The recent bomb blast near Delhi’s Red Fort has brought to light a disturbing and alarming facet of Islamist radicalization in Bharat, notably involving well-educated professionals such as doctors. Multiple doctors from medical colleges in Faridabad and Uttar Pradesh have been arrested or detained for their supposed active roles in planning and executing terror attacks, including the one at Red Fort. For instance, Dr. Umar Mohammad has been confirmed as the driver of the explosive-laden vehicle, and his diary, along with those of another doctor, Dr. Muzammil Shakeel, contained coded entries indicating detailed planning of operations. These doctors, far from the stereotypical image of uneducated extremists, show a troubling trend of radicalization among the educated middle class, raising concerns about how ideology penetrates even professional circles.

Another complementary trend observed in Islamist radicalized circles is the sustained use of traditional religious education alongside modern schooling. Despite their children attending regular schools, many families employing Islamist ideologies arrange for private Quran tuition at home through Maulvis. This practice enables the reinforcement of religious texts and interpretations that sometimes foster exclusivist and radical views, particularly when the teachings lack contextual balance. Private Quran tutors working in homes offer personalized, immersive religious learning that can strongly influence children’s ideological development from a young age. The presence of a Maulvi for home Quran tuition, even in families emphasizing formal education, points to the dual educational environment that can nurture radicalization through unofficial religious indoctrination.

In the following video clips, Editor-in-Chief of Chanakya Forum, Major Gaurav Arya (Retd), dissects and speaks about the role of educated Jihadis who enable and complement the uneducated one in spreading the Islamist terrorism globally.

Ideological Underpinnings: The Path from Faith to Militancy

Islamist radicalization often springs from a militant interpretation of Islam that frames jihad as a justified violent struggle against perceived enemies of Islam, including both non-Muslims and Muslims considered apostates or insufficiently devout. The terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden exemplifies this ideological trajectory. Despite his wealthy, educated background, bin Laden embraced extremist Pan-Islamism, founding al-Qaeda to wage a global jihad. His ideological education was shaped by militant scholars like Abdullah Azzam, leading him to justify attacks on civilians and embrace violence as a religious duty against Western powers and their allies.​

Kashmir valley terrorism similarly demonstrates the appeal of this militant ideology to educated youth. Many militants come from well-educated backgrounds, often recruited through sophisticated propaganda and indoctrination. The process of radicalization in Kashmir escalated with legal cross-border movements for training in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, where individuals were ideologically hardened and militarily trained, merging education with militancy.

A research article recently analyzed and consolidated the trend of educated Jihadis in the valley:

The Civilizational Context: Historical Grievances and Identity Politics

The rise of Islamist radicalism must also be analyzed within broader civilizational narratives. Decades of political conflict, identity crises, and historical grievances have been used to fuel and amplify Islamist movements. These movements often portray themselves as defenders of a beleaguered Islamic civilization under siege by Western imperialism, secular nationalism, and internal apostasy. This narrative resonates with youth seeking purpose, identity, and a sense of belonging, making them vulnerable to extremist recruiters.

In places like Kashmir, the civilizational narrative combines with territorial dispute and identity politics, where religion becomes the primary axis of conflict. Such environments create fertile ground for radicalization, where militant groups present themselves as protectors of religious and civilizational dignity.

Educated Militants: Why Does Education Not Prevent Extremism?

The involvement of educated professionals such as doctors in terrorist activities raises critical questions. Education, especially secular and scientific, is traditionally viewed as a bulwark against extremism. However, Islamist radicalism thrives among the educated for several reasons:

• Ideological Indoctrination alongside Formal Education: Many families employ Maulvis for private Quranic tuition at home, creating parallel educational tracks. This religious education can reinforce exclusivist, literalist interpretations absent in secular curricula, nurturing dual worldviews that justify militancy.
• Political Grievances and Alienation: Education does not necessarily mitigate feelings of alienation, injustice, or political disenfranchisement. Educated individuals may still experience social exclusion or perceive global injustices influencing their worldview.
• Identity and Belonging: Radical groups provide a strong sense of identity and purpose, which can be compelling irrespective of academic achievement.
• Sophistication and Tactical Value: Militants with education offer tactical and operational advantages, including planning, logistics, and communications, making them valuable to terrorist organizations.

