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The Past and Future of Deobandi Islam

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The Past and Future of Deobandi Islam NOVEMBER 2009 . VOL 2 . ISSUE 11 between relationships existing before importantly a complement to face-to- individual socialization into jihadism face interactions. The Past and Future of and those forged within the four group Deobandi Islam clusters after extremist ideas were Nearly six years after the Madrid adopted but prior to the formation bombings, many of these same By Luv Puri of a terrorist network. Nevertheless, causal factors still exist. The country in regard to individuals engaged in continues to host worship sites where as the barack obama administration criminal activities headed by “The a number of foreign radical Salafists considers modifying the current U.S. Chinese,” loyalty to the criminal gang preach. Prisons remain locations where strategy in Afghanistan, it is useful to and above all to its leader appears to jihadist radicalization occurs. The understand the social, religious and have been the key motivating factor internet has only grown as an important historical forces that influence Pashtun for involvement in the 2004 Madrid radicalization tool, and extremist society. Pashtuns form the single bombing plot. documents can now be found in Spanish. largest community in Afghanistan, Iraq has become another radicalizing consisting of approximately 38% of Conclusion factor, joining other conflicts involving the population.1 Pakistan also hosts The 2004 Madrid train bombing Muslims such as Afghanistan, Somalia a significant Pashtun population, network should not be viewed as a and even North Africa. primarily in the North-West Frontier case of “homegrown” terrorism, or as Province (NWFP), where they make a case of a “homegrown” network of There is also a new potential radicalizing up 78% of the population, and in the al-Qa`ida sympathizers. The network factor to be considered. Spain is Federally Administered Tribal Areas did not lack international connections now experiencing the emergence of a (FATA), where they make up 99% of the with prominent global terrorism figures second generation of descendents from population.2 Overall, 15% of Pakistanis and entities, and its members, with one immigrant Muslim parents coming of are Pashtun.3 exception, were not disaffected people age. Although this second generation, as born or raised in Spain or in any other a large aggregate, is not yet old enough When developing a strategy involving Western European country. for university, schools may gradually the Pashtun community in Afghanistan become locations where peer groups and Pakistan, it is relevant to understand As for the network’s radicalization of second generation adolescents are the Deobandi school of Islam. Deobandi processes, individuals who radicalized eventually affected by a lack of effective Islam is the most popular form of into jihadism after the 2003 invasion integration into Spanish society and a pedagogy in the Pashtun belt on both of Iraq are a relative majority, and concomitant absence of identification sides of the Durand Line that separates this issue appears to be a significant with the country from where their Afghanistan and Pakistan. Moreover, factor in their radicalization. Members parents came. This could be conducive prominent Afghan and Pakistani Taliban who adopted jihadism before the 2003 to global jihadism as an alternative leaders have studied in Deobandi invasion of Iraq were influenced by cognitive frame of reference among seminaries. This article explains the Islamic injustice frames, such as with the several thousand pupils currently history of Deobandi Islam, shows how respect to major conflicts involving between 14 and 17 years of age. Deobandi Islam in Afghanistan and Muslim communities. These include Failure to prevent and counter jihadist Pakistan has been influenced by Saudi the conflict in Bosnia before 9/11, or radicalization could finally result in Wahhabism, and finally looks at the Afghanistan immediately afterward; the real cases of “homegrown” terrorism role of Deoband today. invasion of Iraq also likely contributed. in Spain, similar to incidents in other As for members who acquired a Western European countries. History of Deobandi Islam jihadist ideology before 9/11, their The Deobandi school of Islam was radicalization processes were slower, Dr. Fernando Reinares is Full Professor of founded in the latter half of the taking from months to years. A possible Political Science and Security Studies at 19th century. It was part of a series explanation is that the radicalizing Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid. of revivalist movements that were agents needed more time to build trust After serving a term as Senior Adviser sweeping British India during the time. among subjects for indoctrination, and on Antiterrorist Policy to the Spanish After the 1857 revolt against the British they may have deliberately created Minister of Interior following the Madrid colonialists, Muslims in British India various radicalization stages to advance bombings of March 11, 2004, engaged in were the primary targets during the a recruit’s socialization into jihadism. adapting national security structures to the