The Kerala Files

NOTE: This story is based on several real-life incidents, that took place in Kerala. Multiples of research and analysis were done with The Hadiya Case, Love Jihad issues and ISIS problems in Kerala. This doesn’t hurt any religion’s sentiment and is against terrorists. Not against any particular group of religion. I follow Rashomon effect narration, just like in The Coimbatore Files and The Moplah Files.

Reference: The Khorasan Files, The Hadiya Case, 2007 Khalil Bilci study- Conversion Out of Islam- A Study of conversion narratives of former Muslims and various other articles and studies.

While teaching an online session of class 12 students, Shafi Mohideen said, “If someone quits Islam or religion then what is his fate? Islam asks him to repent, still, if he does not repent then he needs to be killed by the ruler or who is responsible.”

He further preached the students by saying, “Is that violence? No. But it is to remind the followers of Islam that what is the consequence of leaving the religion and how he will be treated after death. He will go to hell.”

5 DECEMBER 2018

THRISSUR JAIL, KERALA

05:30 PM

In connection to the 2015 Paris attacks, French Investigation agencies have arrived in India to question an ISIS terrorist, Subahani Muhammad Moideen. Currently, the accused is in Thrissur Jail in Kerala, he was arrested by NIA officer Dinesh for his ISIS links. He had been recalling the teachings that had been preached by Shafi.

He said, “Moideen had travelled to Iraq via Turkey to fight for the cause of Jihad with ISIL. He was trained in Mosul and then sent to fight along IS regiment called Omer-Kathi-Kaliph, commanded by Abu Sulaimani Al Francisse. He fought in war-zones for almost two-week. According to his own confession, he decided to leave IS and come back to India, after he witnessed his colleague getting burned to death in war-zone. But, he was incarcerated by IS and kept in IS’s de facto capital Raqqa. He was released on the condition that he will continue to cause mayhem in India under IS banner. NIA had learned that after his return to India, Moideen had attempted to procure explosives and chemicals.”

Dinesh nabbed him in connection to busted covert meeting happening at Kanakamala in Kannur district. This meeting was attended by IS operatives, planning to conduct terrorist attacks on politicians and judges across Kerala. In March this year, the charge sheet was filed against him.

During Moideen’s stay with IS, he came in contact with many terrorists who were the prime perpetrators of 2015 Paris attacks. France Investigative agencies think that Salah Abdeslam, a key perpetrator of Paris attacks was in contact with Moideen, during his stay with IS. The French Investigative team is accompanied by officers of the French consulate, Dinesh and NIA.

While interrogating Moideen, Dinesh asked him: “You know Shabaana Majeed?”

“No. I don’t know anyone like such” said Moideen. Dinesh comes out of the jail with the French officials- Andrews and Stephen.

“Who’s Shabaana sir?” asked Andrews. Without answering them, he opened her file in his cabin room.

TWO YEARS BACK

12 OCTOBER 2016

A key witness in the case against Islamic research foundation’s manager Arshi Qureshi for influencing youths to join ISIS was declared hostile by a special court after she refused to support before a special court in Malayalam. Shabaana Majeed, a mother of three, hailing from Kerala, denied telling the crime branch about any involvement of her son with Arshi and IRF.

The police said that Ashiq Majeed fled the country along with his wife, one-year old toddler daughter and other youngsters in 2016 to join the ISIS terror ranks. Ashiq’s father, who runs a lodge in Mumbai had filed a missing person’s complaint when he was unable to establish any contact with his son for several days. Serious allegations of radicalizing youth and instigating them to join ISIS have been leveled against Arshi Qureshi, a religious preacher.

PRESENT

07:45 PM

“While Qureshi was arrested, we let off the other two- Maulana Haneef and Rizwan Khan.” Dinesh said to Andrews and Stephen.

“Why did you let them go?” asked the duo to which Dinesh said: “As no evidence was found against them, guys.”

“So they escaped without any punishments. Am I right?” asked Andrews.

“No sir. Qureshi, along with absconding accused Abdul Rashid Abdulla. He worked in a Kerala school. The NIA named him in the charge sheet. Now, he is facing trial under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.”

“What about Shabaana?” The French officials asked Dinesh.

11 OCTOBER 2016

Earlier, in her deposition before a special court in Malayalam, which was translated in English, Shabaana Majeed had admitted, “Whenever my son spoke with my friends who went along with him to join ISIS, he suggested them to solicit advise from ‘Arshi Bhai.’”

