On Tuesday, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor suggested that the fundamentalists from Kerala, who have been recently joining the Islamist terror group ISIS, may have also joined the ranks in Taliban. The Islamist group, which draws inspiration from Deobandi school, has taken over Afghanistan sparking fears of human rights violation in the country as it spirals into chaos.
Soon, Tharoor was attacked by ‘liberals’ for voicing concerns over people from Kerala taking the radicalisation route.
The ‘Malayalis in Taliban’ tweet was really avoidable. There’s no documentary proof. The tweet led to an opindia story and is now being shared on whatsapp as anti Muslim, anti Kerala propaganda. Even a casual remark can be so harmful in the current circumstances.
— Aditya Menon (@AdityaMenon22) August 17, 2021
The Quint journalist Aditya Menon was unhappy with Tharoor expressing concerns over radicalisation of youth from Kerala. The Quint, as a publication, has regularly published articles whitewashing crimes of radical Islamists and portrays them as ‘son’ and ‘friend’ and ‘husband’ to humanise them.
Menon, who is a half Malayali himself, has converted to Islam.
I was not born a Muslim. But I’ll die as one. I don’t want my name and privilege of birth to save me.
— Aditya Menon (@AdityaMenon22) February 25, 2020
Menon was upset and held Tharoor responsible for letting the uncomfortable truth known to ‘Sanghis’. Menon has earlier defended Islamists like Sharjeel Imam who wanted Muslims in India to take to street and cut off the northeast India from rest of the country in ‘chakkajam’.
That’s not it, other Muslims like Aditya, too, were triggered at truth being laid out by Tharoor and accused him of cosying up with the RSS.
The popular Mallu uncle expert in English language started throwing fellow Malayalis under the bus for intuitions he gets because of his liberal RSS circle.
— Shameela (@shaikhshameela) August 17, 2021
But uncle forget that there are many common words in differnt languages across the subcontinent and neighboring regions.
Many ‘liberals’ were upset that pointing out radicalisation of youth in Kerala might ‘help’ the right wing ecosystem. Because, clearly, ‘helping right wing ecosystem’ is a bigger threat than actual youths joining the ISIS.
This is highly problematic. Making statements like this especially when the Right Wing eco system is going on a hate campaign against Kerala regarding people joining jihadist groups. And you being an MP from Kerala’s capital should be knowing better.
— Korah Abraham (@thekorahabraham) August 17, 2021
Rather than finding solution to issues such as radicalisation of youth in Kerala who end up joining ISIS, ‘liberals’ were upset the truth may trigger ‘hate campaign’.
Dr @ShashiTharoor, I understand what you mean. It is definitely a cause of concern. But when an MP puts out a tweet based on a mere doubt, it can be misleading and add fuel to the already existing generalization.
— Korah Abraham (@thekorahabraham) August 17, 2021
‘Liberals’ also would rather not see facts lest it ‘add fuel to already existing generalisation’.
Later, Tharoor tweeted how Nimisha Fathima, an ISIS bride from Kerala who had left for Afghanistan to join the Islamic State, was amongst the 5,000 prisoners released by Afghanistan. As per a report in Mathrubhumi, at least 21 people from India had gone to Afghanistan to join the ISIS, many from Kerala.
I am sure all those who decried my tweet about the possibility of Malayalis in the Taliban will now notice the ones who were released from the government’s prisons today: https://t.co/N1aDLXrZ4O
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 17, 2021
This again drew ire of ‘liberals’. While Nimisha had left for Afghanistan to join the ISIS was a fact, ‘liberals’ were questioning Tharoor on how can he say that there were people from Kerala in Taliban.
I am sure all those who decried my tweet about the possibility of Malayalis in the Taliban will now notice the ones who were released from the government’s prisons today: https://t.co/N1aDLXrZ4O
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 17, 2021
Some Twitter account with Palestine flag in the name and dreams of future with socialism also accused Tharoor of ‘betraying’ the state for ‘hate spewers’.
Mr @ShashiTharoor, you should’ve stop this with that first tweet which was actually unwanted, misinterpreted, and inappropriate, but you’re continuing with this to prove you’re saying something worthwhile, which is actually equal to betraying a whole state for hate spewers.
— Master VJN 🇵🇸 (@TweetsofVJN) August 17, 2021
That radicalised youth from Kerala is joining terror groups is a known fact. In August 2020, a terror attack perpetrated by the Islamic State (ISIS) at a prison complex in Jalalabad in Afghanistan reportedly led to the escape of 300 inmates. Top intelligence sources revealed that the suicide bomber involved in the terror attack hailed from Kasargod in Kerala. The terrorist, Kalukettiya Purayil Ijas, had reportedly fled to Khorasan in June 2016 with his family through Muscat.
In June 2020, a Christian engineer from Kerala, who had recently converted to Islam to join Islamic State’s (IS), was killed in a suicide bombing terror attack in Libya. Before that, in March 2020, armed terrorists attacked a Gurudwara in Shor Bazar Area of Afghanistan. It was revealed that ‘Abu Khalid al-Hindi’ who attacked Sikhs in Afghanistan was one Mohammed Sajid Kuthirummal who had escaped from Kasargod, Kerala in 2015 to join ISIS.
Kerala: Hotbed of radicalisation of youth
Investigations have revealed that ISIS had struck roots in Kerala as far back as 2014 with modules sponsoring religious conversions and trying to motivate professionals to join its fold in Afghanistan and Syria. Last year, in its report on terrorism, the UN cautioned that there are a sizeable number of ISIS terrorists in the Indian state of Kerala, adding that the ISIL Indian affiliate (Hind Wilayah), which was announced on May 10, 2019, has about 180 to 200 members.
Even yesterday, two women were arrested from Kerala’s Kannur for being involved in pro-ISIS activities.
But then, let us not talk about it because it upsets the ‘liberals’.
