New Delhi: Abubacker Siddique who operated as a lone wolf was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh police recently. The police termed him as a big fish, with advanced bomb making skills.
During his questioning, he had told the police that he was operating alone and was inspired by the preachings of Zakir Naik, a wanted criminal in India, currently living in Malaysia.
The agencies have been on the look out for Naik for several years now. Naik, however, remains free in Malaysia and has no restrictions. He had even travelled to Pakistan recently where he was given a rousing welcome.
Naik may not have dedicated terror modules or may not plan strikes. However, he remains an institution by himself and his speeches and radical school of thought continues to inspire many to either indulge in violence or take the terror path.
Naik had managed to flee India in 2016. He is wanted in India for cases relating to money laundering and inciting extremism through his hate speeches. Naik is unwelcome in many countries since his speeches manage to incite the youth into taking extreme paths.
Over the years, India has made several requests to Malaysia to have him extradited, but the country has refused to entertain the plea. In 2019, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohammad had said that his country had the right not to extradite Naik, if he would not be accorded justice in India.
The Abubacker Siddique case is a grim reminder that Naik remaining in the open continues to pose a security risk for India. His influence is not just limited to India, but to other countries as well. The 2016 Dhaka cafe attack which claimed 22 lives had a Naik link to it. Although he was not involved in the planning, the attackers had said that it was his speeches that inspired them to carry out the strikes.
The Indian agencies say that Naik could be considered to be more dangerous than any terror group. It is his speeches, which makes him lethal. His speeches and messages that reach millions of people online is what is causing a worry for security agencies.
While the Malaysian government has refused to extradite him, India would have hoped that the ban that was imposed on Naik in 2019 would have continued. However in February, Malaysian minister, Saifuddin Nasution Islamil said that there are no ban orders on him from giving public speeches.
While Naik had openly declared his support for the Al-Qaeda, he is not officially part of any terror group. He functions on his own, but manages to get the message through.
The Indian agencies say that he is the most dangerous preachers in the world. His messages are rabid and he has very good convincing skills which make him even more dangerous. Moreover unlike other rabid preachers who deliver their speeches either in Urdu or Arabic, Naik does so in English. This has ensured that he has a much wider reach and hence more people especially the youth follow him blindly.
Naik’s ability to radicalise people through his hate speeches was recognised by Pakistan. He was given a red carpet welcome in Pakistan, despite objections by India. The Pakistan trip was equivalent to a state visit and during the same, he met with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz.
Indian officials say that Naik has managed to play it smart. Unlike outfits such as the Islamic State, he does not give open calls to carry out attacks. In fact he never speaks about attacks. However his style of operation is extremely dangerous as he manages to put out his message, which eventually ends up radicalising the youth.
Be it the case of Abubacker Siddique or the Dhaka Cafe attackers, Naik has had no direct role to play in it. However the attackers themselves had said that they were inspired by his speeches. In such an event it is very hard to pin him down and Naik manages to get away with free speech. However it is the same speech that would have done the damage.
(IANS)
