A street in Kerala&#39;s Kasargod district -- widely viewed by the Indian authorities as an incubator for Islamic State&#39;s India outreach -- has been named &#39;Gaza&#39;, stoking fears of radicalisation of Muslims in the region.

The naming of an Indian street after a contested stretch of land between Israel and Palestine has alerted Indian intelligence agencies, but local authorities remain oblivious to its presence.&nbsp;

Although the funds for building the stretch came from the local municipality, its chairperson&nbsp;Beefathima Ibrahim told The Times of India that she wasn&#39;t aware of any such road under her jurisdiction. This despite the road being inaugurated by the&nbsp;district panchayat president AGC Basheer last month.

What has got intelligence agencies worried&nbsp;is that &#39;Gaza&#39; street is located perilously close to Padane, the place from where 21 Indians joined Islamic State last year.

An unnamed Intelligence Bureau official told One India website that though unusual, it seems the appellation was done cleverly, given the street&#39;s geographical position.&nbsp;

WION&#39;s Ramesh Ramachandran has reported in the past about how India&#39;s southern state of Kerala has confounded Indian authorities by becoming a fertile ground for IS to recruit more fighters.

Despite high literacy rates and prosperity in the state&nbsp;when compared to the rest of the country, young men and women in Kerala have taken to IS&#39; ultra-conservative Islamic interpretation as they have become disillusioned with local Islamic groups&#39; more progressive agenda, his report had stated.

Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/exclusive-islamic-state-of-mind-in-gods-own-country-11199">Kasargod, a breeding ground for IS</a>

Another alarming aspect of Indians joining the Middle East-based jihadist organisation&nbsp;is that some of the young men and women had degrees in engineering, medicine or management with well-paying jobs.

In total, there are about 100 Indians who have joined IS as per an Indian government data.

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What has got intelligence agencies worried?is that the 'Gaza' street is located perilously close to Padane, the place from where 21 Indians joined Islamic State last year

A street in Kerala's Kasargod district -- widely viewed by the Indian authorities as an incubator for Islamic State's India outreach -- has been named 'Gaza', stoking fears of radicalisation of Muslims in the region. The naming of an Indian street after a contested stretch of land between Israel and Palestine has alerted Indian intelligence agencies, but local authorities remain oblivious to its presence. Although the funds for building the stretch came from the local municipality, its chairperson Beefathima Ibrahim told The Times of India that she wasn't aware of any such road under her jurisdiction. This despite the road being inaugurated by the district panchayat president AGC Basheer last month. What has got intelligence agencies worried is that 'Gaza' street is located perilously close to Padane, the place from where 21 Indians joined Islamic State last year. An unnamed Intelligence Bureau official told One India website that though unusual, it seems the appellation was done cleverly, given the street's geographical position. WION's Ramesh Ramachandran has reported in the past about how India's southern state of Kerala has confounded Indian authorities by becoming a fertile ground for IS to recruit more fighters. Despite high literacy rates and prosperity in the state when compared to the rest of the country, young men and women in Kerala have taken to IS' ultra-conservative Islamic interpretation as they have become disillusioned with local Islamic groups' more progressive agenda, his report had stated. Read: Kasargod, a breeding ground for IS Another alarming aspect of Indians joining the Middle East-based jihadist organisation is that some of the young men and women had degrees in engineering, medicine or management with well-paying jobs. In total, there are about 100 Indians who have joined IS as per an Indian government data.

Street named after Gaza in IS-afflicted Kasargod sparks radicalisation fears

Suspected Indian jihadists, who joined Islamic State in Afghanistan in 2015, have been trying to indoctrinate more people from the country&#39;s southern Kerala state, an&nbsp;unnamed intelligence source told The Indian Express.

The source&nbsp;said two WhatsApp groups were formed recently in which more than 200 young men and women received&nbsp;eight videos that purportedly spread IS&#39; ideology.&nbsp;

Interestingly, the IS operatives -- who all hail from Kerala&#39;s Kasargod district -- added potential recruits from the same region, which has gained notoriety for being a fertile ground for the Islamist group based in the Middle East.

