Kerala Police asks state govt to ban 'Mashari al Ashwaq' book containing 'extreme religious fundamentalism'

Thiruvananthapuram, September 30 : Amid the row over the 'Narcotic Jihad', the Kerala police department has asked the state government to ban the circulation of 14th-century Arabic text Mashari al-Ashwaq Ila Masari al-Ushaaq, better known as the 'book of jihad'.

According to the police, the book contains extreme religious fundamentalism, has an anti-national attitude, spreads hatred among religions, and can misguide the youth into extremism and force them to join a terrorist organisation. In the letter, police said the book can misguide the youth into extremism and force them to join terrorist organisations. Police recommend the government ban the circulation of the book on all platforms including social media.

Following the matter raised by the Kerala police, the state government has formed a three-member committee to examine and recommend suitably on banning of a book named 'Mashari Al-Ashwaq ila Masari al-Ushaaq'.The committee headed by PRD Director S Harikishore also consists of Internal Security IG G Sparjan Kumar and National University for Advanced Legal Studies former vice-chancellor N K Jayakumar. The committee will examine whether the book contains any incriminating material or not and will submit the report to the state government.

Also Read | Narcotic Jihad in Kerala: 'Real situation in Kerala alarming, cause of worry', says V Muraleedharan

Mashari al Ashwaq is a medieval text written by Damascene scholar Ahmad Ibrahim Muhammad al Dimashqi al Dumyati, popularly known as Ibn Nuhaas. He is said to have been killed while fighting the Byzantine army in 1411. The IS sympathisers in Kerala had, meanwhile, brought out the book's Malayalam translation, which was named Vijayathinte Vathil Vaalinte Thanalil, and circulated online.