-army-says-over-100-terrorists-killed-12511"> large-scale offensive</a>. According to the military establishment, they killed more than 100 terrorists. There has been no&nbsp;attempt to verify this claim, nor to understand who was actually killed and the groups involved. &nbsp;

On February 22nd the army upscaled the game and launched operation<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-army-launches-nationwide-counter-terrorism-operation-12702"> Radd-ul-Fasaad</a>, with the aim of &quot;indiscriminately eliminating residual/latent threat of terrorism, consolidating gains of operations made thus far and further ensuring security of the borders.&rdquo;&nbsp;

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Suicide attacks in Pakistan have been more deadly in 2016 than in 2015 (WION)
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&nbsp;

The risk, once again, is that the Pakistani army and intelligence agencies will differentiate between good and bad terrorists attacking IS affiliated groups and not touching others. &nbsp;

This has always been a losing strategy and the many attacks which keep&nbsp;taking place in Pakistan provide strong evidence. According to the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) in 2016 there have been 441 terrorist attacks, claiming 908 lives. Despite a decline in the overall number of attacks, the PIPS report shows that &quot;the number of people killed by Taliban and other groups with similar objectives increased by over 10 per cent.&quot; The same seems to be happening in 2017: in less then two months five major attacks specifically directed against civilians killed at least 130 people.&nbsp;

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2016 has seen a decrease in the overall number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan. (WION)
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&nbsp;

&quot;States of the region should not look at a phenomenon of competing forces. They should not think that the IS is going to compete against Al Qaida or that the IS competes against the Afghan Taliban,&quot; says Khadim Hussain. &quot;All these organisations converge on few points: they all believe in the necessity to establish a global Khilafat (Caliphate). They also share the same opinion on what is called the &#39;clash of civilisations&#39;. They truly believe it is Islam versus the West. Finally they all agree on the fact that jihadism must be the mode of fighting for Islam,&quot; says Hussain.

The Islamic State functions like a brand, whoever is ready to embrace its ideology is considered an affiliate. A military defeat is necessary, but the difficult battle will be in countering <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/the-intimate-invitation-deciphering-the-ideological-appeal-of-the-islamic-state-12128">their theological and ideological</a> production which is&nbsp;currently&nbsp;global and very appealing.

&quot;The only solution for a long term dissolution of these terror networks is the construction of an alternative narrative. This has to happen alongside the use of force to destroy their bases&nbsp;and training camps and to cut out their supply routes,&quot; Hussain declares.&nbsp;

(WION)