&ldquo;The youths living in Afghanistan are adding their friends and familiar names back in Kerala into the WhatsApp groups meant for circulating IS ideas. These groups are used for advocating a common theme &mdash;that the Islamic way of life is not possible in Kerala. Many youths from Kasaragod, home to most of the missing persons living in Nangarhar, have been included in the group by the admins suspected to be in Afghanistan. Sensing danger, most of the youths have left the groups. Some have complained to the police about messages from such groups,&rsquo;&rsquo; the intelligence source said, the India-based daily reported.

The suspected pro-IS WhatsApp group first came to the police&#39;s attention on Friday, after a Kasargod resident informed them about him being added to one of the chat groups titled &#39;Message to Kerala&#39;.

The administrator -- named Abu Isa -- is based out of Afghanistan, the source said, after having verified the location of the phone number.

Kasargod: Breeding ground for IS

Kasargod came under close scrutiny after at least 20 young men and women left India to join Islamic State in Afghanistan in 2015.

Well-educated people and even adolescent boys from the district had joined IS, Kerala&#39;s intelligence units had told WION.

Indian officials have been left bemused by people from Kerala joining Islamic State, especially as Islamist influence is comparably lower compared to the rest of country.

But one of the reasons being trotted out by observers in the state is that a small section of Muslims in the state want to practice the doctrine of Salafism.

(WION)

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Islamic State has apparently formed two WhatsApp groups to propagate their ideology among the youth in Kerala's Kasargod district

Suspected Indian jihadists, who joined Islamic State in Afghanistan in 2015, have been trying to indoctrinate more people from the country's southern Kerala state, an unnamed intelligence source told The Indian Express. The source said two WhatsApp groups were formed recently in which more than 200 young men and women received eight videos that purportedly spread IS' ideology. Interestingly, the IS operatives -- who all hail from Kerala's Kasargod district -- added potential recruits from the same region, which has gained notoriety for being a fertile ground for the Islamist group based in the Middle East. “The youths living in Afghanistan are adding their friends and familiar names back in Kerala into the WhatsApp groups meant for circulating IS ideas. These groups are used for advocating a common theme —that the Islamic way of life is not possible in Kerala. Many youths from Kasaragod, home to most of the missing persons living in Nangarhar, have been included in the group by the admins suspected to be in Afghanistan. Sensing danger, most of the youths have left the groups. Some have complained to the police about messages from such groups,’’ the intelligence source said, the India-based daily reported. The suspected pro-IS WhatsApp group first came to the police's attention on Friday, after a Kasargod resident informed them about him being added to one of the chat groups titled 'Message to Kerala'. The administrator -- named Abu Isa -- is based out of Afghanistan, the source said, after having verified the location of the phone number. Kasargod: Breeding ground for IS Kasargod came under close scrutiny after at least 20 young men and women left India to join Islamic State in Afghanistan in 2015. Well-educated people and even adolescent boys from the district had joined IS, Kerala's intelligence units had told WION. Indian officials have been left bemused by people from Kerala joining Islamic State, especially as Islamist influence is comparably lower compared to the rest of country. But one of the reasons being trotted out by observers in the state is that a small section of Muslims in the state want to practice the doctrine of Salafism. (WION)

Indian IS members in Afghanistan using WhatsApp to recruit Kerala youth: India's intel

A man, suspected to have recruited 22 Indians to join Islamic State, was asked by Sri Lankan authorities to leave a religious school for apparently fomenting religious cleavages, according to India&#39;s anti-terror agency.

India&#39;s National Investigation Agency filed a charge sheet against&nbsp;Abdul Rashid Abdulla in which it records statements of three men who were instigated by him to join the Middle East-based jihadist organisation, Sri Lankan news agency Daily Mirror reported.

The charge sheet contains statements from 49 students against Abdulla and&nbsp;Islamic Research Foundation&#39;s guest relations manager Arshi Qureshi. Zakir Naik&#39;s&nbsp;Islamic Research Foundation was outlawed by the Indian government last year under anti-terror laws.

