Salafi group blames Jamaat, PFI for growth of extremism

KOZHIKODE: The seeds of Islamic State (IS) in the state was sowed by Jamaat-e-Islami and Popular Front of India (PFI), alleged the extreme Salafi group led by preacher Zakkariya Swalahi. The Salafi group organized a full-day programme at Kannur City Salafi Masjid on January 6 to explain how the Jamaát and PFI paved the way for extremism in the state. Incidentally, the Salafi group is facing the allegation that it was responsible for the spread of extremist ideology among Muslims in the state.


Abdul Rashid Abdulla, the leader of the IS who is believed to be in Afghanistan, has sent an audio clip recently in which he alleged that the extreme Salafi group was the launching pad for the youth who had migrated to Syria and Afghanistan.

The entire programme concentrated on the role played by Syed Abul A'la Maududi, the founder of Jamaát-e-Islami in radicalizing Muslims in the Indian subcontinent and on Syed Qutb, the leader of Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan al-Muslimin) who ‘propagated Maududism in Arab countries.’

Speakers at the programme asserted that Salafis could never be extremists as they always advocate ‘wasatiyyah’ or the middle path which has no place for any extreme positions. It was the Salafi ulemas and the Saudi government that took strong position against terrorism, whenever the menace cropped up in the world, they said.

Apart from Swalahi, Salafi preachers Shamsudeen Fareed Palath, Abdurauf Nadvi, Niaf bin Khalid and Abdul Muhsin Aydeed spoke at the programme, which was held in the wake of renewed charges against the group.

Shamsudeen Palath said that those who had gone to the IS and other terrorist outfits were influenced by the ideology of Maududi and Qutb. He said the books of these two leaders were translated into Malayalam and distributed by the Jamaát-e-Islami. Shamsudeen alleged that it was the Jamaát that promoted organizations like the Islamic Seva Sangh (ISS) formed by Abdul Nazar Madani. “All Muslim organizations had asked for the dispersal of the ISS. But state amir of Jamaát-e-Islami along with two others met the founder of the ISS and requested him not to disperse the organization,” he said.

Aydeed said the NDF (now the PFI) has taught in its classes that Muslims in India, who were tortured in various parts of the country, should take swords to resist the attacks. Niaf bin Khalid said that the NDF’s mouthpiece ‘Thejas’ had hailed Osama bin Laden as a ‘martyr’ when he was killed in 2011.