IS establishes Hind Province, calls for ‘jihad in Hind’
   Date :28-Nov-2021

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By Kartik Lokhande :
 
NAGPUR,
 
“OBJECTS in the mirror are closer than they appear,” is the common warning on rear-view mirrors on vehicles. The global terrorist outfit Islamic State (IS) had set up IS-Khorasan Province some years ago, and it was already posing a threat to India. However, now, highly placed sources told ‘The Hitavada’, the danger of the IS is more clear and present one with the terrorist organisation forming ‘Hind Province’. The use of the term ‘Khorasan’ or ‘Khurasan’ refers to a historical region covering parts of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. Though the IS operated by the name IS-Khorasan Province initially, in May 2019, it declared a separate Pakistan section. Now, the IS is learnt to have created ‘IS-Hind Province’ to achieve its nefarious and destructive goals in India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and up to Myanmar.
 
The matter came up for discussion in a recently held high-level meeting in Delhi. Previously, Al-Qaeda had formed its units by the name ‘Al Qaeda-Indian Subcontinent’ or AQIS with ‘ideological inclination’ to carry out attacks inside India, if one goes by the media reports in the past some years, However, with the AQIS activities already on radar of security agencies, the IS has been trying to reach out to ‘potential recruits’ in India and countries around. According to sources, the objective of the IS is very clear -- to wage ‘jihad’ in what it calls ‘Hind Province’. Already, there have been enough indications that the IS group is trying to spread its tentacles in India and countries in the sub-continent. Recently, the cover page of pro-IS magazine ‘The Voice of Hind’ went viral on social media. The said cover page carries morphed image showing damaged statue of Lord Shiva at Murudeshwar, with a title at the bottom ‘It is time to break the false gods’.
 
The said issue is 22nd. As per the information with ‘The Hitavada’, the magazine carries six articles with following titles -- ‘Nullifiers of Islam’, ‘It is time to break the false gods’, ‘Your prey is among them’, ‘There is no honour but in jihad’, ‘Negotiation or bargaining in Iman?’, and ‘A message to brothers in Khurasan’. Giving enough indications of what the IS plans to do, these articles make statements viz. “A new generation of muhajireen and mujahideen is being prepared, who will shed their blood for the Shari’ah,” and “This is just the beginning of a new phase of the epic wars.” In the context of India, the said pro-IS magazine carries a paragraph that reveals its designs, “We are living in Darul Harb. The whole Indian subcontinent, rather the majority of the world today is Darul Harb. Darul Harb is a Land which is at war with Islam and Muslims.” It warns the Muslims against ‘leaving Jihad’ and ‘forsaking the Shariah’, and states without mincing words, “The Jihad is inevitable with Mushrikeen (polytheist or idolater) -- there is no escape!” It goes on, “The call for Jihad is not to liberate Kufri lands upon which we are born and then let Murtad secularists run and implement those Kufri law over us. Rather the call for Jihad in Hind is to establish the law of Allah and return back the Sovereignty to Allah almighty.”
 
‘The Voice of Hind’ magazine carries articles that refer to some recent incidents in Bangladesh, India, Maldives, and other places -- indication enough of the IS plans for what it calls ‘Hind Province’. The said magazine’s cover-story ‘It is time to break the false gods’ discusses the recent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, reaction to that in Tripura in India, and subsequent incidents of communal tensions in other parts of the country including Amravati and Nanded among other places in Maharashtra. The particular article in the magazine calls the secular Muslims, particularly those in Bangladesh who stood by attacked Hindus there, as ‘wolves in sheep’s skin, ‘Munafiq’ (hypocrite) and ‘Murtad’ (apostate) and the ones who ‘do not belong to Ummah’. Further, it refers to ‘Darul Kufr’ or Man-made law and calls upon law-abiding Muslims as practising ‘clearest form of Shirk’ and ‘direct violation and negation of Kalimah’. It describes ‘not ruling by Shariah’ as ‘Zulm’ (tyranny).
 
The magazine is highly provocative and carries appeals for ‘killing disbelievers’. In fact, under the title ‘Your prey is among them’, it appeals to radicals among Muslims to ‘know that every one of the millions of soldiers, policemen, intelligence agents or other infidels and apostates around you is your victim.’ It goes on to ‘guide’ the jihadis how to ‘target’ the ‘preys’. Surprisingly, the pro-IS magazine criticises the Al Qaeda and Taliban (who have recently gained control over Afghanistan) for ‘betrayal’. As if laying blueprint for future course of action of IS-Hind Province, it calls upon ‘Mujahid brothers’ to ‘disown the apostate rulers and their government, to disown the laws which they made up themselves which includes democratic laws and to express enmity towards it, and to end peace with apostates’. It also asks ‘Mujahids’ to ‘incite the Believers upon Qital’ (slaughter/killing), and flays negotiations with others. “Peace and negotiations with Apostate Rulers isn’t allowed in Islam. Thus, those brothers who are capable of fighting them should slaughter them and those who aren’t should prepare themselves,” is the direct appeal made in ‘The Voice of Hind’. While questioning the raising of ‘pseudo-slogans’ in favour of ‘Democracy, parliaments and their judiciary system’, it makes appeal to “Shake the Lands Up!”.
 
The ‘recruiters’ for terror organisations have been making religious appeals and organising various meetings, including on virtual space and social media platforms, to radicalise youngsters. There is a big segment among Indian Muslims that has been making conscious effort at maintaining communal harmony and defeating the radicalisation efforts of outfits like the IS, Al Qaeda, and Pakistan-backed groups. Considering this, as is indicated by the articles in the pro-IS magazine ‘The Voice of Hind’, has made appeals to potential recruits to act against secular Muslims. As reported in the media earlier, a pro-ISIS outlet Al-Qitaal Media Center and Junudul Khilafah al-Hind had launched ‘Voice of Hind’ magazine in February 2020. Another media report quoted National Investigation Agency (NIA) statement that the magazine was being made in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
 
The said magazine, which figured in a recent high-level discussion on security situation, was being circulated through virtual private network or VPN consisting of fake online identities. In fact, NIA had conducted some action and arrested some persons in this connection. But, given the threat perception based upon the statements made in the magazine, and the Intelligence inputs about the IS focusing its energies on organising its ‘Hind Province’ unit, the security agencies have taken it seriously. The agencies are keeping a watch as to how far have the IS modules spread their tentacles within India, and in the sub-continent. Watch is also being kept on radical statements, efforts at radicalisation of particularly youths and students, and money trail.