Rashid, who studied engineering, was a preacher from Thrikkaripur in India&#39;s southern state of Kerala. Some people, including a few parents of those Indians who joined IS, blame Rashid for influencing their sons to join the dreaded militant outfit.

Daily Mirror quoted a witness statement in the charge sheet as saying that following a heated argument about the meaning of jihad, one of the teachers at the school told Rashid: &quot;Jihad is to fight with bad elements of your own self, Jihad does not mean fighting and killing innocent people.&quot;

&quot;After the debate, Navas Sheikh (the teacher) told them to leave the campus at once. On the same day, the group left the campus,&quot; the statement further read.

Although not much is known about Rashid, Indian investigators say he joined IS in the Middle East with his wife Ayesha and their two-year-old child.

(WION)

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India's anti-terror agency said Abdul Rashid Abdulla was trying to foment religious cleavage in the school

A man, suspected to have recruited 22 Indians to join Islamic State, was asked by Sri Lankan authorities to leave a religious school for apparently fomenting religious cleavages, according to India's anti-terror agency. India's National Investigation Agency filed a charge sheet against Abdul Rashid Abdulla in which it records statements of three men who were instigated by him to join the Middle East-based jihadist organisation, Sri Lankan news agency Daily Mirror reported. The charge sheet contains statements from 49 students against Abdulla and Islamic Research Foundation's guest relations manager Arshi Qureshi. Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation was outlawed by the Indian government last year under anti-terror laws. Rashid, who studied engineering, was a preacher from Thrikkaripur in India's southern state of Kerala. Some people, including a few parents of those Indians who joined IS, blame Rashid for influencing their sons to join the dreaded militant outfit. Daily Mirror quoted a witness statement in the charge sheet as saying that following a heated argument about the meaning of jihad, one of the teachers at the school told Rashid: "Jihad is to fight with bad elements of your own self, Jihad does not mean fighting and killing innocent people." "After the debate, Navas Sheikh (the teacher) told them to leave the campus at once. On the same day, the group left the campus," the statement further read. Although not much is known about Rashid, Indian investigators say he joined IS in the Middle East with his wife Ayesha and their two-year-old child. (WION)

Suspected IS' India recruiter was told to leave religious school in Sri Lanka

An Indian-born Islamic State operative was killed in an air strike in Afghanistan, one of his family members said on Sunday.

Hafeesuddin TK, one of the 20 men who had joined the Middle East-based jihadist organisation from India&#39;s southern Kerala state, had left his newly-married wife to join the so-called &#39;Caliphate&#39;.&nbsp;

One of his cousins said that Hafeesuddin&#39;s mother received a message about his death on Sunday.

The message from Afghanistan said that he had already been buried in Afghanistan, his cousin told The New Indian Express.&nbsp;

India&#39;s National Investigation Agency (NIA) -- an anti-terror agency -- said it had received information from the parents of the deceased IS fighter about the message from Afghanistan.

It said they would corroborate with Interpol to confirm his death.

The location of Indian militants with the IS remains unclear, but some reports suggest they are based in Afghanistan&#39;s eastern province of Nangarhar.

Hafeesuddin&#39;s parents and wife had snapped all ties with him when the Kasargod native informed them that he had joined Islamic State.

His newly-married wife decided to not tag along with him to the Middle East and instead went back to Saudi Arabia, where she was born and brought up.

IS&#39; breeding ground in India

Hafeesuddin was one of the 20 men who hailed from Kasargod district in Kerala to join Islamic State.

Well-educated people and even adolescent boys from the district had joined the jihadist organisation, according to Kerala&#39;s intelligence units.

