Why Tabligh men answer terror call

Followers such as Kafeel lose all social moorings, become prone to radicalism

BANGALORE: Followers of the Tabligh-e-Jamaat, the puritanical Muslim group that apparently attracted UK terror suspects Kafeel and Sabeel Ahmed, can be vulnerable to terrorist influence. According to Syed Anzar Shah Qasmy, a senior member of the organisation and priest at the Masjid-e-Noorani in Bangalore, since followers are asked to give up material things and serve Allah, they can be attracted to ideologies peddled in the name of Allah.

Speaking to DNA, Qasmy said: “Youngsters following Tabligh-e-Jamaat are vulnerable to any outside influence spread in the name of Allah, may it be terrorism or anything else They are already detached from the outer world. Most of the sect’s followers are usually just out of their teens. The average age is 22 years. These youngsters are told to give up family life and other material things. They should dedicate themselves to serve mankind in the name of Allah. So it is easy for them to be brainwashed by terrorist elements.”

Anyone wanting to be part of the movement needs to follow only six rules – which include total belief in Allah, praying five times a day, et al. As long as these rules are followed, the Jamaat does not question followers about anything else. “We do not question what he does outside the Masjid. His family and business activities are of no importance to us. We accept any person, with any background, may he be a criminal. The only criterion is he must follow our six rules. There are more than 35 lakh followers of the Tabligh in Karnataka. There might be crores of followers in India,” says Qasmy

Asked whether he had any knowledge of the activities of Kafeel and Sabeel, Qasmy said he didn’t. “I have neither met Kafeel nor Sabeel nor any of their family members. I remember only those who frequently visit me to be in my group. They were not members of the Tabligh-e-Jamaat committee.”

So would he condemn terrorist acts done by Tablighis? Says Qasmy: “We are not bothered about what they (the sect members) do outside the mosque or the religion. We as a group will never protest. We might have been branded as a radical Muslim group but we are the mildest of all sects.”

But he had tough words for people who take innocent lives casually. “People who hate Allah and those who murder other people will go to hell.”