Only a few from Kerala joined IS but political Islam's influence demands serious attention: P Jayarajan

Kannur: The influence of political Islam in Kerala demands serious attention, though only a few youths have joined the terror outfits such as Islamic State (IS) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), said CPM's state committee member and influential leader from Kannur P Jayarajan.

Unlike Muslim politics, which is for politically leading the minority community, political Islam is becoming a big problem in the world, he said. In Kerala, political Islamic organisations such as Jamaat-e-Islami, and Popular Front (of India) are created by that dangerous ideology, said the Marxist strongman from Kannur. But Sunni organisations played an important role in countering the ideology of political Islam, he said.

He was speaking to Prime 21 Channel, a Kannur-based media platform. Jayarajan said he will delve into Muslim politics and political Islam in his book to be released in October. "I finished the book before the (Lok Sabha) election. It just needs a few small changes," he said.

In Kerala, the extreme ideology of political Islam influences at least a few youths after the demolition of the Babri Masjid. "They took a wrong turn because we did not address them," he said.

"Some youths went astray and joined the Islamic State and went to Syria and Afghanistan. We don't have to exaggerate it. But at least a few youths are being influenced by the political Islam," he said.

"Similarly, in Kashmir's Kupwara, four youths from Kannur were killed in an encounter with the Indian Army. It means they are not able to live in the secular framework existing here. They have imbibed the dangerous message that they could live only in a theocracy," Jayarajan said, referring to the two separate gunfights with LeT militants in Kupwara in October 2008.

The four persons killed were identified as Muhammed Fayaz (23) and Muhammed Fahiz (24) of Kannur, Abdul Raheem (28) of Malappuram and Muhammed Yassin (28) of Ernakulam, all unemployed and school dropouts. Yassin, who was born Varghese Joseph, had converted to Islam a year before.

The BJP, particularly the Sangh Parivar, brought out a cinema called 'The Kerala Story' highlighting conversion and terrorism, he said. "The objective of the movie was to 'other' the Muslim community. Though the movie is not true, at least a few youths have gone astray and embraced political Islam," said the CPM leader.

He said his book will also delve into the relationship between community-based political parties such as the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and political Islamic organisations such as Jamaat-e-Islami. "It will be a reading of Kerala's contemporary history," he said and added that he expected a lot of criticism for the book but he would welcome it.