The idea that there has been a “shift” in the “locus
of terrorism” towards South Asia is currently being vigorously propounded.
This paper analyzes trends in terrorism and sectarian violence in this
region in the context of the hypothesis that it is more accurate to speak
of the spread or expansion of the sphere of terrorism, rather than
any “shift”. Indeed, as terrorists secure even limited successes in one
region, their methods are adopted in others, threatening an ever-widening
spectrum of nations and cultures.
Extremist Islam is at the heart of this malignant
expansion and, while terrorist activities and safe havens may manifest
apparent and transient shifts as a result of tactical and strategic
exigencies, the locus of the ideologies that inspire this brand of Islam
has remained firmly fixed.
South Asia comprises the largest concentration of
Muslims in the world, and has a long history, both of communal
confrontation and violence on the one hand, and of co-existence within an
eclectic culture that has accepted differences on the other. This duality
is ingrained in the unique and diverse set of practices and beliefs that
comprise Indian Islam. But Indian Islam is, today, under a deep and
penetrating attack, a “hardening” of beliefs that may lend itself to the
extremist jihad in an uncertain future. This is compounded by a
process of “encirclement” and massive demographic shifts that deepen the
danger, particularly along India’s eastern borders.
This paper assesses the threat of Islamic terrorism
within the context of these broad parameters. Specifically, it focuses on
the following:
I. The geopolitical context of the Islamic
Extremist threat to South Asia.
II. Islam in South Asia – demographics,
politicization, schools and overview of sectarian conflicts.
III. Extremist Islamic terror in South Asia,
including the role of Afghanistan/Pakistan; the conflict in Kashmir; and
the growth of militant Islam in other parts of the subcontinent, including
India’s northeast.
IV. The strategies of subversion, including patterns
of demographic shift, the systematic establishment of mosques and
madarsas, and the “hardening” of Islam throughout the region.
V. International support and linkages of Islamic
Extremism in South Asia.