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Into the Terrifying World of Jaish-e-Mohammed by Abhinav Pandya

The book manages to pull back the shroud of mystery around a militant organisation with the depth and precision
Into the Terrifying World of Jaish-e-Mohammed by Abhinav Pandya. HarperCollins. Pages 494. ~699
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Few books manage to pull back the shroud of mystery around a militant organisation with the depth and precision of ‘Into the Terrifying World of Jaish-e-Mohammed’. A brilliant showcase of investigative rigour and narrative finesse, the book offers a comprehensive examination of historical and ideological dimensions of JeM. The Islamist militant outfit, “primarily rooted in Pakistan’s Deobandi terrorist landscape”, has been responsible for numerous high-profile terror attacks in the region, including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the 2016 Uri and 2019 Pulwama attacks.

Abhinav Pandya’s work stands out as both an exhaustive academic study and an essential text for understanding the roots and motivations of JeM, founded in 2000 by Masood Azhar, a Pakistani Islamist leader, who was released from jail after the 1999 hijacking. The author immerses readers in Masood’s personal journey, tracing the pivotal moments that ignited his path toward militancy and introducing the people instrumental in the making of Masood Azhar.

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Through a detailed exploration of his origins, motivations and evolving tactics, the book unveils how he transformed from a mere recruit into a key architect of the group’s operations. Pandya’s study digs deeper: “ISI considered Masood Azhar indispensable to sustain jihad in Kashmir in the long term. The Kashmiri temperament is nurtured on Sufi ideals… not suited to the extremist version of Islam propagated by Deobandi terror groups… The only way to do that is to transform it into an Islamic jihad at large and, for that, extremist motivators like Masood were crucial.”

The author provides a fine-grained view with his access to wide-ranging sources, including declassified, and some even classified, intelligence briefings, personal interviews with security officers and archival records. The book, thus, is not a sterile analysis. Rather, it offers a rare, unflinching look at the complex dynamics that fuel such groups and captures the echoing complexity of militant ideologies and operational strategies.

The book weaves together a tapestry so intricate that it feels like entering the mind of a movement itself: “Along with the matrix sheet, JeM militants also carry the jihadi handbook, which contains the dos and don’ts for terrorists. When arrested, it lays down the standard operating procedure to evade and confuse interrogators, and even mislead them, to save the organisation.”

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From tracing the undercurrents that led to the formation of JeM, the early days of the group to its transformation into a global threat, the book takes readers through warzones, inner workings, training camps, and clandestine meetings.

It is commendable how Pandya has managed to fetch information from defectors, operatives and over-ground workers, rendering startling insights into the internal structures, leadership dynamics, and motivations of individuals involved in militancy — challenging the oversimplified narratives.

The book, in a subtle manner, hints at the intricate web connections between the local militancy and global jihad, touching upon the lived experiences of those who fuel and endure it. ‘Into the Terrifying World of Jaish-e-Mohammed’ is an essential text for policymakers and anyone seeking to understand the complex dynamics of militant groups.

— The writer, an IIAS Fellow, teaches in Chandigarh

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