The swift arrest by the Bengalaru police of 24-year-old Mehdi Masroor Biswas, the alleged operator/owner of a pro-IS Twitter account (Dec. 14), is indeed significant. That Britain's MI6 played a key role in this must be noted. The fact that the suspect used the Internet extensively for his alleged propaganda, which included the use of a 60 GB broadband connection, makes the case a serious one. It is a matter of concern that the social media are increasingly being utilised by terror elements to propagate their agenda.
J. Anantha Padmanabhan,Tiruchi
The innocent-looking man could pass off as the boy-next-door. It is extremely depressing to note that a qualified young person, who is expected to take the nation forward, had practically become the social face of IS. The arrest should send strong signals to youth who indulge in such activities. It is shocking to note that even after Mehdi’s account was deactivated, more of them (“2 more @ShamiWitness tweeters,” Dec.14) were found.
Balasubramaniam Pavani,Secunderabad
It is distressing to find that the youth of today are shunning the peaceful way of life and appear to be oblivious to the dangers of supping with the devil. IS is no ordinary terrorist organisation. The arrest should be a wake-up call to all to be aware of the dangers posed to them.
N. Visveswaran,Chennai
Mehdi Biswas is a young man, like many others, who has fallen under the spell of IS propaganda. It must also be noted that he has no direct association with IS and that there has been no evidence against him of anti-India activity (“Mehdi reigned in the virtual world: police,” Dec.14). However, Indian Muslims have to understand that the large number of Muslim clerics around the world have issued a fatwa against IS as being anti-Islamic. It is the duty of Indian clerics to educate the community on the dangers of IS.
Ibrahim S.M.A.,Madurai
The arrest points to a growing problem of young and impressionable minds getting radicalised. So, how does this happen? The process is a type of social trap that attempts to lull individuals into a false sense of material and spiritual satisfaction. A slippery slope then follows with the individual narrowing his social circle and gradually desensitising himself to extremities. With more parts of India getting connected to the Internet, such radicalisation is only bound to increase. The Internet helps in the isolation process and in providing “new social circles” of similarly aggravated groups. Many Muslims are falling easy prey to this as a result of ongoing western-led wars. Al-Qaeda used this tactic to gather many supporters. Secular forces must spread the message that violence does not solve but only creates new problems.
Haroon R.N.,Navi Mumbai