The Islamic State has seamlessly integrated itself in Pakistan society

The Islamic State in Pakistan Since November 2016, the Islamic State has increased its activity in Pakistan. The terrorist organisation killed 144 citizens and injured more than 300, almost all of them innocent civilians. This is a worrying sign of the group's increased activity in the country. The Islamic State in Pakistan killed 144 people from November 2016 to February 2017. (WION) × "Several groups in the region have been engaged, one way or the other, by the Islamic State," says Khadim Hussain, a Pakistani author and counter-terrorism expert. "All these groups actually belong to the Pakistani Taliban. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) established an organized cell of IS which was later acknowledged through a video message by Abu Bakr-al Baghdadi." TTP is the umbrella organisation where almost all Pakistan's terror groups converge. In 2014, The Express Tribune reported that a representative of the Islamic State visited the Balochistan-based terror group Jundallah whose spokesperson said the purpose of the visit was to assess the possibility for the Islamic State to establish a presence in Pakistan. The IS in Pakistan is not a foreign presence though. There is no relevant influx of militants abandoning West Asia's battlefields to start over in Pakistan. It is a local network made of groups who are unsatisfied with the Pakistani Taliban leadership and fascinated by the IS' territorial acquisitions. "If we, for instance, take the case of the Khyber Agency in Pakistan where Lashkar-e-Islam was active long time ago, we see that nowadays most of IS fighters present in the neighbouring Afghan province of Nangarhar belonged to Lashkar-e-Islam," says Hussain. Control of territory is probably the most appealing factor: Pakistani Taliban exercises control over certain areas of Pakistan, mainly on the Afghan border, but they are still a non-state actor. They have never succeeded in becoming 'the state'. "The IS now an organised structure (in Pakistan). There are cells present in the north-west, in the east and in the south but an organised structure has been established in the border areas of Afghanistan. As far as the narrative is concerned, the individuals, the cells and the organised structure, the IS perhaps has enough presence in Pakistan," says Hussain. The Islamic State is like a brand, anyone who is in line with its narrative can adopt it. Its central leadership often publicly recognises new affiliated groups, showing a capability of responding and addressing quickly to their global partners. In doing so, they normally do not impose their men from the centre, but rather rely on local networks. "The Islamic State adapts to the context. In Pakistan they have local members, speaking the local language and they know and follow local traditions," says‎ Ijaz Khan, counter-terrorism policy consultant and professor at the University of Peshawar. "IS is the next level of Islamist extremism, it is the first strongly pan-Islamic organisation. Al-Qaida has definitely become secondary to them." The five deadliest terror attacks in Pakistan caused 345 victims. (WION) × Fighters might not come from West Asia, but money does! Every terrorist group needs to buy equipment, protection and must pay salaries. The Islamic State in Pakistan makes no exception. "Reports of individuals who belong to the Islamic State or who are very close to it tell us that a large part of the money is transferred from the base of IS in the Middle-East. These are not small amount of funds, one can assume that 40 per cent of this money comes from criminal activities like kidnapping and extortion," says Hussain. "There can be many ways to bring money to Pakistan, but perhaps one of the most common is through "Hundis". This mode of transferring money is yet to be arrested completely in the country," Hussain adds. Hundis are bills of exchange, widely used by emigrants to send back remittances. This system is very common in South Asia, it operates through family or community connections and relies on trusted middlemen working outside the official bank circuit. It does not leave any track, making it a perfect way to avoid taxation and questioning. Even if Hundi is formally illegal in Pakistan, it is a consolidated and ancient tradition and people value its secrecy and velocity. The Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported that in 2015 "as much as $15bn has been transacted through hundi and hawala in a year. The actual volume could actually be double the projected figure as reliable data is not available." The tens of thousands Madrasas across the country could also play a role in funding terrorist activities. "There is also, perhaps, the probability that funds are transferred to Madrasas and from there they are channelled to IS cells. There have been reports of many madrasas in Pakistan, and even in Islamabad which has been accused of collecting money and then sending them to fighters," says Hussain. Following and stopping the money will be way more effective than military actions. The problem is that it could also expose high profile individuals who got corrupted to cover ambiguous financial operations. Organised force is not enough After the recent Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Sufi shrine attack, the Pakistani army launched a large-scale offensive. According to the military establishment, they killed more than 100 terrorists. There has been no attempt to verify this claim, nor to understand who was actually killed and the groups involved. On February 22nd the army upscaled the game and launched operation Radd-ul-Fasaad, with the aim of "indiscriminately eliminating residual/latent threat of terrorism, consolidating gains of operations made thus far and further ensuring security of the borders.” Suicide attacks in Pakistan have been more deadly in 2016 than in 2015 (WION) × The risk, once again, is that the Pakistani army and intelligence agencies will differentiate between good and bad terrorists attacking IS affiliated groups and not touching others. This has always been a losing strategy and the many attacks which keep taking place in Pakistan provide strong evidence. According to the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) in 2016 there have been 441 terrorist attacks, claiming 908 lives. Despite a decline in the overall number of attacks, the PIPS report shows that "the number of people killed by Taliban and other groups with similar objectives increased by over 10 per cent." The same seems to be happening in 2017: in less then two months five major attacks specifically directed against civilians killed at least 130 people. 2016 has seen a decrease in the overall number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan. (WION) × "States of the region should not look at a phenomenon of competing forces. They should not think that the IS is going to compete against Al Qaida or that the IS competes against the Afghan Taliban," says Khadim Hussain. "All these organisations converge on few points: they all believe in the necessity to establish a global Khilafat (Caliphate). They also share the same opinion on what is called the 'clash of civilisations'. They truly believe it is Islam versus the West. Finally they all agree on the fact that jihadism must be the mode of fighting for Islam," says Hussain. The Islamic State functions like a brand, whoever is ready to embrace its ideology is considered an affiliate. A military defeat is necessary, but the difficult battle will be in countering their theological and ideological production which is currently global and very appealing. "The only solution for a long term dissolution of these terror networks is the construction of an alternative narrative. This has to happen alongside the use of force to destroy their bases and training camps and to cut out their supply routes," Hussain declares. (WION)