(WION)

Though India's anti-terror agency is yet to confirm the news, the militant's family said they received a message from IS about his death

An Indian-born Islamic State operative was killed in an air strike in Afghanistan, one of his family members said on Sunday. Hafeesuddin TK, one of the 20 men who had joined the Middle East-based jihadist organisation from India's southern Kerala state, had left his newly-married wife to join the so-called 'Caliphate'. One of his cousins said that Hafeesuddin's mother received a message about his death on Sunday. The message from Afghanistan said that he had already been buried in Afghanistan, his cousin told The New Indian Express. India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) -- an anti-terror agency -- said it had received information from the parents of the deceased IS fighter about the message from Afghanistan. It said they would corroborate with Interpol to confirm his death. The location of Indian militants with the IS remains unclear, but some reports suggest they are based in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar. Hafeesuddin's parents and wife had snapped all ties with him when the Kasargod native informed them that he had joined Islamic State. His newly-married wife decided to not tag along with him to the Middle East and instead went back to Saudi Arabia, where she was born and brought up. IS' breeding ground in India Hafeesuddin was one of the 20 men who hailed from Kasargod district in Kerala to join Islamic State. Well-educated people and even adolescent boys from the district had joined the jihadist organisation, according to Kerala's intelligence units. (WION)

Indian-born Islamic State jihadist 'killed in Afghan air strike'

On January 5, police in the southern Indian state of Kerala raided a chain of schools run by Islamic preacher MM Akbar. His Peace Educational Foundation describes itself as a &quot;Muslim Initiative standing for a paradigm shift in the field of education&quot;.

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Peace school (WION)
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According to local media reports, Akbar is suspected of having links with some Indian nationals who either joined the Islamic State or recruited people to join its ranks. The schools are also accused of teaching six- or seven-year-olds objectionable content from outside the prescribed curriculum or textbooks. Last month, the police apprehended the publishers of the textbook.

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Objectionable content from a peace school textbook (WION)
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Akbar is described as Kerala&#39;s Zakir Naik, who is a Mumbai-born Islamic preacher, orator and televangelist accused of indulging in unlawful activities and possible terror links. Akbar, who is reported to be in Qatar, has since denied the allegations.

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M. M. Akbar (WION)
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Akbar and his chain of schools are only one link in the jigsaw puzzle that is the spread of Islamic State&#39;s tentacles in Kerala. The other dramatis personae are:

- Abdul Rashid Abdulla, who is described as the main recruiter for the Islamic State in Kerala.

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Rashid Abdulla (WION)
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- Sonia Sebastian alias Ayesha, Rashid&#39;s first wife who was born a Christian but converted to Islam after marrying Rashid, who disappeared with her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Sara&nbsp;

- Yasmin, who hails from the northern Indian state of Bihar but married Rashid after they together worked at a Peace School in Kerala. Yasmin was arrested from Delhi in 2016&nbsp;

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Yasmin (WION)
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- Sajeer Abdulla Mangalassery, an engineering graduate from the National Institute of Technology at Kozhikode, a city in north Kerala

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Sajeer Abdulla Mangalassery (WION)
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- Bexin Vincent alias Eeza, an MBA; and

- Nimisha alias Fathima, who was born a Hindu but converted to Islam after marrying Vincent.

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Bexin Vincent alias Eeza (L) and (R) his wife Nimisha alias Fathima (WION)
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Our quest for information led us to the Chandera police station in Kasargode district where the police shared the names of more youths from the adjoining areas who allegedly joined the Islamic State. At least 11 of the 22 youth&nbsp;from Kerala who joined the terrorist group belong to the villages of Padanna and its adjoining areas. They disappeared within a span of a few months in 2016, all allegedly recruited by Rashid:

- Mohd Marwan (23)

- Hafeezuddin T.K (23)

- Firoze Khan (24)

- P. Ashfaq, Shamsiya and their 18-month-old daughter Ayesha &nbsp;

- Mohd Mansad (26)

- Dr Ijaz (34), his wife Rifaila (25) and their two-year-old child Hayan

- Ijaz&#39;s brother Shihaz (27) and his wife Ajmala (22); and

- Murshid Mohd (24), a resident of Haider Villa in Padanna and the brother of Mubaris.

