The following report is a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
.jpg)
A page from the magazine
In an article in the first English-language magazine published by the Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), AQIS emir Maulana Asim Umar writes about a number of Hindu-Muslim riots that have taken place in Indian towns in recent decades, and urges Indian Muslims to join the jihad in Afghanistan.[1] The establishment of AQIS was announced by Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri in early September 2014 and Umar was appointed its chief.
The magazine Resurgence was published by As-Sahab's South Asia branch and released through jihadi internet forums and social media outlets. As-Sahab is the publishing arm of Al-Qaeda. The magazine contains a series of articles devoted to the situation of Muslims in South Asia, especially in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Myanmar (Burma), and Bangladesh.[2]
In the article titled "The Future Of Muslims In India," Asim Umar frames the situation of Indian Muslims as a Hindu versus Muslim conflict, and argues that the interests of Muslims in India are not being served by its democracy and courts. He urges Indian Muslims to join the jihad in Afghanistan and advances a view that their interests are connected to the establishment of an Islamic government in Kabul led by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban shadow government of Mullah Mohammad Omar.
In recent months, some media reports have argued that Asim Umar is an Indian national who moved to Afghanistan in order to join jihad, but from his article it appears he may not be Indian. The language used indicates a Pakistani writer who is unable to differentiate between Bahawalpur and Bhagalpur, and the phraseology used is that of right-wing Pakistani authors like Zaid Hamid.
The following is the text of the article:
"For Muslims Outside India … Understanding The Plight Of The Indian Muslims Is Next To Impossible; For An Outside Observer, Even Basic Questions Remain Unanswered: Are The Indian Muslims Really Free? Do They Enjoy The Same Rights As The Hindus?"
"Once again, at Saharanpur, the Muslims of India met the fate of a slave nation at the mercy of its whimsical master. Words like justice, peace, brotherhood, and human rights are meaningless to the weak of this world. The right to define these fanciful terms, or decide who deserves these rights and who doesn't, is the uncontested right of nations that wield power. The mindless killings of Muslims in Saharanpur this July, or the earlier genocides carried out at Muzaffarnagar and [in the northeastern state of] Assam for that matter, are not random acts of violence in which the Muslims accidentally happen to be the victims each time. These are deliberate acts of genocide carried out with the blessings of the so-called largest democracy in the world.
"Despite the countless massacres of Muslims across India for over 65 years, those that still insist that Muslims are free in India today, or that they enjoy equal rights, or that their lives and wealth are under no threat, are either naïve fools or are deliberately trying to mislead the world. Those who insist that the Indian Muslims, despite the countless massacres in more than six decades of Hindu rule, enjoy equal rights, or that their lives and properties are protected, are deliberately trying to mislead the world as to the desperate plight of that community. No doubt, India has worked hard since its independence to groom officially sponsored leaders in the Muslim community who see it as a matter of duty to parrot such false official claims on the media. To the ordinary Indian Muslim, however, these claims are no truer than those they hear in cheap TV adverts.
"Whether it is the Bahawalpur [means: Bhagalpur] riots in Bihar, the riots of Meerut and Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, the merciless slaughter of Muslims following the destruction of the Babri Masjid [at Ayodhya in 1992], the electrocution of Muslims, the genocide in Muzaffarnagar, or the latest riots in Saharanpur, each time, the chastity of the daughters of this Ummah is violated in broad daylight. These tragedies are reminiscent of how upper caste Hindus, in pre-Islamic India, used to violate the honor of lower caste Dalits right in the middle of fields, markets, and public places. In fact, upper caste Hindus considered this evil practice their sacred right. Even today, Indian historians and the self-proclaimed champions of human rights in India have no qualms about this savagery. The reason is simple: they consider this the religious right of upper caste Hindus; for a slave nation [i.e. Indian Muslims] has no choice but to live with the 'rights,' 'freedom,' and 'justice' doled out by its master.