Islamic State in Pakistan: 'Hundis' and extortion fuels terror network

Maldivians are in the thick of action in the Syrian theatre of war. They swell the ranks of both the Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra Front, the al-Qaeda branch in Syria.&nbsp;

Yes, there are citizens leaving one of the most beautiful places on earth to fight and often die in the harsh deserts of West&nbsp;Asia, thousands of kilometres from home. &nbsp;

There are no official figures, but according to former Maldivian President Nasheed, now living in exile in London, there could be as many as 200 Maldivians fighting in Syria. The figure is also cited in a report that appeared on the Jamestown Foundation&#39;s Terrorism Monitor.&nbsp;If this number is true, the Maldives turns out to be the largest per capita contributor of foreign fighters to the Syrian jihad. &nbsp;

The current government, after avoiding the issue for quite some time, was forced to admit during a parliament session in 2014 that there were surely more than seven Maldivians who are fighting in Syria of which strong proofs exist.&nbsp;Six of them have already died. &nbsp;

In April 2015, the Maldives&#39; Counter-Terrorism Centre said the figure was most likely in double digits.&nbsp;

The contention over numbers could be attributed to political rivalries.&nbsp;But what is absolutely certain is that some Maldivians are fighting in foreign terrorist organisations and that these groups think that the archipelago is a land for recruitment and possible action in future. This is a&nbsp;threat the paradise islands have&nbsp;never experienced before.&nbsp;

A recent propaganda video, published by the Jabat al-Nusra&#39;s BiladAlSham media arm, shows flames burning prominent Maldivian statesmen and a man shooting at pictures of the last three presidents of the country. &nbsp;

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Former Maldives&#39; president is shown burning in a Jabat al-Nusra propaganda video. (Others)
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&nbsp;

Another BiladAlSham video shows a man in Syria&#39;s Idlib province who recalls the stories of fighters and thanks&nbsp;them for their contribution&nbsp;to jihad - the holy war.

&quot;And from them particularly we will remember our brother Abdul Hassan al Maldifi (Rahimahullah),&quot; shows the subtitle in English. The Maldivian terrorist is portrayed as a hero for blowing himself up in an explosive-laden vehicle. His action helped the terrorists enter Idlib.&nbsp;

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Maldives national Abdul Hassan al Maldifi appearing in an al-Nusra propaganda video. (Others)
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&nbsp;

Abdul Hassan al Maldifi appears also in a second propaganda video in the company of other Maldivian nationals.&nbsp;

Both videos are translated into English and Dhivehi, the official Maldivian language.&nbsp;

On The Ground media, an organisation managed by controversial Syria-based American journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem, also shows&nbsp;the presence of Maldivians within the al-Nusra ranks. He was able to spend time with some Maldivians fighting in Syria, exploring their motivations and daily lives. One of the series of videos show&nbsp;Abu Younes&nbsp;with his one-year-old daughter.&nbsp;

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Maldivian foreign fighter Abu Younes in Syria with his one-year-old daughter. (Others)
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&nbsp;

