The producers recently released the trailer for “The Kerala Story“. The movie aims to expose the agenda of Islamists in “Gods Own Country”. Radicalism has thrived in Kerala, making it a hotbed for Islamic conversions.
A Left-funded “fact checker” recently released his opinion on the number of girls who have been radicalised in Kerala. It was a pathetic attempt to shift the focus from the real issue. There is rampant mass conversion to Islam in Kerala for ISIS recruits. The “fact checker” missed the point that the issue lies in the mindset, not the number. The number is simply an attempt to shift the narrative from reality!
Radicalisation Of Young Girls
The radicalisation of young girls from Kerala for ISIS recruitment has garnered attention in recent years. Reports indicate that several cases of young girls have been lured into joining ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
The rise of Islamic extremism in the state plays a key role in contributing to the radicalisation of young girls from Kerala. Extremists propagate their ideologies through various channels. These include social media platforms.
They often target vulnerable individuals, particularly young girls. Recruiters lure them through love-jihad to convert and join the cause.
Rising Radicalisation In Kerala
The history of Islamic radicalisation in Kerala is a long and complex one that has evolved over time. In the 1980s, the number of Gulf-funded religious institutions and mosques with a strict interpretation of Islam began to increase. Many young men from Kerala went to the Gulf for work and education and were exposed to radical Islamist ideologies. They brought these ideologies back to Kerala and began preaching extremist ideologies in local mosques and madrasas.
Communal violence between Hindu and Muslim groups in the 1990s fueled the rise of Islam. The involvement of radicals from Kerala in terrorist attacks in India brought national attention to the issue of Islamic radicalisation in the state.
In recent years, social media and online propaganda have led to a significant increase in the radicalisation of Muslim youth from Kerala. They have been joining extremist groups like ISIS, which promote a radical interpretation of Islam that glorifies violence and terrorism. This has appealed to many disaffected youth in the state.
The rise of Islamist groups in Kerala has also been linked to the increasing communalisation of the state’s politics. These groups have had a significant influence on the political discourse in the state, causing concern as several incidents of communal violence and hate crimes have been linked to extremist groups.
Understanding Islamic Extremism
Trade between the people of Kerala and the Arab regions via the Arabian Sea predates the arrival of Islam. This trade brought the idea of Islam to northern parts of Kerala, and over time, locals embraced the religion by giving land for mosques to incoming traders. However, both Hindus and later colonialists such as the Portuguese and British contested this embrace of Islam.
Studying India and its pro-ISIS cases provides two major takeaways that help us understand the ecosystem that ISIS aims to tap into. By analyzing these cases, we can better understand the factors that drive individuals to fall for the marketing of the caliphate. We can use these takeaways not only as counterterrorism methods but also as a means of gaining insight into the root causes of extremism.