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links between many Salafi preachers based in Saudi Arabia and other parts
of the Gulf. Many return migrants from the Gulf show far more religiosity
than their counterparts in the state or even compared to their lifestyle
before migration. Not every Salafist or Wahhabist become naturally radical
or extremists, but according to media reports, the maximum number of
Indians who joined ISIS or were inclined towards it came from Kerala
(Safi 2016 ).
Many scholars, analysts and security experts are of the view that Saudi
Arabia has been and continues to be a significant source of radicalism
among the Indian Muslim through its dawah (preaching) and charitable
activities. In the last couple of decades, the country has witnessed a spurt
in Salafi Islamic practices and some also see its influence in the rise of jihad-
ism in Kashmir (Dehlvi 2016 ). In some cases, the Salafism has been attrib-
uted to Gulf returnees after their long stint in the Kingdom (Philip 2016 ;
Jaffrelot and Louër 2017 ; Ullekh 2013 ). For example, Kerala which is
traditionally recognized for its progressive views towards women is becom-
ing conservative and has witnessed a noticeable increase in the number of
women abandoning the traditional dress in favour of hijab (Meleady 2016 ).
There is no information in the public domain to suggest that India has
raised its concerns over Salafi influences in the country with the Saudi
authorities. However, growing intelligence cooperation between the two
governments, especially since 2008, suggests that both are aware of the
long-term implications of the extremism. In recent years Saudi Arabia has
been a victim of Islamic extremism. Fighting terrorism and combating
radicalism figure prominently in the joint declarations and official state-
ments. The frequent appointment of serving police officials as ambassadors
to Riyadh (e.g. T. T. P. Abdullah and Ahmad Javed) does suggest New
Delhi’s concerns over possible Saudi links to extremism.
The links between Saudi Islam and Islamic radicalism worldwide are
more complicated than the day-to-day engagements between states and
governments. Those who see a symbiotic link attribute it to the prolonged
Saudi endeavour to promote its puritanical Salafi-Wahhabi Islam. The
al-Saud’s desire and determination to make this to be the most authentic
version of Islam has been a source of radicalism among Muslims world
over, especially among the Sunni Muslims.
Such perceptions are not without a foundation. The Wahhabi interpre-
tation of the faith presents a radical view of other Muslim groups such as
Shias, Sufis and Ahmadiyyas as well as towards non-Islamic faiths such as
P. R. KUMARASWAMY AND MD. M. QUAMAR