While the majority of Maldivian terrorists seems to be fighting for the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly al-Nusra), there are evidences of at least one of them fighting with the Islamic State. He appears on an obituary published by Haqqu&nbsp;media centre which describes him as &quot;the first among the few Maldivian muhajideen (one who fights the holy war) to Dawlat Al-Islam (IS).&quot;&nbsp;

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Screenshot of Haqqu Media Center showing a young Maldivians fighting for the Islamic State. (Others)
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&nbsp;

The presence of young Maldivians within terrorist ranks is probably linked to a wave of radicalisation that the country is undergoing.&nbsp;

There is an increasing presence of small religious organisations and radical preachers, mostly educated in Saudi Arabia, who are spreading a Wahhabi version of Islam in the archipelago. &nbsp;

Wahhabism, a school of Sunni Islam, whether one shares its views or not, may not necessarily be a problem per se. It is one of the different interpretations of Islam and any Muslim is free to decide to embrace it. But&nbsp;while one can not say that Wahhabism is the source of terrorism, it is difficult to deny that all main terrorist Islamist organisations draw extensively from its doctrine, especially when it comes to justifying and legitimising violence in the name of jihad.&nbsp;

But what did pave&nbsp;the way for Wahabbism, a foreign import, in the traditionally tolerant and moderate Maldives?&nbsp;

&quot;One of the main reasons behind radicalisation is that there is no religious alternative,&quot; says Azra Naseem, radicalisation expert and postdoctoral research fellow at Dublin City University. &nbsp;

The country does not have different Islamic schools debating and challenging each other&#39;s interpretations, there is no religious confrontation. This adds to the fact that the population follows Sunni Islam entirely, a common ground which helps the many Saudi or Saudi-educated Wahhabi preachers to gain ground.&nbsp;

Saudi Arabia is also the present Maldivian government&#39;s major ally in preserving the archipelago&#39;s Sunni identity: the Kingdom is funding mosques, distributing massive quantities of dates during Ramzan, sending scholars for conferences and providing scholarships to students from Maldives. It has also become the biggest economic partner and is pouring millions of dollars into Male&#39;s coffers. &nbsp;

All factors come together to help&nbsp;the Saudi Wahhabi doctrine to penetrate and become an authoritative voice in the Maldivian society. &nbsp;

This does not mean that the archipelago has suddenly become an intolerant, extremist and unsafe country.&nbsp;But it is surely going through a churn. A significant part of the population remains open and keeps practising a tolerant version of Islam.&nbsp;

The shift is clearly visible though.&nbsp;Walking on the street of Mal&eacute;, one can nowadays see shops selling so called &#39;halal&#39; perfumes, &#39;halal&#39; literature, all sort of &#39;halal&#39; goods which have never been there before. Speaking to WION, a Maldivian in his thirties,&nbsp;who prefers to remain anonimous for safety concerns, recalled how, during his school days, the word &#39;Wahhabi&#39;&nbsp;was often used as an insult.&nbsp;Now it is used as a norm, as a common word which describes a category of believers.

The Maldivian government takes little action to tackle radicalisation. Neither does it encourage a culture of debate. For instance, inviting prominent Muslim scholars promoting other versions of Islam could be one of the many ways to counter the problem. &nbsp;

Instead, the government often dismisses radicalisation as a mere political accusation levelled at Male by foreign powers to discourage tourists from visiting. The real aim, apparently, is to topple current President&nbsp;Abdulla Yameen. &nbsp;

Living in denial means letting the problem grow.&nbsp;More young Maldivians risk the prospect of being lured by Islamist terrorist groups. This is not just a threat for Maldives but also the lands where these misguided young men may travel to.&nbsp;

(WION)

Certain reports place their number at 200, making the Maldives the largest per capita contributor of foreign fighters to the Syrian jihad