"The same story is being repeated today with Muslims in the modern educated Indian society. Who, then, should be held responsible for systematic violence aimed at the Muslims of India? Sectarian movements? BJP or the RSS [the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, both Hindu nationalists]? The provincial government in Uttar Pradesh or the central government? If you were to follow these events through the eyes of the deceptive Indian media, you will find yourself in an endless maze of confusion and lies. For Muslims outside India lacking access to first-hand sources, understanding the plight of the Indian Muslims is next to impossible. For an outside observer, even basic questions remain unanswered: Are the Indian Muslims really free? Do they enjoy the same rights as the Hindus? Are they respected citizens of India? Is their situation any different from that of Dalits, untouchables, and low-caste segments of the society? The truth is that an outside observer fails to understand the plight of Indian Muslims through the eyes of a media whose deception cannot be unraveled without a prior understanding of the Hindu psyche."
"In Every Age, The Indian Establishment Keeps At The Forefront Such Leaders Who Try To Hide The Ugly Face Of This Hindu State Beneath A Veneer Of Secularism And Democracy"
"Faced with this situation, will you try to understand the truth through the eyes of so-called Muslim 'leaders'? Sorry to say, this would not only be a waste of time, but would, in all probability, be completely misleading. This is because, unfortunately, not only is the Indian establishment firmly in the hands of the Brahmans [i.e. upper caste Hindus], but so are all the other instruments of state power, which are used to convince the Muslims of India and the rest of the world that India is a genuine democracy where all citizens, including Muslims, enjoy complete 'freedom' and 'human rights' and that the anti-Muslim riots and massacres are the mischief of a handful of sectarian elements. In a vain attempt to inject some substance into this hollow claim, some political parties come to the fore, presenting themselves as the saviors of Muslims.
"On other occasions, the Indian Supreme Court makes a big deal out of a routine case, and hands out a light sentence to a few criminals to give the false assurance that India is indeed a secular state that respects the rule of law. If all fails, Bollywood comes out with a film to prove that although the real blame lies at the door of the Muslims, the Indian state, out of its 'boundless magnanimity', has provided justice to them and punished the criminals. You will be surprised to know that there is a class of official Muslim 'leaders' in India who accept the fiction depicted in these movies as the truth and go around the world showering praise on India's peacefulness and justice. These 'leaders' frequently visit Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to preach the nonsense that not only do the Muslims of India enjoy complete freedom and that the state has given them complete rights, but also that no one can do any injustice to them, and so on.
"In this diabolic drama, the worst role has been played by those so-called Muslim 'leaders' who do not hesitate to sell the Muslims of India for a single seat of the Lok Sabha (Indian Parliament/ lower house) or the Rajya Sabha (Senate/upper house). In every age, the Indian establishment keeps at the forefront such leaders who try to hide the ugly face of this Hindu state beneath a veneer of secularism and democracy. The reality is that whatever has taken place with the Muslims of India to date is neither a conspiracy hatched by some sectarian force on its own, nor can it be explained by vote politics to muster support in internal politics. Rather, behind these events is the iron hand of the Indian establishment, which is working methodically to bring the Muslims down from the level of former kings and emperors to the level of Shudars [untouchable castes], Dalits, and lower castes, so that they lose the will and strength to stand up to the Hindus.
"Several months have now passed since families of Muslims in Muzaffarnagar were forced to take shelter in refugee camps in the aftermath of a systematic genocide in which hundreds of Muslims were massacred, Muslim women were molested, children were burnt alive, and the homes and belongings of the Muslim community were reduced to ashes. Shamli [near Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh] has now turned into a refugee camp for Muslims; the same Shamli where righteous [jihadi Islamic] scholars defeated the British in the jihad of 1857.
"Forty kilometers from Shamli lies the place known to history as Panipat, the door to Delhi for Muslim conquerors. It is this symbol of Muslim dominance that has been unfortunately forgotten by the Muslims of India (but not by the Hindu). The armies of these conquerors from Afghanistan and Central Asia would come and conquer almost at will, brushing aside great armies of the Hindus. It is an irony of fate that those who had ruled India for centuries have been forced out of their homes, left with no choice but to live in refugee camps. In an attempt to allay international concern, it was announced recently that the refugees will soon be able to return to their homes! Return where? The Hindu state of India has forced them out only to settle Hindus in their place!"
