An India Today probe discovered that several Madrasas in Kerala are preaching Wahabism, a Saudi-sponsored creed of extremist Islam linked to global terror

Several Kerala madrasas teaching Wahabism. Seminaries aided by hawala funding from Gulf countries. Wahabism is a Saudi-sponsored creed of extremist Islam

In an unsettling evidence of what appears to be a covert infiltration of the ISIS' ideology in the country, an India Today investigation has found several Madrasas in Kerala teaching the theo-fascist variety of Islam.

For centuries, Madrasas in the subcontinent have been the fountainheads of peace and love as embodied the holy Qur'an.

But India Today's probe discovered several of them down south in Kerala now preaching Wahabism, a Saudi-sponsored creed of extremist Islam linked to global terror.

Aided by hawala funding from petrodollar-rich Gulf countries, these seminaries were found to be indoctrinating young impressionable minds with what has been the ISIS' wicked goal to establish a global caliphate through a world-wide war.

"There's a problem if we talk about a caliphate in public. There are many Hindu people around. If we speak about Khilafat (caliphate), the Hindus would call us ISIS men. So, we are not direct. We put it in the hearts of children bit by bit," confessed Mohd. Bashir, joint secretary of a Madrasa run by the Karuna Charitable Trust at Pullorammal in Kozhikode district.

'WE SHARE THIS WITH THE CHILDREN BIT BY BIT'

Crushed by US-backed international forces last year, the ISIS' ultimate ambition had been to cover all of the earth through an apocalyptic war against disbelievers.

But India Today observed an ominous manifestation of the same ideology in non-descript madrasas like that of Bashir's in Kerala.

"Caliphate is the basis. It's the basic for the children. Only then will there be a caliphate," he declared. "The base is required. It's there in our hearts. We share this with the children bit by bit. There's no rush. A caliphate is not built in a day."

Preaching of radical Islam is not limited to one centre in Kerala, India Today's investigation found.

Several other madrasas were working overtime to produce more and more of men like controversial Islamic televangelist Zakir Naiks, now a proclaimed offender.

Abdul Malik, who runs his madrasa in Karanthur, admitted that Naik videos were shown regularly to young children at his centre.

"Each and every person knows who Zakir Naik is. Here we show Zakir Naik inviting ladies and other religious groups to Islam. Then they are seen accepting Islam in video clippings," said Manik, head of Karanthur's Islamic Centre.

FUNDING FROM UNKNOWN DONORS

India Today's investigation also found such madrasas were mostly funded by unknown donors in Gulf states.

Both Bashir and Manik acknowledged receiving financial support from the Arab world through underground hawala channels.

"It's difficult through banks. It's done via hundi (hawala)," Bashir confessed.

Convinced that India Today undercover reporters were potential financiers from the Middle East, he solicited Rs 50 lakh, saying cash deliveries would be executed without difficulty via hawala networks.

"So you want Rs 50 lakh from us?" asked the reporter.

"For now, Rs 50 lakh. Inshallah!" Bashir replied.

"Wouldn't it be difficult for your man, your agent to send such a big amount?" the reporter probed.

"He'll send it (in instalments of) 25-25 (lakh)," the madrasa official answered.

On his part, Malik revealed the global scale of the nexus between hawala operators and radical Madrasas like his.

"A number of brothers are abroad in different countries," Malik said. "Black money here means what we call hundi. Hundi means if you give money there, then some agencies will directly give money here. So, we collected (it) for the construction of the building and all these things. Our majority of the funds comes from abroad," he explained.

Transactions of crores, Malik disclosed, were carried out every day the same way for various madrasas in Kerala.

Abdul Gaffar, an administrator of Koyilandy's Markazul Jamia Madrasa, said his centre was financed by several countries from across the Gulf region.

"Where are you getting these funds from?" the reporter asked.

"From everywhere. Such as from Dubai, Saudi, Oman, Qatar. From everywhere. It comes regularly," Gaffar said.

His hawala operation is based at Deira in Dubai in order to route funds from other Gulf states to his madrasa in Kerala.

"So, if the money is delivered in Dubai, will you have it sent to India for your madrasa?" asked the reporter.

"It will be definitely done, 100 percent," Gaffar replied.

REACTIONS

CPM leader S R Pillai told India Today that his party would "gather all details (on the expose) and take a call on it."