Maldivians are in the thick of action in the Syrian theatre of war. They swell the ranks of both the Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra Front, the al-Qaeda branch in Syria. Yes, there are citizens leaving one of the most beautiful places on earth to fight and often die in the harsh deserts of West Asia, thousands of kilometres from home. There are no official figures, but according to former Maldivian President Nasheed, now living in exile in London, there could be as many as 200 Maldivians fighting in Syria. The figure is also cited in a report that appeared on the Jamestown Foundation's Terrorism Monitor. If this number is true, the Maldives turns out to be the largest per capita contributor of foreign fighters to the Syrian jihad. The current government, after avoiding the issue for quite some time, was forced to admit during a parliament session in 2014 that there were surely more than seven Maldivians who are fighting in Syria of which strong proofs exist. Six of them have already died. In April 2015, the Maldives' Counter-Terrorism Centre said the figure was most likely in double digits. The contention over numbers could be attributed to political rivalries. But what is absolutely certain is that some Maldivians are fighting in foreign terrorist organisations and that these groups think that the archipelago is a land for recruitment and possible action in future. This is a threat the paradise islands have never experienced before. A recent propaganda video, published by the Jabat al-Nusra's BiladAlSham media arm, shows flames burning prominent Maldivian statesmen and a man shooting at pictures of the last three presidents of the country. Former Maldives' president is shown burning in a Jabat al-Nusra propaganda video. (Others) × Another BiladAlSham video shows a man in Syria's Idlib province who recalls the stories of fighters and thanks them for their contribution to jihad - the holy war. "And from them particularly we will remember our brother Abdul Hassan al Maldifi (Rahimahullah)," shows the subtitle in English. The Maldivian terrorist is portrayed as a hero for blowing himself up in an explosive-laden vehicle. His action helped the terrorists enter Idlib. Maldives national Abdul Hassan al Maldifi appearing in an al-Nusra propaganda video. (Others) × Abdul Hassan al Maldifi appears also in a second propaganda video in the company of other Maldivian nationals. Both videos are translated into English and Dhivehi, the official Maldivian language. On The Ground media, an organisation managed by controversial Syria-based American journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem, also shows the presence of Maldivians within the al-Nusra ranks. He was able to spend time with some Maldivians fighting in Syria, exploring their motivations and daily lives. One of the series of videos show Abu Younes with his one-year-old daughter. Maldivian foreign fighter Abu Younes in Syria with his one-year-old daughter. (Others) × While the majority of Maldivian terrorists seems to be fighting for the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly al-Nusra), there are evidences of at least one of them fighting with the Islamic State. He appears on an obituary published by Haqqu media centre which describes him as "the first among the few Maldivian muhajideen (one who fights the holy war) to Dawlat Al-Islam (IS)." Screenshot of Haqqu Media Center showing a young Maldivians fighting for the Islamic State. (Others) × The presence of young Maldivians within terrorist ranks is probably linked to a wave of radicalisation that the country is undergoing. There is an increasing presence of small religious organisations and radical preachers, mostly educated in Saudi Arabia, who are spreading a Wahhabi version of Islam in the archipelago. Wahhabism, a school of Sunni Islam, whether one shares its views or not, may not necessarily be a problem per se. It is one of the different interpretations of Islam and any Muslim is free to decide to embrace it. But while one can not say that Wahhabism is the source of terrorism, it is difficult to deny that all main terrorist Islamist organisations draw extensively from its doctrine, especially when it comes to justifying and legitimising violence in the name of jihad. But what did pave the way for Wahabbism, a foreign import, in the traditionally tolerant and moderate Maldives? "One of the main reasons behind radicalisation is that there is no religious alternative," says Azra Naseem, radicalisation expert and postdoctoral research fellow at Dublin City University. The country does not have different Islamic schools debating and challenging each other's interpretations, there is no religious confrontation. This adds to the fact that the population follows Sunni Islam entirely, a common ground which helps the many Saudi or Saudi-educated Wahhabi preachers to gain ground. Saudi Arabia is also the present Maldivian government's major ally in preserving the archipelago's Sunni identity: the Kingdom is funding mosques, distributing massive quantities of dates during Ramzan, sending scholars for conferences and providing scholarships to students from Maldives. It has also become the biggest economic partner and is pouring millions of dollars into Male's coffers. All factors come together to help the Saudi Wahhabi doctrine to penetrate and become an authoritative voice in the Maldivian society. This does not mean that the archipelago has suddenly become an intolerant, extremist and unsafe country. But it is surely going through a churn. A significant part of the population remains open and keeps practising a tolerant version of Islam. The shift is clearly visible though. Walking on the street of Malé, one can nowadays see shops selling so called 'halal' perfumes, 'halal' literature, all sort of 'halal' goods which have never been there before. Speaking to WION, a Maldivian in his thirties, who prefers to remain anonimous for safety concerns, recalled how, during his school days, the word 'Wahhabi' was often used as an insult. Now it is used as a norm, as a common word which describes a category of believers. The Maldivian government takes little action to tackle radicalisation. Neither does it encourage a culture of debate. For instance, inviting prominent Muslim scholars promoting other versions of Islam could be one of the many ways to counter the problem. Instead, the government often dismisses radicalisation as a mere political accusation levelled at Male by foreign powers to discourage tourists from visiting. The real aim, apparently, is to topple current President Abdulla Yameen. Living in denial means letting the problem grow. More young Maldivians risk the prospect of being lured by Islamist terrorist groups. This is not just a threat for Maldives but also the lands where these misguided young men may travel to. (WION)