Historical and contemporary examples—from Osama bin Laden’s upbringing to Kashmir’s educated militants—confirm these patterns.

Western Covert Involvement: Catalyst and Complicator

Historical evidence indicates that Western powers, particularly the US and UK, have at times covertly supported Islamist groups for geopolitical objectives, profoundly shaping the radicalization landscape. During the Cold War, Western countries allied with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to counter Soviet influence by promoting Wahhabi and other fundamentalist ideologies in Muslim countries. They provided financial support to madrassas and extremist groups, sometimes disregarding the long-term consequences.

Documents and reports reveal deliberate destabilization of secular nationalist regimes in the Middle East and South Asia, with the West often viewing Islamist militants as convenient proxies against communism or rival states. This covert support expanded platforms for Islamist radicalism, indirectly facilitating the rise of groups like al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

Such geopolitical maneuvering complicates the narrative: Western powers can be simultaneously targets and enablers of Islamist terrorism. This paradoxical dynamic continues to impact radicalization patterns globally and in South Asia, including Kashmir.

The Fundamental Flaw: The Mosaic Distinction and Its Role in Radicalization

At the heart of Islamist radicalism lies a profound theological and ideological concept often referred to as the “Mosaic distinction.” This term, drawn from the religious tradition attributed to Moses in the Abrahamic faiths, denotes a strict dichotomy between the “true” God and the “false” gods of others. The Mosaic distinction cleaves faith from knowledge by claiming exclusive knowledge of divine truth and relegates all other faiths, “idolatries”, or beliefs to outright falsehood and even hostility.​

This religious exclusivism inherent in Islam and other Abrahamic faiths manifests ideologically as a categorical rejection of idolators and non-Muslims, who are often labeled as “kafir” (unbelievers). This rejection is not merely theological but has significant socio-political implications. It becomes a tool to justify intolerance and even violence against those identified as outsiders or enemies of the faith. The Quran and Hadith literature, when read in a literalist manner, emphasize the need for believers to remain separate, pure, and in conflict with “idolatrous” or “apostate” groups, thereby creating fertile ground for radical groups that view jihad as a holy war against such “otherness”.​

This dichotomy stands in contrast to religious or spiritual systems such as that of the Sanatana Dharma, that view divinity and truth as inclusive or immanent within the world and humanity. The Mosaic distinction establishes a top-down, hierarchical worldview in which the faithful are divinely mandated to dominate or oppose worldly influences deemed incompatible with their monotheistic truth claims.

Radical Islamist groups exploit this fundamental schism to stoke fear, hatred, and a siege mentality among their followers. By framing the modern world—including Western societies, secular states, and non-Muslim communities—as extensions of idolatry or moral decay, they recruit individuals into rigid ideological camps. This theological framework justifies terrorism as defensive or preemptive jihad. It also helps explain why educated Muslims, despite exposure to secular knowledge, may embrace extremist ideologies: the Mosaic distinction privileges faith-based “truth” claims over scientific reasoning, making the latter irrelevant in the face of absolute religious certitude.

Thus, this underlying theological “flaw” or exclusivist worldview is a critical intellectual and spiritual fault line that facilitates radicalization. It is not simply political or social grievances that lead to terrorism; at its core is a religious worldview that actively demonizes others and sanctifies violent struggle against them.

Conclusion: Towards a Nuanced Understanding and Response

Islamist radicalization is a multidimensional phenomenon deeply rooted in ideology, historical grievances (imagined one majorly), civilizational identity, and global geopolitics. The participation of educated professionals in terrorism challenges simplistic assumptions about education as a safeguard. It underscores the potent influence of ideological indoctrination often facilitated by parallel religious education systems, such as private Quran tuition by Maulvis.

Global and regional actors must carefully recognize these complexities to craft informed counter-radicalization strategies that address ideological narratives, socio-political grievances, and the covert geopolitical undercurrents that fuel Islamist extremism. Only through an integrated and nuanced approach can societies hope to mitigate the persistent threat of radicalization and terrorism.

References:

1. The Mosaic Distinction: Israel, Egypt, and the Invention of Paganism [https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/propylaeumdok/3388/1/Assmann_The_Mosaic_Distinction_1996.pdf]
2. Terrorism and Statecraft: Al-Qaeda and Western Covert Operations after the Cold War
3. From Scholars to Teenagers-What Makes Kashmiri Youth to Join Militancy?