"By Religious Conviction, The Hindu Is A Worshipper Of Power; He Accepts Anyone More Powerful Than Himself As His God; But There Is No Place For Principles, Ethics, Morality, Leniency, Or Kindness For The Weak In A Hindu Society"
"The Indian Muslim can no longer buy into this deceit and trickery. For far too many years has he been fooled by the empty slogans of 'Indian democracy', 'secular state', 'the land of Gandhi', 'peace', and so on. Those whose homes have been reduced to ashes by the Hindus' deep-rooted hatred will not be bluffed by these empty slogans. Innocent children were thrown into blazing fires, as if they were the offspring of scorpions, not humans. The heart-tearing screams of the spiritual daughters of Muhammad of Arabia (peace be upon him) can never be forgotten by Muslim youth as long as they live. How can the spiritual sons of Muhammad bin Qasim, Mahmud Ghaznavi, Aurangzeb, and Tipu Sultan Shaheed ever forget this humiliation that has been etched into their memory by the Hindu state? How can any Muslim youth forget the stain cast on their hearts in Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur?
"No, the Indian Muslim can no longer be lured by hollow slogans. No party, official Muslim 'leader', Parliament, or Supreme Court can alleviate his sufferings. These have been around for more than 65 years, yet the plight of Muslims has only changed for the worse with every passing day. They may differ somewhat in their pretense of messiah-ship, but in reality they are all one and the same: enemies of Muslims; enemies of our religion; enemies of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). It is they who are the real enemies of our lives, wealth, and honor. It must never be forgotten that oppressing the weak and crushing the downtrodden is in the psyche of the Hindu. By religious conviction, the Hindu is a worshipper of power. He accepts anyone more powerful than himself as his God; but there is no place for principles, ethics, morality, leniency, or kindness for the weak in a Hindu society.
"My dear Muslims in India! Don't let yourselves be deceived by these contemptible imposters. It is you who ruled India for a thousand years. India was the golden sparrow in your age. It was Muslims who made the glory that was India. The time has now come for us to decide our own future. To come out of this humiliation, we must reject the failed path that we have tested for so long and adopt a path less trodden. We must take to the path that guarantees an honorable life and a dignified death. We must actively strive for the day when not one of us will be forced to take sighs of anguish or to beg for his life. We must embrace the life where death itself protects life!"
"The Path Of The Martyrs Of Afghanistan Is The Path Of The Islamic Caliphate; It Is The Path Of Restoring The Dominance Of The Religion Of Allah"; "The Time Has Come For The Muslims Of India To Play A Proactive Role In The Jihad In Afghanistan"
"My dear Muslim brothers and sisters in India! No amount of tears shed in front of the enemies of Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him) will ever reclaim your rights. No one will give you your rights unless you learn how to use force to ensure your honor and your rights. If you want to restore your honor today and return to the days of your historical glory; to the plains of Panipat as conquerors instead of refugees forced out of their homes, then come to the land of the free: Afghanistan. Learn about Jihad, and bring the Muslims of India back to this path of honor and glory. It is this path of jihad that made an arrogant superpower bite the dust in the recent past, and today another superpower is on the verge of a similar fate.
"The path of the martyrs of Afghanistan is the path of the Islamic Caliphate. It is the path of restoring the dominance of the religion of Allah. It is the path of enabling those who love Allah to become his true vicegerents on earth. It is the path of enabling the weak to take on the strong. It is the path which can free you from the narrow confines of this world and take you to the vast expanse of the Hereafter. The experience of decades of subjugation has brought Muslims all over the world to the realization that the only way to restore their honor is to follow the way that led earlier generations of this Ummah to the heights of glory. This is the way of the Koran; the Prophetic methodology that was adopted by the Companions [of the Prophet].
"We have little doubt that, sooner or later, the Muslims of India too will come to the realization that their future is inextricably linked to the success of the Afghan Jihad. The Indian establishment, Brahman intellectuals, and political pundits fully appreciate this fact. They know that the victory of the Taliban in Afghanistan poses a significant threat to the future of Hindu political dominance in India. This is why the Indian government wants to keep the Muslims away from this movement. It fears that even if the dust of this movement reaches their Muslim population, dormant formidable forces rooted in the very history of their land will finally be unleashed.
"Ahadith [the sayings and deeds of Prophet Muhammad] as well as recent events also portend a bright future for the Muslims of India; a future linked with the establishment of the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan. The time has come for the Muslims of India to play a proactive role in the jihad in Afghanistan and benefit from the experience of forty years of jihad so that they may build a better future for coming generations."
Endnotes
[1] Resurgence, Issue No. 1, Fall 2014. The original English of the article has been mildly edited for clarity and standardization.