Now she has retracted on her statements. She has also denied telling police that when she asked her son who is funding his trip to Sri Lanka for his studies in Holy scripture, Majeed replied, “All expenses will be borne by Arshi Bhai from IRF.”

Majeed was cross-examined by special public prosector Akhil Gonsalves after she had been declared hostile. She replied in affirmative when asked, “If your son informed you of him joining the ISIS?”

Qureshi’s defense was represented by advocates Pathan Khan and Irshad Ali Khan.

When asked if she had herself attended the call and spoken to her son, Majeed said: “She had not.”

PRESENT

08:00 PM

“Based on the testimony and evidence we gathered, the NIA had filed a 4000-page charge sheet in February 2017 in the missing Ashiq Majeed case. Ashiq and others who fled the country were indoctrinated by proselytizer Arshi Khan and IRF, who were responsible for instigating and motivating them to join the ISIS.”

THREE YEARS LATER

4 JULY 2021

Three years later, Dhaswin, an investigative journalist in Kerala, secretly records an audio clip of senior Malayalam journalist MP Ahmed, at his house. He releases it in the internet and it goes viral.

In the viral clubhouse audio, Ahmed said:

“During my time as the Editor of India Picture news network, I received a telephone call from T. Arif Ali one day. He is the secretary-general of the radical Islamic organization Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. He asked me to meet him. A few days later, I went to meet Arif Ali at the Jamaat-e-Islami office in Trivandrum. At the meeting, he expressed concerns about three women reporters- Nadeera Ajmal, Fousiya and V. Thaslima disrespecting Islam by not wearing the Hijab when they appear on the news network. Giving a subtle warning, he said me that the news network, especially the ‘un-Islamic’ conduct of the women reporters, gave a wrong message to Muslims in the country.”

In the audio, Ahmed revealed that Ali mentioned how Ahmed as Executive editor could intervene to get the women to change their attire. In a sensational disclosure, he said that he had accessed a letter at one point of time, written by Jamaat-e-Islami requesting the king Abdul Aziz University in Saudi Arabia to increase the financial grant to the radical Islamic organization so that they could create awareness and promote Islamic dress code in Kerala and India.

Sensing the same, Dinesh and his team nabbed Ahmed and arrested him. Taking him under custody, he questioned him about the project.

Ahmed revealed to Dinesh that: “Jamaat-E-Islamic had started a project in India to promote the Islamic dress code for women and had access to funds from King Abdul Aziz university, an Islamic university in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He also said that many top Muslim journalists in the country were employed to assist them in this nefarious design, which King Abdul Aziz University paid.”

Sensing the sensitivity of this case, Dinesh seeks the assistance of Dhaswin for this case. After he joined hands with him, Dinesh questioned about the letter in Ahmed’s clubhouse discussion.

For that, Ahmed said: “It’s a letter written by Jamaat-e-Islami seeking more grants for implementing this Islamisation project.”

“Yes. It has been continuing for the last three decades, Dinesh” said Dhaswin.

“Is Saudi Arabia sponsoring Wahabism in Kerala?” asked the other NIA officials.

“Several madrasas in Kerala are preaching Wahabism, a Saudi-sponsored creed of extremist Islam linked to global terror. These madrasas are receiving funds through hawala networks from Islamic countries in the Gulf. These madrasas are indoctrinating young Muslims, a radical thought that is aligned with ISIS, the Islamic terror outfit that intends to establish a global caliphate through a worldwide war.”

“Is Wahabism limited to one center in Kerala?” asked Dhaswin.

“No. It’s not limited to one center in Kerala. Several other madrasas are on the same path to Islamic terror influencers like Controversial Islamic televangelist Zakir Hussain.”

Shocked, Dhaswin and Dinesh visits Askar, an Ex-Muslim at Kasaragod, Kerala. Dinesh asked about Wahabism and Islamisation in Kerala, to which Askar said: “These groups show videos and speeches of Zakir to young children at the center sir. Not just rich Gulf states, even Turkey and Pakistan are forefront in funding radical Islamic thought in India, especially in Kashmir and Kerala.”

While speaking about the same, Dhaswin noted the news in Askar’s home: “India not to allow return of Kerala women, who joined Islamic state. As at least 3 of them are converts.”

Turning to Dinesh, he took him asides and questioned about the case and he opens up about the same.

YEARS BACK

NOVEMBER 2019

“The four Indian women from Kerala who had accompanied their husbands to join the Islamic state in Khorasan Province are unlikely to be allowed to return to the country.” A senior government official has confirmed about those women, who had travelled to Nangarhar in Afghanistan in the years 2016-2018, will not be allowed to return back to the country.

