Key Points

Shama, who originally hails from Jharkhand, was arrested in Bengaluru by the Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad for allegedly promoting the ideology of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent.

The probe found that she was using digital platforms to circulate content which called for an armed revolution of Jihad against the Indian government. She was using social media platforms to post inflammatory content and also videos on Al Qaeda.

The ATS found that she had posted videos by Maulana Asim Umar, slain Al-Qaeda ideologue Anwar al-Awlaki, and Maulana Abdul Aziz of Lahore’s Lal Masjid. These were aimed at disturbing communal harmony and were also a larger strategy of Al Qaeda relating to recruitment.

This arrest is a crucial one and will help unearth the larger network of Al Qaeda sympathisers in India who are spreading the ideology of the banned terror outfit.

The arrest comes in the backdrop of four more persons being held from Delhi, Noida, Ahmedabad and Modasa for committing the same offence.

Al Qaeda in the Subcontinent was formed in 2014 with the sole intention of carrying out terror activities in India. The India connection to the outfit was clear when it appointed Asim Umar alias Sheikh Umar as its chief.

The appointment raised eyebrows as Umar is originally a resident of Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh. Umar’s go-to man was one Mohammad Usman, who is also a UP resident.

These appointments made it clear that their India operations were of utmost importance to them. The five recent arrests in Gujarat and three other locations show that the outfit has managed to create an army of digital warriors.

Al Qaeda has chosen the online path as it realises that, like the Islamic State, the ideology needs to spread. India is a space that both Al Qaeda and the Islamic State are fighting for.

In a bid to outdo each other, both outfits have created digital warriors across the country to not just spread the ideology, but also to recruit cadres into their fold.

The Indian agencies say that the Islamic State has a better online presence in India. However, Al Qaeda is better known thanks to Osama bin Laden. Hence, the outfit feels that if it increases its online presence, then it has a better shot at recruitment.

Al Qaeda is already a popular outfit in states such as Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Moreover, it has better traction when compared to the Islamic State in Bangladesh. It is looking to use this to further its prospects in India.

The fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime and the takeover of the country by the Jamaat-e-Islami-backed players have only aided Al Qaeda.

Officials say that when it comes to groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, the worry is more about their online presence. These groups are not creating modules and cells in India. They are focused more on lone wolves as it is both cost-effective and does not come under the radar of the Intelligence agencies easily.

This is why Al Qaeda has a massive network of digital warriors who work independently and spread the ideology of the outfit. The danger, however, is that most of these persons are not working for any financial gain. They are self-radicalised and are now spreading the ideology of the outfit.

This is the danger with such persons, and the recent arrests will only help investigating agencies to nab more who are part of the digital warrior module.

- IANS