Muslims ask: from Kashmir
to Kerala, how did terrorism spread?
Indo-Asian
News Service
Kozhikode,
Oct 30 (IANS) The killing of four men from Kerala by security
forces in far away Jammu and Kashmir has led to worried community
leaders here introspecting on the hows and whys of terrorism
striking root in their state.
Expressing
shock and pain that some young men from their community are
reportedly involved in terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir,
Muslim leaders blame political parties, a lack of proper understanding
of Islam as well as the proliferation of organisations with
narrow views.
Kerala
Police have confirmed that the four youths killed in two gun
battles with security forces in Kupwara district in Jammu
and Kashmir on Oct 7 and 10 were from the southern state.
Two
were from Kannur district and one each from Malappuram and
Ernakulam districts, the police said.
"We
are pained by this development," said Pinangode Aboobacker,
working secretary of the Sunni Yuvajana Sangham (SYS), which
is affiliated to the Samastha Kerala Jamiat-ul-Ulema, a prominent
Sunni group in the state.
"I
think the problem of terrorism reared its head after cracks
developed in Muslim unity in the state. Later, certain organisations
became successful in attracting people to terrorism,"
Aboobacker told IANS.
Aboobacker
blamed political parties for creating dissensions within the
community. The media and governments have also failed to nurture
a sense of nationalism among the people and youth were becoming
an easy prey to the propaganda of anti-national forces, he
said.
"Until
a few decades ago celebrations of Independence Day and Republic
Day were occasions for people to come together. This has now
changed. Now, people consider them just as another holiday."
Kerala
state secretary of the Jamaat-e-Islami, M.K. Muhammadali,
said that there was a proliferation of organisations with
narrow views in the community that helped the spread of the
terrorist ideology.
"The
government should promote organisations with social commitment
and discourage others," he suggested.
Muhammadali
said that "those killed in Kashmir had criminal backgrounds.
It must have been their criminality that made them join terrorist
organisations".
He
said Islam does not approve of its followers working against
the country or a community.
"Our
nation allows freedom of religion and freedom of thought to
all people. Terrorism has no place here," said A.P. Abdul
Khader Moulavi, general secretary of the Kerala Nadvathul
Mujahidden (KNM), a Sunni organisation that follows the Salafi
school of philosophy.
"It
is wrong to blame a community for incidents like this. The
youths who died in Kashmir were obviously led astray by wrong
company," he added.
The
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) said that it was a matter
of great concern that the roots of terrorism had reached the
state.
"Kerala
has been a model for religious harmony. It is unfortunate
that the terrorist ideology is gaining currency here,"
said E.T. Muhammed Basheer, state secretary of IUML and a
former education minister.
He
claimed that one of the reasons for the rise of terrorist
tendencies in the state was the efforts of the Left parties
to weaken IUML.
"The
Left always tried to capitalise on the moderate stand we had
taken on various issues.
When
the Babri Masjid was demolished, the Left promoted groups
like PDP (People's Democratic Party) led by Abdul Nassar Maudani
that held extreme views. This has helped spawn terrorism in
the state," Basheer claimed.
Hussain
Saqaffi, head of the department of Islamic studies at Jamia
Markazu Ssaquafathi Ssunniyya, a Muslim educational and religious
institution in Kozhikode, said that youngsters were attracted
to terrorism as they have not understood the Islamic precepts
properly.
"These
people jeer at religious scholars and there are organisations
here which mould them that way. We have to bring these youths
back to the true Islamic fold," said Hussain.
As
per the 2001 census Kerala's Muslim population is around eight
million and constitutes 24 percent of the state's total population.
It is the second largest community in the state after Hindus.
The community is well organised and plays a pivotal role in
state politics.
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