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Mubaris (WION)
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Kerala has a long tradition of renaissance movements among all communities, including Muslims. The Mujahid Movement is a good example. Some of the Islamic State&#39;s recruits from Kerala were said to have been disillusioned with the Movement&#39;s progressive agenda and sought a more ultra-conservative version of Islam, especially that advocated by the IS, which, among others, talks about Hijr or obligation to migrate to lands under the rule of Islam and to perform jihad for the establishment of a caliphate.&nbsp;

Some of the organisations active in Kerala are:

- Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen, which was established in 1950; and

- Jamaat-e-Islami.

And already there are calls for moderating their influence.

M Rajagopalan, the Kerala legislator from Trikkaripur, says, &quot;I don&#39;t think Muslim organisations or schools are encouraging extremism but unfortunately some of the youths (who have since joined the Islamic State) were associated with them. And if that is so, then such organisations and schools need counselling&quot;.

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M. Rajagopalan (WION)
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Clearly, radicalisation of youths in Kerala and elsewhere in India poses a clear and present danger. Easy availability of jihadi literature on social media and the Internet is only compounding the Indian Government&#39;s woes. The arrest of 24-year-old Mehdi Masroor Biswas, an engineer from Bengaluru, is a case in point. Biswas was arrested in 2014 after it became known that he was operating an Islamic State twitter account called @ShamiWitness.

Read part I: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/islamic-state-of-mind-in-gods-own-country-11199">Islamic State of mind in God&#39;s own country</a>

(WION)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

So how deep and wide is the Islamic State's footprint in Kerala? Ramesh Ramachandran pieces together this story

On January 5, police in the southern Indian state of Kerala raided a chain of schools run by Islamic preacher MM Akbar. His Peace Educational Foundation describes itself as a "Muslim Initiative standing for a paradigm shift in the field of education". Peace school (WION) × According to local media reports, Akbar is suspected of having links with some Indian nationals who either joined the Islamic State or recruited people to join its ranks. The schools are also accused of teaching six- or seven-year-olds objectionable content from outside the prescribed curriculum or textbooks. Last month, the police apprehended the publishers of the textbook. Objectionable content from a peace school textbook (WION) × Akbar is described as Kerala's Zakir Naik, who is a Mumbai-born Islamic preacher, orator and televangelist accused of indulging in unlawful activities and possible terror links. Akbar, who is reported to be in Qatar, has since denied the allegations. M. M. Akbar (WION) × Akbar and his chain of schools are only one link in the jigsaw puzzle that is the spread of Islamic State's tentacles in Kerala. The other dramatis personae are: - Abdul Rashid Abdulla, who is described as the main recruiter for the Islamic State in Kerala. Rashid Abdulla (WION) × - Sonia Sebastian alias Ayesha, Rashid's first wife who was born a Christian but converted to Islam after marrying Rashid, who disappeared with her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Sara - Yasmin, who hails from the northern Indian state of Bihar but married Rashid after they together worked at a Peace School in Kerala. Yasmin was arrested from Delhi in 2016 Yasmin (WION) × - Sajeer Abdulla Mangalassery, an engineering graduate from the National Institute of Technology at Kozhikode, a city in north Kerala Sajeer Abdulla Mangalassery (WION) × - Bexin Vincent alias Eeza, an MBA; and - Nimisha alias Fathima, who was born a Hindu but converted to Islam after marrying Vincent. Bexin Vincent alias Eeza (L) and (R) his wife Nimisha alias Fathima (WION) × Our quest for information led us to the Chandera police station in Kasargode district where the police shared the names of more youths from the adjoining areas who allegedly joined the Islamic State. At least 11 of the 22 youth from Kerala who joined the terrorist group belong to the villages of Padanna and its adjoining areas. They disappeared within a span of a few months in 2016, all allegedly recruited by Rashid: - Mohd Marwan (23) - Hafeezuddin T.K (23) - Firoze Khan (24) - P. Ashfaq, Shamsiya and their 18-month-old daughter Ayesha - Mohd Mansad (26) - Dr Ijaz (34), his wife Rifaila (25) and their two-year-old child Hayan - Ijaz's brother Shihaz (27) and his wife Ajmala (22); and - Murshid Mohd (24), a resident of Haider Villa in Padanna and the brother of Mubaris. Mubaris (WION) × Kerala has a long tradition of renaissance movements among all communities, including Muslims. The Mujahid Movement is a good example. Some of the Islamic State's recruits from Kerala were said to have been disillusioned with the Movement's progressive agenda and sought a more ultra-conservative version of Islam, especially that advocated by the IS, which, among others, talks about Hijr or obligation to migrate to lands under the rule of Islam and to perform jihad for the establishment of a caliphate. Some of the organisations active in Kerala are: - Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen, which was established in 1950; and - Jamaat-e-Islami. And already there are calls for moderating their influence. M Rajagopalan, the Kerala legislator from Trikkaripur, says, "I don't think Muslim organisations or schools are encouraging extremism but unfortunately some of the youths (who have since joined the Islamic State) were associated with them. And if that is so, then such organisations and schools need counselling". M. Rajagopalan (WION) × Clearly, radicalisation of youths in Kerala and elsewhere in India poses a clear and present danger. Easy availability of jihadi literature on social media and the Internet is only compounding the Indian Government's woes. The arrest of 24-year-old Mehdi Masroor Biswas, an engineer from Bengaluru, is a case in point. Biswas was arrested in 2014 after it became known that he was operating an Islamic State twitter account called @ShamiWitness. Read part I: Islamic State of mind in God's own country (WION)