Exclusive: From the white sand beaches to the arid Syrian desert, young Maldivians swell the ranks of Islamist terrorists

Bangladesh remains stunned by the worst and the most devastating terror attack in Dhaka on July 1, 2016. &nbsp;On that day, a group of radicals took hostages inside a bakery in one of Dhaka&rsquo;s upmarket localities, Gulshan, killing 29 and injuring many. Apparently, the country was caught off guard as it had been blissfully ignoring umpteen number of wake-up calls to the establishment to take preventive actions. These alerts came in the form of systematic exterminations of liberals, bloggers, LGBT activists, and members of the minority community. Evidence suggests that this process of elimination has been going on steadfastly since 2013. The intelligence machinery was in deep slumber, indifferent to the writings on the walls that something big was in the offing. 
 
The political establishment in Bangladesh refuses to acknowledge that these terror incidents were the handiwork of the Islamic State (IS). This is Prime Minister Hasina&#39;s considered opinion and, possibly, she adheres to this viewpoint to show the world that IS has not penetrated into Bangladesh.&nbsp; 
 
I want to point out to madame prime minister that debating over who has carried out the attacks will serve only academic interest. The fact remains the Islamic terrorists are alive and kicking right under the nose of the government. They may not be the Arabs fighting in Syria or in Iraq, but they are surely inspired by the IS, if not sponsored by them. This fact must be accepted. Sooner the better. This will help the state to deal with the ugly head of terror now threatening Bangladesh. 
 
Another disturbing factor of the terror attacks is that the youth involved in the killings were from affluent families and were educated in elite educational institutions. This is indeed worrisome. It proves beyond doubt that the society has been deeply penetrated by the IS ideology and that&#39;s a dangerous trend. With madrassas mushrooming in Bangladesh, products of good English schools, if radicalised, increase the threat manifold. Youth needs to be contained and to rein them in, the progressives, liberals, and intelligentsia must be brought on board. Unless the society collaborates with the state machinery to curb adverse public opinion, it will be an uphill task to contain the spiralling growth of terrorism . 
 
