India’s Foreign Fighter Puzzle

Abstract

Since its rise in 2014, Islamic State (IS) has attracted more than 30,000 volunteers to take part in the conflicts raging in Syria and Iraq. Despite a large presence of more than 160 million Muslims in India, not more than a hundred people have travelled abroad to join IS. This article attempts to explain the low participation of Indian Muslims in foreign conflicts. Drawing on existing literature and interviews with academics, government officials and members of the Muslim community across India, this article demonstrates that insurgency movements such as the Afghan Jihad in the 1980s, Indian government actions, and other factors such as logistical issues, family structure, ideological opposition and racism in IS ranks have collectively played a role in preventing Indians from taking part in the Syrian and Iraqi conflicts. This article is valuable given the low level of literature pertaining to Indian Muslims and their absence from the global jihadist community.