Kerala : The forced conversion to Islam at the behest of terror outfit Islamic State came to light after the officials probing the case of the missing 21 Keralite persons, who reportedly left the country to join IS received vital leads with the arrest of Islamic preachers Arshi Qureshi and Rizvan Khan. These preachers are allegedly connected with the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) of Dr Zakir Naik of Mumbai.
During the relay interrogations, Rizvan admitted that he had converted about 400 persons to Islam, including many Keralites. Most of them are Hindus. Rest of the converts are Christians and indigenous people. As per an estimation more than 300 Hindus were taken under this grab of forcible conversion under IRF-IS module. Qureshi, 45, who has been working as a guest relation executive with IRF, however denied his involvement in forcible conversion. Qureshi said he has not converted anyone, including Keralites. But, Further investigation is tightening on it for revealing more truth about the raised allegations so far.
Kerala Police said they have recovered documents revealing that Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation had recruited youths to IS from India and one of the persons had contacted Abdul Rasheed, 35, a Kasargod youth who went missing and reportedly joined the IS.Police said Rasheed had used computers in the Kochi office of Niche of Truth, an organisation run by Salafist televangelist M M Akbar – known as Kerala Zakir Naik. Kochi based girl Merin Jacob aka Mariam and her husband Yahya aka Bestin Jacob, acquaints of Rasheed, frequently visited the Niche centre.
The investigators said they have recovered documents of Merin’s conversion to Islam from Christianity through the Juma Masjid of Bombay Trust in Mumbai.
“We have recovered documents related to the conversion and electronic devices such as mobile phones, computers and others used by the accused for communication. The electronic equipment will be sent to Hyderabad Forensic Laboratory and this examination will unveil more terror links”, said ACP K V Vijayan, who is heading the investigation. The case has assumed national significance as so far this is the only case in which Section 13, 39 (a) (i) of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) has been slapped on the accused. The case was registered based on the complaint lodged by Ebin Jacob, Merin’s brother.
The first accused Qureshi and second accused Yahya aka Bestin converted Mariam Aka Merin to Islam in 2014 September and recruited her to IS. Yahya had attempted to radicalise Ebin too after visiting his house at Thammanam in August 2014 and took him to Mumbai. They forced him to annihilate non-Muslims and Islamise the countries, including India, propagating Islamic ideologies. The third accused 53-year old Rizvan extended support to the forcible conversion and the marriage between Yahya and Mariam, said the remand report produced by the police before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Ernakulam.
After the connection of Zakir Naik with the Holy Artisan Bakery killiers in Dhaka, IRF’s connection with forced conversion and various communal and subversive charges levelled upon him, Naik is not returning India from his foreign exile.
Source : Hindu Existence
