Right Word | Ban on PFI: Time to recognise threat posed by ‘Salafism-Jihadism’

The ban on Popular Front of India and several of its affiliates imposed by the Government of India is likely to effectively address some symptoms of a malaise. What they had in common is that both rejected traditional teachings on Islam in favour of direct, ‘fundamentalist’ reinterpretation.” However, as mentioned above, once the two — Wahabism and Salafism — met in Saudi Arabia, the outcome was a deadly mix of Salafism-Jihadism that was exported to the rest of the world including India. If we fail to understand the history and theory underlying Salafi-Jihadist groups’ use of violence to topple regimes and impose sharia, we will not grasp the current operating environment or enemy doctrine.” He further adds, “The Salafi-Jihadi version of global jihad is linked to the teaching of Ibn Taymiyya, who offered a legal and religious justification for overthrowing unjust and non-Muslim rulers. Taymiyya’s principles of jihad, “particularly the permissibility to overthrow a ruler who is classified as an unbeliever due to a failure to adhere to Islamic law, the absolute division of the world into Dar-al-kufar [land of unbelief> and Dar-al-Islam [land of Islam>, the labelling of anyone not adhering to one’s particular interpretations of Islam as an unbeliever, and the call for the blanket warfare against non-Muslims… became the doctrine of Salafi-Jihadis.” The Salafism-Jihadism is now the biggest global threat for security as a 2018 study by Centre for Strategic and International studies pointed out, “There were 67 Salafi-jihadist groups across the globe in 2018, tied with 2016 for the highest level since 1980. Banned Kerala-based Islamist terror groups such as the Student Islamic Movement of India and extremist groups like Popular Front of India have used hardcore Salafi teachings for radicalizing youth and recruitment.