Kerala: Breeding ground for radicalised youth

An Indian-American&nbsp;who wanted to join Islamic State was handed a 40-month prison sentence in Chicago on Friday, The Chicago Tribune reported.

Twenty-one-year-old Mohammed Hazra Khan became the first person of Indian origin to be convicted in America for having any sort of connection with Islamic State.

The judge in the Northern Illinois federal court also directed Khan to undergo intensive mental health counselling for 20 years after his release&nbsp;from prison.

Who is Hazra Khan

Khan had also encouraged his younger siblings to join the Middle East-based jihadist group and live in IS&#39; so-called caliphate.

Khan was 19 years of age when he was arrested at the Chicago&#39;s O&#39;Hare Airport. He was trying to go to the Middle East when he was detained by anti-terrorism squad members.

His brother, 16 at the time, and his sister, 17 then, were detained at the airport as well, but were released following an intensive interrogation.

Khan&#39;s parents had immigrated from India and settled in Chicago before he was born, The Chicago Tribune reported.

Khan faced a maximum punishment of 15 years, but was awarded a lenient sentence due to his cooperation in other prosecutions.

(WION)

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Mohammed Hazra Khan, 21, is the first person of Indian origin to be found guilty in America of links to the IS

An Indian-American who wanted to join Islamic State was handed a 40-month prison sentence in Chicago on Friday, The Chicago Tribune reported. Twenty-one-year-old Mohammed Hazra Khan became the first person of Indian origin to be convicted in America for having any sort of connection with Islamic State. The judge in the Northern Illinois federal court also directed Khan to undergo intensive mental health counselling for 20 years after his release from prison. Who is Hazra Khan Khan had also encouraged his younger siblings to join the Middle East-based jihadist group and live in IS' so-called caliphate. Khan was 19 years of age when he was arrested at the Chicago's O'Hare Airport. He was trying to go to the Middle East when he was detained by anti-terrorism squad members. His brother, 16 at the time, and his sister, 17 then, were detained at the airport as well, but were released following an intensive interrogation. Khan's parents had immigrated from India and settled in Chicago before he was born, The Chicago Tribune reported. Khan faced a maximum punishment of 15 years, but was awarded a lenient sentence due to his cooperation in other prosecutions. (WION)

Indian-American convicted for trying to join Islamic State

Long before they were swept away by the apocalyptic ideology of the Islamic State (IS), consuming its nihilistic violence on social media and celebrating their victories in battlefields as the militant group held sway in Iraq and Syria to establish a caliphate, the process of radicalisation for some Indians, accused of setting up an IS-inspired terror group, actually began at home, through religious revivalist movements like the Tablighi Jamaat and the Jamaat-E-Islami Hind (JIH). 
 