Bangladesh has a large number of Afghanistan war veterans who fought with the Taliban in Afghanistan. They have already indoctrinated many and have also been providing military training to a number of young recruits to spread terror. One such robust outfit is Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh( JMB). &nbsp;Its presence, though officially banned, remains a potential threat to the country. The situation looks very bleak as the radical ideology takes hold and it is getting increasingly easier to obtain training in the tradecraft of terrorism.&nbsp; 
 
It is also pertinent to point out that during the rule of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) during 2001-2006, the Islamic fanatics got a boost because of the government support. Both these anti-India and pro-Pakistan parties systematically encouraged extremist elements who have been targeting the progressives to usher in an Islamic regime. &nbsp;Pakistan&#39;s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) abetted and aided such forces to whip anti-India propaganda. A number of Islamic NGOs flourished with a huge sum of funding from sympathetic donors. These were invested in health, insurance, and allied sectors strengthening the Jamaat economy. Professor Abul Barkat, the noted economist from Bangladesh, points out that the annual net profit of economic fundamentalism in Bangladesh would be around 200 million US Dollars. 
 
Thankfully, with Sheikh Hasina&#39;s advent to power in 2009, we saw these anti-India forces receiving some setback. Hasina&#39;s resolve to fight terror, particularly, her bold move to try and hang Islamic fundamentalists who collaborated with Pakistan during the liberation struggle of &nbsp;Bangladesh had, however, polarised the country between the jihadis and the forward thinking. &nbsp;Cornered by persistent state action against terrorism, JMB and its affiliates secretly consolidated its position without giving any whiff to the intelligence agencies. This could count as a clear case of intelligence failure; with an unambiguous anti-terror agenda pursued by the government, how could the terrorists strike and achieve something of such monstrous proportions? 
 
Further, the counter-terror architecture of the government looks primitive and skeletal. To deal with terror attacks led by the IS, and other dangerously radicalised elements at the helm, the counter-terror apparatus must work as a well-oiled machine. Bangladesh must more proactively collaborate with India and other friendly countries. Similarly, intelligence set-up needs to be of a top order and aided by sophisticated technology to reinforce human intelligence. Western countries handling IS terror can lend cooperation in this regard. Also, a sharp and constant focus has to be there on the activities of the Pakistan High Commission at Dhaka in case any nefarious ISI plans to foment terror on the Bangladesh soil. 
 
Judging by history, Bangladesh has always been highly politicised, including its military establishment. After the complete annihilation of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family, Bangladesh has witnessed several bloody coups and counter-coups. Hasina, Bangabandhu&#39;s daughter and a friend of India, is now leading the country. Without Hasina, India will be in a helpless state. It will then be forced to fight the fanatics and anti-India forces who might revert to their old policy of sheltering Indian militants and constantly pinprick India&#39;s security interests.&nbsp; 
 
In sum, India&#39;s help to Bangladesh should be substantial in nature. They need to jointly fight terror, as well as secure the safety of religious minorities. &nbsp;Such help needs to be demonstrative and largely visible, as it would signal to the world that India and Bangladesh are steadfastly united to combat terror, irrespective of whether such terror is inspired by the IS or coming from home-grown radicals. 
 
(WION)

Terrorists are alive and kicking right under the nose of the government and it does not matter whether they belong to the Islamic State