challenges of international terrorism, 1 See the UNHCR Assessment for Pashtuns in Afghani- It was in mosques, worship sites, he was appointed Director of the Program stan, located at www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,MA countryside gatherings and private on Global Terrorism at the Real Instituto RP,,AFG,4562d8cf2,469f3a5112,0.html. residences where most of the members Elcano, the leading think-tank for 2 “Population by Mother Tongue,” 2006 Pakistan Cen- of the Madrid bombing network international and strategic studies in sus Report, Pakistan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and adopted extremist views. A few Spain. He has been invited to join the Statistics, available at www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/pco/ adopted a violent conception of Islam Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, statistics/other_tables/pop_by_mother_tongue.pdf. while in prison. The internet was D.C., as Public Policy Scholar in 2011. 3 Ibid. Other Pakistani provinces host sizeable Pashtun clearly relevant as a radicalization populations: Baluchistan Province (29.84% Pashtun), tool, especially among those who were Sindh Province (4.19% Pashtun), Punjab Province (1.16% radicalized after 2003, but it was more Pashtun), and Islamabad (9.52% Pashtun). 19 NOVEMBER 2009 . VOL 2 . ISSUE 11 ensuing British crackdown because the located in Saharanpur district of Uttar The Rise of Deoband in Afghanistan and revolt was fought under the leadership Pradesh, where Hindus form 62.7% of Pakistan of the Muslim Mughal emperor. As part the total population of approximately In 1947, British India was partitioned of the crackdown, the British occupied 452,000 people.8 Moreover, during into Pakistan (which included present- religious sites in Delhi, the capital of the the initial period of Darul Uloom’s day Bangladesh) and India. The Mughal Empire for several centuries. establishment, Hindus reportedly separation caused the migration of many Muslim clerics in Delhi enjoyed the contributed to its operating expenses.9 leading Deobandi scholars to Pakistan. patronage of the Mughals, but this This included Mufti Mahmood, the changed once the British occupied the The Deobandi movement became the father of Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, the city. The last Mughal emperor was exiled most popular school of Islamic thought current president of a faction of Jamiat- to Rangoon, Burma, and the British among Pashtuns living on both sides i-Ulama-i-Islam. Moreover, Mufti occupied the mosques in Delhi. This of the Durand Line. Many prominent Mahmood, an ethnic Pashtun, became caused many ulama (religious clerics) to Pashtun community leaders established the chief minister of Pakistan’s North- migrate to various locations, such as the Deobandi seminaries in these areas. West Frontier Province in 1972 for nine northern Indian town of Deoband, to Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, a prominent months. preserve their religious life and culture. Pashtun leader, was instrumental in Deoband was a natural choice because establishing several schools based on The looming war against the Soviet it was a center of Muslim culture, and Deobandi curriculum in the Pashtun Union only led to a rise in enrollment many families from Deoband had served belt.10 In other parts of British India, in Deobandi seminaries in the Pashtun in the Mughal Empire. Moreover, it was however, they faced competition from areas of Pakistan. During the late 1970s, only 90 miles away from the former other Islamic schools, primarily Barelvi for example, Deobandi seminaries in the Mughal capital of Delhi. Islam. Barelvi Islam, for example, Pashtun belt received state patronage. remains the most popular Islamic According to a World Bank report, In 1867, Darul Uloom was founded in school in what is now Pakistan’s Punjab enrollment in Deobandi seminaries the town of Deoband as one of the first Province. increased after 1979, coinciding with major seminaries to impart training in the start of the Afghan jihad against Deobandi Islam. In addition to being As in other South Asian schools of close to other Muslim cultural centers Islam, such as Barelvi and Ahl-e- “Saudi Arabia infused in northern India, the founders of Hadith, Deobandi places particular Darul Uloom believed that the decision emphasis on the importance of religious Deobandi seminaries with to establish the seminary had divine education. It is committed to a “correct” Wahhabi ideology. The sanction. By 1967, Darul Uloom had interpretation of Shari`a (Islamic graduated 3,795 students from present- law). Deobandi students become alim Saudis targeted Deobandi day India, 3,191 from Pakistan and (religious scholars) after an eight- Islam because it was the present-day Bangladesh, and 431 year-long course in various aspects of from multiple other countries, such as Islamic learning such as logic, Islamic most popular Islamic Afghanistan, China and Malaysia.4 By jurisprudence, the Qur’an, the history school in the Pashtun belt.” 1967, there were 8,934 Deobandi schools of literature and the hadiths. Deobandi worldwide.5 scholars are opposed to certain Barelvi practices, such as visiting the tombs When the school was founded, Deobandi of saints.
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