The two religious organisations and a Deoband preacher are accused of influencing over half a dozen young men to wage a violent jihad. 
The damning disclosure is made by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a charge sheet filed last week against 17 men accused of forming an organisation, Junood ul Khilafa fil Hind, to establish a caliphate in India. 
 
The charge sheet throws light on the motivational factors that incited them to find like-minded associates to help them travel to the land of jihad in Syria, or failing to do so carry jihad at home. 
 
Before IS propaganda videos and magazines appeared on social media websites, the journey of indoctrination of these accused started with institutions like the revivalist Sunni proselytizing movement of Tablighi, lectures in mosques across the country and jihadi literature available online. 
 
In the Islamophobic world after 9/11, Mumbai resident Mudabbir Sheikh - anointed as the emir, chief of the Junood ul Khilafa group - was upset that society had turned against Muslims, who were looked down upon as terrorists and treated as &lsquo;second-class citizens&rsquo;. 
 
In 2007, Sheikh came into contact with an online group, Mujahid Fi Sabiullah, which directed him to contact the JIH to fulfil his desire to join the jihad. &ldquo;He started visiting the JIH office in Byculla, Mumbai, attended several programmes and got radicalised,&rsquo;&rsquo; the NIA charge sheet states. 
 
Sheikh is accused of preparing IEDs and timer bombs at home. He also received hawala money and distributed it among other members of Junood ul Khilafa. The JIH is an offshoot of the Jamaat-e-Islami (now in Pakistan), founded in 1941, and works as a religious organisation with a secular outlook. 
 
In 2013, its Mumbai chapter slapped the Maharashtra state with a defamation suit of Rs 10 crore for alleging that it was training and radicalising Muslim girls for jihadi activities. 
 
A resident of the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Abu Anas, Mohammad Shareef Moinuddin Khan from Hyderabad and Asif Ali from Bengaluru had all joined the Tablighi movement before they were recruited as cadres of Junood ul Khilafa. After finishing class 10, Asif entered the chillah, where one spends 40 days with members of the Tablighi and learnt about Islamic theology, how to offer namaz and how to bring back the misguided into the religious fold. 
 
Following this, the 21-year-old stone polisher became a &lsquo;fully transformed man.&rsquo; 
 
&ldquo;It was the time spent with the Tablighi that made Asif a religious bigot with a narrow understanding of religious scriptures and a narrow world view,&rsquo;&rsquo; the charge sheet adds. 
 
IT expert and ethical hacker, Anas and Moinuddin, were also influenced by the Tablighi movement and the former tried to recruit pro-IS cadre in Pune. He found the support of like-minded people associated with the Tablighi movement, who, although did not take part in any terror activities, gave a zakaat (donation) of Rs 20,000 to the cause of the Caliphate. 
 
The NIA accuses Delhi-based Mufti Abdus Sami Qasmi, alumni of Darul Ulum Deoband, of inciting, motivating and instigating Muslim youths who sought his guidance to wage a jihad through a number of sermons in the Indian states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. 
 
The NIA investigations found the speeches to be &ldquo;incriminating, vitriolic, and explicitly and unequivocally supporting the IS.&rdquo; 
 
At least five accused contacted or met Qasmi during his lectures to discuss about the IS and caliphate. He told them that one must make the hijrah migration to Syria. The radical preacher also held al Baghdadi&rsquo;s Caliphate as legitimate in the light of Quran and &lsquo;Sunnah&rsquo; and helped clear doubts on jihad, ultimately convincing others to join the jihad and gave their full support to the IS. 
 
The NIA has mentioned Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad leader Azhar Masood and its mouthpiece al-Qalam as another influencing source for the IS-accused. Literature like Hijra , Jihad ke Maasail, Al Furqan Wal Mizzan, Afghan Jihad and Wazb e Hind ka Shehbaz and manual guides on IEDs and bomb-making were seized from the accused. 
 
