IS links: Lens on Peace Foundation

KOZHIKODE: Intelligence agencies are zeroing on the role of Peace Education Foundation and allied ‘Niche of Truth’ movement in connection with the 17 missing persons from Kerala suspected to have joined the dreaded IS. The Niche of Truth is an independent body introducing Islam to non-Muslims, and its founder-director M.M. Akbar is the managing director of the foundation which runs a chain of 13 schools across the state.

Mr Akbar is a well-known orator and comparative religion scholar associated with the Mujahid movement here. Peace international schools claim to impart academic and moral excellence in an Islamic environment. “The missing persons were radically indoctrinated in such a manner that they rejected cable TV and WhatsApp as western products. That kind of puritan theory is propounded by Salafism/Wahabism, which has roots in Saudi Arabia. So we are probing whether the Niche of Truth has anything to do with the indoctrination,” said a state special branch officer.

Mr Akbar said he was not aware of any police inquiry as he was away in Qatar. Meanwhile, northern range ADGP Sudhesh Kumar told this newspaper that the probe was  going on and nothing could be revealed at the moment. Rashid Abdulla, the Trikaripur native believed to be the key man in the missing team and his wife Ayisha aka Soniya worked at Peace School. Both engineering professionals, Mr Rashid worked as a trainer and Ms Ayisha as a teacher. Mr Rashid had a long stint in Oman, and he met Soniya Sebastian during his engineering study in Kottayam. She converted to Islam to become Ayisha before their marriage.

Meanwhile, BJP Kasargod district committee has demanded a probe into the role of Peace schools. “It should be thoroughly probed. The funding for the school, what kind of education they were imparting, etc. should be probed in detail,” BJP district president K. Srikanth told this newspaper. At the same time, Dr K. Jayaprasad, principal of Century Dental College, Poinachi, in Kasargod said his institution had nothing to do with conversions. Among the missing persons, Nimisha aka Fathima and Refiala were BDS students here.