The lure of the caliphate: ISIL draws some Indian recruits to its cause

Within days of capturing swathes of territory across Iraq, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) declared itself a ‘caliphate’ and the group’s chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on Muslims world over to join their jihad.  There are reports that hundreds have reported to their call, thronging from Egypt to UK to join the fight in both Iraq and Syria.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “European governments estimate that at least 1,400 of their citizens are fighting in Syria, most with ISIS, and pose a threat upon their return, more radicalized and with combat and explosives training. But the true numbers may be higher—one British parliamentarian said this week that as many as 1,500 Britons have fought in Syria, compared to an official estimate of 500.”

Now there are reports in the Indian media of Indian recruits who have left the country to join ISIL.

[caption id=“attachment_1597283” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AP[/caption]

The headline story in the Indian Express offers an indepth look at four such recruits, including Kalyan resident Arif Fayyaz Majeed left for Iraq with three others from his neighbourhood on 23 May and a day later he called his parents from Baghdad. The report cites Iraqi intelligence confirming that Arif Majeed’s cellphone was last found to be connected to a tower in Mosul area, which was the first town to fall into ISIL’s control ever since the onslaught began on 10 June.

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An engineering student in his twenties with no known links to radical groups, Majeed and three other Thane residents–Fahad Tanvir Sheikh, Aman Naim Tandel and Shaheen Farooqi Tanki joined ISIL. Fahad Sheikh and Aman Naim Tandel are also engineering students while Shaheen Tanki  works for  a call centre, Express reports. According to the Times of India, 18 Indian men are already in Iraq or Syria. “The lure of jihad has been fuelled by YouTube videos — often shot and uploaded by western extremists. In addition, small terror outfits that have popped up are doubling up as recruiters for jihad,” reports TOI. Hindustan Times reported yesterday that the government is considering establishing anti-radicalisation initiative, specifically in Kashmirs: “The declaration of a caliphate by ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Iraq has had its effects in India, including sectarian tension between Sunni and Shia communities in Lucknow. It has also given an impetus to banned groups like Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and terrorist group Indian Mujahideen, which have advocated the restoration of the caliphate or khalifat in the past." Majeed’s farewell letter to his parents also offers some insight into what may have led to his radicalisation. The report quotes an excerpt from his letter: "I cried when I saw you all sinning, smoking cigarettes, taking interest, watching TV, illegal sexual intercourse, living luxurious lives, intermingling of sexes, not praying, not growing beards.These things will lead to you burning in the hell-fire,” says the report quoting Majeed’s farewell letter which explains his motivation.  Last September,  Syrian ambassador to India Riad Kamel Abbas  had said that several Indians were fighting in along side extremists in Syria. A report in the  Indian Express quotes him as saying: “Indian fighters are waging Islamic jihad, along with fighters from Chechnya, Afghanistan and other countries.” Many, he had said, were caught alive.

However, Abbas later claimed that his statements had been misinterpreted and that he was referring to Indians with British passports.

Compared to jihadis from other countries, the number of Indians who have joined remains very low. A mere handful compared to the hundreds who have joined the cause from the West.