(DNA)

Caliphate has begun taking shape in India, said NIA in a charge sheet filed against 17 Indian men accused of forming a radical organisation

Long before they were swept away by the apocalyptic ideology of the Islamic State (IS), consuming its nihilistic violence on social media and celebrating their victories in battlefields as the militant group held sway in Iraq and Syria to establish a caliphate, the process of radicalisation for some Indians, accused of setting up an IS-inspired terror group, actually began at home, through religious revivalist movements like the Tablighi Jamaat and the Jamaat-E-Islami Hind (JIH). The two religious organisations and a Deoband preacher are accused of influencing over half a dozen young men to wage a violent jihad. The damning disclosure is made by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a charge sheet filed last week against 17 men accused of forming an organisation, Junood ul Khilafa fil Hind, to establish a caliphate in India. The charge sheet throws light on the motivational factors that incited them to find like-minded associates to help them travel to the land of jihad in Syria, or failing to do so carry jihad at home. Before IS propaganda videos and magazines appeared on social media websites, the journey of indoctrination of these accused started with institutions like the revivalist Sunni proselytizing movement of Tablighi, lectures in mosques across the country and jihadi literature available online. In the Islamophobic world after 9/11, Mumbai resident Mudabbir Sheikh - anointed as the emir, chief of the Junood ul Khilafa group - was upset that society had turned against Muslims, who were looked down upon as terrorists and treated as ‘second-class citizens’. In 2007, Sheikh came into contact with an online group, Mujahid Fi Sabiullah, which directed him to contact the JIH to fulfil his desire to join the jihad. “He started visiting the JIH office in Byculla, Mumbai, attended several programmes and got radicalised,’’ the NIA charge sheet states. Sheikh is accused of preparing IEDs and timer bombs at home. He also received hawala money and distributed it among other members of Junood ul Khilafa. The JIH is an offshoot of the Jamaat-e-Islami (now in Pakistan), founded in 1941, and works as a religious organisation with a secular outlook. In 2013, its Mumbai chapter slapped the Maharashtra state with a defamation suit of Rs 10 crore for alleging that it was training and radicalising Muslim girls for jihadi activities. A resident of the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Abu Anas, Mohammad Shareef Moinuddin Khan from Hyderabad and Asif Ali from Bengaluru had all joined the Tablighi movement before they were recruited as cadres of Junood ul Khilafa. After finishing class 10, Asif entered the chillah, where one spends 40 days with members of the Tablighi and learnt about Islamic theology, how to offer namaz and how to bring back the misguided into the religious fold. Following this, the 21-year-old stone polisher became a ‘fully transformed man.’ “It was the time spent with the Tablighi that made Asif a religious bigot with a narrow understanding of religious scriptures and a narrow world view,’’ the charge sheet adds. IT expert and ethical hacker, Anas and Moinuddin, were also influenced by the Tablighi movement and the former tried to recruit pro-IS cadre in Pune. He found the support of like-minded people associated with the Tablighi movement, who, although did not take part in any terror activities, gave a zakaat (donation) of Rs 20,000 to the cause of the Caliphate. The NIA accuses Delhi-based Mufti Abdus Sami Qasmi, alumni of Darul Ulum Deoband, of inciting, motivating and instigating Muslim youths who sought his guidance to wage a jihad through a number of sermons in the Indian states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. The NIA investigations found the speeches to be “incriminating, vitriolic, and explicitly and unequivocally supporting the IS.” At least five accused contacted or met Qasmi during his lectures to discuss about the IS and caliphate. He told them that one must make the hijrah migration to Syria. The radical preacher also held al Baghdadi’s Caliphate as legitimate in the light of Quran and ‘Sunnah’ and helped clear doubts on jihad, ultimately convincing others to join the jihad and gave their full support to the IS. The NIA has mentioned Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad leader Azhar Masood and its mouthpiece al-Qalam as another influencing source for the IS-accused. Literature like Hijra , Jihad ke Maasail, Al Furqan Wal Mizzan, Afghan Jihad and Wazb e Hind ka Shehbaz and manual guides on IEDs and bomb-making were seized from the accused. (DNA)

Who radicalised Islamic State suspects in India?