Mumbai: The farewell letter written by Aarif Majeed for his family before he headed to conflict-ridden Iraq may have been tutored by the alleged recruiter who radicalised the four young men. The police clarified that Aarif does not directly mention his intention to join the armed insurgency, but only hints towards it by expressing his disillusionment with modern practices like television, clothing and music.
The letter may have been to confuse the police and not reveal their true identity but to make a statement about their goals for a pure Islamic state. Police is still not ruling out the possibility of the recruiter having met the youth, but the possibility of them being tapped through online chat rooms also seem strong. The indoctrination may have happened over a period of around 3-4 years, a source from ATS said.
Also, the fact that the letter was written in English supports the claim of Fahad Sheikha’s uncle Ifthikaar Khan, who said none spoke in Urdu.
The ATS is also probing the role of an unregistered an organisation, involved in religious activities operating in the Kalyan area, about their possible involvement in radicalising the boys.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Guidance Center, reported to have been involved in the boy’s radicalisation by a city tabloid, vehemently refuted the claims.
Adil Dolare said, “We are involved in charitable activities like distributing free Quran copies, summer camps for children and social work even amongst elderly people of other religions,” Mr Dolare said.
