Jamaat-e-Islami leader on why young Muslims turn to extremism

The spread of extremist ideas cannot be controlled due to the use of social media, according to the Leader of Jamaat-e-Islami organization Moulavi Rashid Hajjul Akbar.

The moulavi expressed these views at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing the Easter Sunday attacks. He was grilled for nearly 6 hours when he appeared before the Commission, yesterday (11).

Moulavi Rashid Hajjul Akbar is the brother of Moulavi Ibrahim, who is the father of the main suspects of the case of vandalizing several Buddhist statues in Mawanella area, Saadik and Shahid.

He had also acted as the leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami organization for 24 years.

The Commission questioned the moulavi of his arrest in 2019 and his son’s contacts with Saadik.

When the commission inquired him whether he knew the owner of the shop where Saadik and Shahid were hiding, the moulavi told that the shop belonged to a well-known close relative of him.

He further informed the court that Saadik was removed from the Jamaat-e-Islami organization because Saadik worked to create an extremist organization.

The Commission inquired the moulavi as to why young Muslims turn to extremism. Responding to the question, Moulavi Rashid pointed that acts against Muslims is a reason for this and further said that Saadik was the first to turn to extremism in his organization.

When inquired why he did not look into this matter, the moulavi stated that he conversed with his nephews at several times.

As a response to a question as to whether he could give a statement that Muslim youth will not turn to extremism in the future, he said that he cannot say that it will not happen. He further said that extremist ideas are exchanged through social media and that it has now come to a point where it cannot be controlled.