However, their husbands were killed in different attacks in Afghanistan. The Kerala-based Muslim women were among thousands of Islamic state terrorists who surrendered before the Afghanistan authorities in November and December 2019. The four women were- Alice Sebastian alias Ayisha, Catherine alias Mariyam, Anjali alias Fathima Isa and Raffaela. Two other Indian women and a man had also surrendered to the authorities.

Ahmad Zia Saraj, the chief of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, said that 408 members of the Islamic state from 13 countries are languishing in Afghanistan prisons. This included four Indians, 16 Chinese, 299 Pakistanis, 2 Bangladeshis, two from the Maldives, who had joined IS in the past.

Saraj had also said the Afghanistan government was in talks with different countries to deport the prisoners. While Afghan officials in Delhi declined to comment, senior officials in Kabul hinted that they are waiting for confirmation from Delhi to depot these four Kerala-based women. But, there was no consensus among various government agencies on the return of the four women, and it was unlikely that they would be allowed to come back.

In December 2019, a month after the surrender, Dinesh and his team Vijay Saravanan, Vijay Narasimman and Pranav Sasti and other Indian Investigation agencies interviewed the four women living with children in Kabul. During the interview with the women, the investigation agencies found out that they have a strong stance in favor of Islamic terrorism, and hence, India is likely to request the Afghanistan authority to prosecute the women there itself.

PRESENT

“One line of thought was to allow them to come back and become an approver in the cases here. However, their interview revealed that they are highly radicalized, Dhaswin.” Dinesh said to him, who was puzzled and shocked.

“So we decided the France model may be followed and we requested the Afghanistan authorities to put them on trial there. And as per our country’s request, the Interpol issued red notices against the women.”

“How this happens? It’s really shocking and disturbing!”

Dinesh smoked a cigar and recalled the aftermath of that case.

2017

The National Investigation Agency in 2017, filed a charge sheet against Sebastian, who left to join the ISKP in Afghanistan along with a group of 21 men and women from Kerala. They had crossed over to Afghanistan on foot from Iran.

Dinesh said to the NIA officials,

“Sir. Sebastian left India on May 31, 2016 from Kasaragod with her husband, Abdul Rashid Abdulla, from Mumbai airport. The couple had secret classes supporting IS and jihad during the last part of Ramzan in Padanna and Kasaragod. Sebestian is an engineering graduate. Another IS sympathizer, Catherine alias Mariyam was married to Bestin Vincent, a resident of Palakkad. The couple escaped to Afghanistan in 2016 to live in the IS-controlled territory. Later, they converted to Islam after their marriage and Vincent assumed the identity of Yahya. He was later killed in Afghanistan.” Seeing the documents and evidences along with the interview, Indian government decides to forbid their entry for the security of the country.

However, Kerala CM said: “The Centre should decide as Kerala-born widows of ISIS terrorists seek to return to India.”

Anjali Fathima’s mother Bindu Sampath said: “I’ve heard that Prime Minister is a very kind-hearted person. I have full faith in him.” She lamented that she had not received any communication from the Indian government so far.

“But I am very positive because there will be other views also in the government. I am banking on that. I believe in god. I am sure that god will create a situation for her return.”

PRESENT

“Is she dumb?” asked Dhaswin to which Dinesh stared at him in vexation. He said in a low voice, “It’s the pains and sufferings of a wailing mother Dhaswin. She wished to meet PM and submit a memorandum seeking her daughter’s repatriation to India. Bindu emphasized that she would follow the legal route to bring Anjali back.”

JANUARY 9, 2022

MALAPPURAM

To protect the basic rights and dignity who quit Islam, the Ex-Muslims of Kerala have decided to celebrate January 9 as Kerala’s Ex-Muslim day every year. This is exactly after the meeting between Askar, Dinesh and Dhaswin along with M.M.Afsal, an Islamic Dawah propagandist. Askar is a freethinker and critic of Islam in Malappuram that resulted in Muslim people realizing the cruelty of Islam.

A debate was organized in Malappuram city, which made a majority of Muslims in the state to understand the ferocity and barbarism posed by Islam. Ex-Muslims of Kerala is first of it’s kind organization that helps and protects all those people who quit Islam and retain to survive without any religion.

Askar mentioned that Muslims who publicly denounce Islam or quit the religion, face severe threats from the community.

