Former Kerala journo now a fundamentalist in Syria? Confusion over his allegiance remains

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04 Aug 2015, 12:00 am

On June 1, 2015, Malayalam news channel Janam TV, aired a report stating that a former journalist from Palakkad, who had later moved to the Middle East, was now a part of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda.

The report stated that the journalist, who maintains an active Facebook page even now, fled from Doha to Syria in July last year.

On his Facebook page, a link to which is available with The News Minute, but is being held back from publishing, has been posting content that indicate his affiliation with the terrorist group. He in fact, confirms it in a status update on March 14, accepting that he is a part of Jabhat Al-Nusra, the Syrian wing of Al-Qaeda. He further appeals to fellow Muslims to join his organization in Syria to fight for Jihad. Since November last year, his Facebook profile is flooded with photographs of ‘Shaheeds’ (martyrs), posts that persuade believers of Allah to join the fight for Jihad, and footages of wounded ‘Muslim soldiers.’

However, since the report was first aired on Janam TV and the details on the journalist’s FB page were sketchy, there were no follow-up reports. The man from Palakkad, later reportedly joined as a part time journalist with a local publication in Doha and later travelled to Syria.

However, Manorama has reported this morning that a Malayali journalist has joined the ISIS, and this was confirmed at the DGP’s meet held recently in Delhi. The report states that, “The journalist was working with a Malayalam newspaper in Palakkad and was attracted to the ideologies of the ISIS during that time. He worked with the newspaper only for a short period during which time he established links with ISIS through the social media.” It is believed that the person referred to in Manorama report is the same as the one reported on by Janam TV.

However, there is confusion over his allegiance – while he claims to have joined the Al-Qaeda on his FB post, Indian intelligence agencies are reported to

have placed him with the ISIS.

Some reports say that it is believed that the journalist has joined Al-Qaeda’s Syrian wing, Aaya Jabarat Nusra aan.

The News Minute reached out to some of his friends in Palakkad. “We were shocked when the Malayalam channel reported it. He had even been in regular touch with some friends, while some had noticed that his FB posts were inflammatory, no one gave any real attention to them. The first thing most of us did after the report was to unfriend him,” said one of his friends wishing to remain anonymous. Apparently, he also worked as a DTP operator before he became a journalist.

Here are some of the posts from the FB page.

Dedicated to Janam tv. kids attacked by bomber flights of Bashar. (Basharum modiyum otta thanthakkum thallakkum janichilla enne ullu.)

Translation: Bashar and Modi are equal, its only that they were not born to same parents

I am not ISIL, rumours are being spread. ISIL is killing Muslims unlawfully. I am alqueda's syrian wing Jabahat Nusra. We don't kill anybody without reasons

Still hope is there, a group of people from india will join us in Jihad, they will chain the indian leaders (present government) and will take to the streets. some of these true jihadis are there in Kashmir and in some other parts of india. They don't have any politics.

Those who follow democracy will be insulted in their own country and also after death

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