Why Do Most Terror Attacks in India Link to Islamist Groups?

Islamic Jihadist Mindset: Global Hatred

Islamic jihadist philosophy is fundamentalist Islamic belief system that advocates for a global Islamic state through terrorism. Such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Taiba are actually terrorist organizations that practice a jihad against the ‘infidel’ or ‘kafir’ and those ‘infidel’ Muslim governments. Their tenets differentiate between the two forms of territory namely; Dar al-Islam (Abode of Islam) and Dar al-Harb (Abode of War), which is a reason to attack nations they deem as hostile. It acts against the West since the West is considered an obstacle to their perception of Islam as a radical religion; against India because parts of it have been postulated as an antagonist; and against moderate Muslims because they are seen as betraying the ‘pure’ version of the jihadist Islam.

Hatred Toward India: Religious and Political Motivations

Jihadist groups hold India as a country that should be exterminated from the face of the earth due to its democratic nature which is dominated by Hindus, the issue of Kashur, and what they feel is oppression of Muslims in India. They portray India as a ‘Hindu nation’ which is leading persecution against Muslims, adding fuel to the violence. Babri Masjid demolition, the Gujarat riots in 2002, and even the latest anti-Muslim laws CAA-NRC are the issues that are used to spread hatred against India. Against this backdrop, Pakistan-based terrorist groups step up this hostility by training their militants to conduct operations in the Indian administered Kashmir and other parts of India. To jihadis, South Asia and especially India are theatre that they fight against the ‘kuffar’ rule.

Violent Extremism: Justification Through Theology

Terrorists use Islamic principles to legitimize their terrorism as an acceptable act of obedience to God and the holy scriptures. They decline sovereignty for today’s nation-states, political representation for democracy, and religion for secularism; they accept only sharia. This paper identifies that those who assimilate with society are called “traitors” while those who resist are celebrated as ‘martyrs” among the impact of the two-nation theory on Indian Muslims. With this mindset, it aims at destruction in general which can be referred to from acts such as 26/11 and Pulwama. They aim at domination as well as the spread of terror and disruption in societies that they consider immoral or irreligious.

Terror as a Tool of Subjugation

The jihadists regard the act of terrorism as a normal way of causing people to perceive the results of their power and surrender. Mumbai 26/11 and Pulwama like any other strikes are meant to cause a deep military response, increase hostile relations between India and Pakistan, and facilitate recruitment of more youths. They are master strategists of causing conflict and attempting to divide people based on whatever angle they despise and try to delegitimize the governments around the world and present themselves as the true protectors of Islam. This they do with the hope that the more they attack India, the more the Indian authorities will surrender to them, especially given scientific evidence that force weakens a nation’s resolve. It is an unfortunate fact that their ultimate goal is not an acquisition of territory but a subjugation of the ideas of the entire society.

Countering the Jihadist Threat

To counter this jihad hatred especially from countries like Pakistan, India should praise military operations coupled with counter value systems. Tough investigative skills, quicker trials for the terrorists, and appropriate reintegration initiatives are highly required. At the same time —it is possible to delegitimize the jihadists by revealing they target more Muslims than non-Muslims. Pressure on Pakistan to end the support to terror is inevitable across the world. Above all, India needs to safeguard the multilayered model of the country, and show that tolerance works better than intolerance. The fight which jihadists have declared against India today is not for geographical territory, they want to capture the soul of this civilization.”