They are physically and mentally tortured and have to face ostracism with regard to their social existence. In his official statement, he said: “We legally support all those Muslims who are forced to give up their basic human rights in the name of religious traditions or practices. Ex-Muslims of Kerala is a team of Muslim intellectuals led by Liyakkathali, the President and Jasla Madassery, the Vice President.”

“Why did you leave Islam Askar? What’s your motivation to quit the religion?” asked a TV anchor, who had been questioning Askar after inviting him for the interview.

“It can be broadly classified into two categories, Dhaswin. One is Ideological motivations and other is social motivations. The first group would find religion to be naïve and irrational, whereas the second group emphasizes the constraints and breaches of human rights of individuals negatively affecting their progress.”

“Is it true that some of the Muslims find Islam illogical and prefer to quit the religion?” asked the anchor.

“Yes. Some of the Muslims find Islam illogical and prefer to quit the religion following the subordinate status of women, contradictions in Sharia, problematic nature of Quran, character of the Islamist prophet and other reasons. They also complain about the unnecessary, strict rules put up by Islam on it’s people and the dubious historicity of the Quran and Hadith. Most of us receive severe threats by the community for quitting Islam. We become either atheists or Christians.” (For Reference: Study of Conversion out of Islam- A study of conversion Narratives of former Muslims) Askar explained.

FEW MONTHS LATER

26 AUGUST 2022

Meanwhile, Dhaswin and Dinesh comes across a propaganda magazine Voice of Khorasan, in which ISIS said about the first Indian suicide bomber for them as a Keralite, who converted from Christianity to Islam. Following the claimed admission by the terrorist organization, Indian Central Intelligence agencies have launched an investigation into the matter.

The suicide bomber is mentioned in the magazine’s newest issue’s chapter “Memories of Shuhada,” which is a section dedicated to the memories of those who died fighting for ISIS. The identity of the Kerala terrorist was not mentioned in the story. But, the suicide bomber was given the name “Abu Bakr Al-Hindi” and became interested in Islam in the UAE. Dhaswin investigated this deeply with the help of Askar in several places of Kerala. Then, the duo meets Dinesh at his NIA office. There they said what exactly happened.

After his conversion, he became interested in Jihadi philosophy and contacted ISIS sleeper cells in Dubai. He had planned to fly to Yemen for more instruction but was unable to do so. Returning to his native state of Kerala, he spent some time. Then, he received word from his ISIS handlers that there was a chance in Libya. He went there under the pretext of trying to find a new job. Abu Bakr waged Jihad against the Libyan Army in Sirsit, ISIS’s stronghold, before turning into a suicide bomber and blowing himself up.

“Abu’s repeated attempts to migrate to an IS-controlled area in Yemen failed due to logistical issues. Still, the opportunity to join the Libyan module ultimately came up with the support of his Gulf connections, Dinesh sir” said Askar.

Dinesh becomes confused and fragile. However, Dhaswin explains him that Abu received military training in Sirte after arriving in Libya. Perplexed, he looked into the magazine of Khorasan.

The magazine mentioned, “Brother Abu Bakr joined operation istishhadi(suicide attack). When the apostates reached gate 40, he was selected and carried out istishhadi operation on the murtaddin and attained martyrdom.”

Vijay Saravanan and Vijay Narasimman looked at the magazine.

Dhaswin and Askar continued to tell: “As early as 2014, ISIS established roots in Kerala, with modules encouraging religious conversions and aiming to attract professionals to join it’s troops in Afghanistan and Syria. Plenty of Kerala men and women have joined the ISKP in recent years, Dinesh.”

“What our senior officials had said da?” asked Dinesh to which Vijay Narasimman said: “We filed a charge-sheet in July 2020 in connection with the murder of Special Sub-Inspector Wilson right?”

“Yes. What did they tell about that?” asked Dinesh to which Vijay Saravanan said: “That charge-sheet revealed a strong association between ISIS terrorists active and growing up in the state da.”

“So?”

“The NIA asked us to investigate these cases that are related to IS operation recruitment centers in Kerala.” The guys decides to investigate the case deeper. While, Dhaswin and Askar starts a separate journey to investigate Major Chandra Prakash, who’s the father of Hadiya aka. Harshini.

EPILOGUE AND CONTINUATION

Several non-Muslim women have also been radicalized and converted in the last few years and have been sent to Afghanistan and Syria to fight for the Islamic state. The United Nations warned in it’s 2020 terrorism report that there are a substantial number of ISIS terrorists in the Indian state of Kerala, stating that the ISIL Indian Affiliate, which was declared on May 10, 2019, has around 200 members.

THE HADIYA CASE- TO BE CONTINUED…