Counter terrorism expert Zahack Tanvir on what can save Muslim youths from radicalisation

Published by
Kirti Pandey

When the Pune-based anesthetist Dr Adnanali Sarkar was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday, it sent shock waves across not just the country but the world as well. Why would a scholar post graduate doctor with great professional and social standing risk everything to spearhead a terror outfit that aims to destroy his own country?

Commenting upon the shocking development of Adnanali Qamarali Sarkar, a Pune-based doctor being arrested for his secret role as ISIS module head, Zahack Tanvir – the Director and Founder of the England-based digital news publication The Milli Chronicle (https://www.millichronicle.com/) – analyses what is the ideology that makes terrorists out of well-placed individuals.

Tanvir stresses that not all those who are drawn to radicalised terror are poor or cheated of opportunities in life nor do they lack education. Here is a compilation of the message that Zahack Tanvir
tweeted in a series of posts.

What made this medical doctor lead an #ISIS module? Lack of education and poverty isn’t the problem. He did his schooling among Hindus and non-Muslims. He did his college and medical studies. He worked and gained reputation among non-Muslims Doctors.

Did his country not give him equal chance and opportunity? Then what happened?

Answer is — the disease of an Islamist ideology that believes that you aren’t a “Pakka Musalman” a perfect Muslim until you make Islam dominant, and there should be no government except one #Caliphate. Muslims are suffering in the world because there is no Khalifah. Khalifah or Caliphate is like a magic wand, once you get it, every problem of the Muslim world will be fixed.

Your good deeds won’t be accepted by God, until you choose a Caliph and give him the pledge of allegiance.
The Ulema, religious leaders, and any Muslim who doesn’t do this will die the death of Jahiliyyah – ignorance not Islam. And any scholar who opposes this belief is a “scholar for dollar” or Sarkari Muslim.
This indoctrination doesn’t happen overnight. It happens gradually. At first, these individuals get disconnected with trad scholars. They form a cult. They do Islamic orientation programs in houses and private halls, not the mosques.

They won’t be satisfied with any Government. They believe every Govt. is Taghut or false god. Obeying non-Muslim Govt. is forbidden, while the Muslim govts. are not enough Muslims. So obeying these Govts. and Rulers will lead you to hell.

They self-interpret texts, and will be hasty in excommunicating other Muslims as Kafir and Munafiq. These were the teachings of #Maududi, Banna, #SyedQutb, and #Khomeini.

So, what’s the solution?
Muslims themselves have to fix this problem.
The Ulema should start talking about something called as “Wataniyyah”, national interest and national identity. They should preach that no matter who comes and goes in the Govt. it’s our responsibility to follow the system. It may or may not be a Muslim govt. So adhering to a state is mandatory.
The individuals who bring up spicy and exciting concepts learnt from the Internet, to the mosques and corrupt other youth, should be monitored by the mosque authorities, and they should either be counseled and if they don’t stop, they should be restricted to only praying and leaving the mosque.
No foreign scholars should be promoted or entertained. Because every scholar will have his own nationalist agenda, which he will push covertly. Like how Israr Ahmed pushed #GhazwaHind and the Pak-ISI narrative.
Foreign students or tourists who come to India for studies or tourism, should not be allowed to get involved in the mosque activities, whether preaching or forming small Halaqas or groups. They should be welcomed to attend, but not to preach.
There should be regular programs in the mosques to educate youth against the dangers of #Khawarij groups like #MuslimBrotherhood, #AlQaeda, #Hezbollah, #Hamas, and ISIS. They should be taught that India is a state, and they are not aliens living in India under some compulsion.
There should be pamphlets, books and social media campaigns to promote the idea of inclusiveness and coexistence, not separatism or even the religious syncretism.
They should be taught patience and wisdom, and the disgruntled attitude towards any govt. or establishment should be discouraged.
In democracy, you are allowed to criticize the Govt. But this should not cross the lines and becomes everyday activism, which eventually leading youth to subscribe to some foreign ideologies.
Most importantly, the youth should be warned against the radical left, from where the idea of anti-Establishment spurs. This is why radical Islamists and the Left work in tandem, because they have a common interest.
Muslims should be taught that the Left and the Islamists are not the Messiah they are looking for.
The solution to the problem lies in the bringing reforms in the social, educational, political and socio-religious affairs. Which obviously takes time and patience.
There is no one-dollar Quick-Fix lotion, you apply and things will be alright.

(Zahack Tanvir holds Engineering Degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Osmania University, India and has earned Post-Graduate Diploma in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI-ML) from IIIT India in February 2022. Zahack also holds a Diploma in Journalism from London School of Journalism, and he completed an extensive counterterrorism certificate program (MOOC) from the University of Leiden Netherlands.)

Share
Leave a Comment