Bangladesh remains stunned by the worst and the most devastating terror attack in Dhaka on July 1, 2016. On that day, a group of radicals took hostages inside a bakery in one of Dhaka’s upmarket localities, Gulshan, killing 29 and injuring many. Apparently, the country was caught off guard as it had been blissfully ignoring umpteen number of wake-up calls to the establishment to take preventive actions. These alerts came in the form of systematic exterminations of liberals, bloggers, LGBT activists, and members of the minority community. Evidence suggests that this process of elimination has been going on steadfastly since 2013. The intelligence machinery was in deep slumber, indifferent to the writings on the walls that something big was in the offing. The political establishment in Bangladesh refuses to acknowledge that these terror incidents were the handiwork of the Islamic State (IS). This is Prime Minister Hasina's considered opinion and, possibly, she adheres to this viewpoint to show the world that IS has not penetrated into Bangladesh. I want to point out to madame prime minister that debating over who has carried out the attacks will serve only academic interest. The fact remains the Islamic terrorists are alive and kicking right under the nose of the government. They may not be the Arabs fighting in Syria or in Iraq, but they are surely inspired by the IS, if not sponsored by them. This fact must be accepted. Sooner the better. This will help the state to deal with the ugly head of terror now threatening Bangladesh. Another disturbing factor of the terror attacks is that the youth involved in the killings were from affluent families and were educated in elite educational institutions. This is indeed worrisome. It proves beyond doubt that the society has been deeply penetrated by the IS ideology and that's a dangerous trend. With madrassas mushrooming in Bangladesh, products of good English schools, if radicalised, increase the threat manifold. Youth needs to be contained and to rein them in, the progressives, liberals, and intelligentsia must be brought on board. Unless the society collaborates with the state machinery to curb adverse public opinion, it will be an uphill task to contain the spiralling growth of terrorism . Bangladesh has a large number of Afghanistan war veterans who fought with the Taliban in Afghanistan. They have already indoctrinated many and have also been providing military training to a number of young recruits to spread terror. One such robust outfit is Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh( JMB). Its presence, though officially banned, remains a potential threat to the country. The situation looks very bleak as the radical ideology takes hold and it is getting increasingly easier to obtain training in the tradecraft of terrorism. It is also pertinent to point out that during the rule of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) during 2001-2006, the Islamic fanatics got a boost because of the government support. Both these anti-India and pro-Pakistan parties systematically encouraged extremist elements who have been targeting the progressives to usher in an Islamic regime. Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) abetted and aided such forces to whip anti-India propaganda. A number of Islamic NGOs flourished with a huge sum of funding from sympathetic donors. These were invested in health, insurance, and allied sectors strengthening the Jamaat economy. Professor Abul Barkat, the noted economist from Bangladesh, points out that the annual net profit of economic fundamentalism in Bangladesh would be around 200 million US Dollars. Thankfully, with Sheikh Hasina's advent to power in 2009, we saw these anti-India forces receiving some setback. Hasina's resolve to fight terror, particularly, her bold move to try and hang Islamic fundamentalists who collaborated with Pakistan during the liberation struggle of Bangladesh had, however, polarised the country between the jihadis and the forward thinking. Cornered by persistent state action against terrorism, JMB and its affiliates secretly consolidated its position without giving any whiff to the intelligence agencies. This could count as a clear case of intelligence failure; with an unambiguous anti-terror agenda pursued by the government, how could the terrorists strike and achieve something of such monstrous proportions? Further, the counter-terror architecture of the government looks primitive and skeletal. To deal with terror attacks led by the IS, and other dangerously radicalised elements at the helm, the counter-terror apparatus must work as a well-oiled machine. Bangladesh must more proactively collaborate with India and other friendly countries. Similarly, intelligence set-up needs to be of a top order and aided by sophisticated technology to reinforce human intelligence. Western countries handling IS terror can lend cooperation in this regard. Also, a sharp and constant focus has to be there on the activities of the Pakistan High Commission at Dhaka in case any nefarious ISI plans to foment terror on the Bangladesh soil. Judging by history, Bangladesh has always been highly politicised, including its military establishment. After the complete annihilation of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family, Bangladesh has witnessed several bloody coups and counter-coups. Hasina, Bangabandhu's daughter and a friend of India, is now leading the country. Without Hasina, India will be in a helpless state. It will then be forced to fight the fanatics and anti-India forces who might revert to their old policy of sheltering Indian militants and constantly pinprick India's security interests. In sum, India's help to Bangladesh should be substantial in nature. They need to jointly fight terror, as well as secure the safety of religious minorities. Such help needs to be demonstrative and largely visible, as it would signal to the world that India and Bangladesh are steadfastly united to combat terror, irrespective of whether such terror is inspired by the IS or coming from home-grown radicals. (WION)

Bangladesh should tie up with India, others to crack down on terror