Al Qaeda threatens India over Islamic Prophet Mohammad controversy, weeks after comment on hijab ban

After Muslim countries, terrorist organisations have waded into the controversy sparked by BJP leaders' comments on Mohammad, who is considered a prophet, or messenger of Allah, by followers of Islam.

Al Qaeda threatened terror attacks in India over comments made by Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal which had led to punitive action by BJP. In a statement, AQIS or Al Qaeda in the Subcontinent, said that Hindutva is a "system and philosophy which is hostile to the religion and Shariah of Allah".

The terrorist organisation said that its members would "bind explosives" to their bodies and their children's bodies to attack those who "dishonoured" Mohammad. Al Qaeda named Delhi, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat as places that it would target in India.

In April 2022, Al Qaeda's chief Ayman Al Zawahiri had released a video commenting on the hijab controversy in the Indian state of Karnataka. Regarding the ban on the Islamic headdress for women inside classrooms, Al Zawahiri had asked Muslims to "fight intellectually, using the media and with weapons on the battlefield".

The UN designated terrorist had also praised the student protesting against the hijab ban.

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