Al Qaeda's South Asia branch names PM Modi in new video

The terror groups branch for the Indian sub-continent also took credit for the murder of Bangladeshi blogger Avijit Roy

Militant group Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) has named Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as one of many who are waging war on Muslims across the world. 

In the video, Al Qaeda's chief in the region, Maulana Asim Umar, says a war is being waged against Muslims “through World Bank and IMF policies, drone attacks, satanic conspiracy of Kerry-Lugar bill, Charlie Hebdo’s writings, UN charter, official sermons by muftis and Narendra Modi’s speeches which call for muslims to be burnt alive- this is the same war.”
 

The propaganda video, titled ''From France to Bangladesh: The Dust Will Never Settle Down''was made and released by al-Qaeda's own productin house As-Sahab. 

In the nine-minute video, AQIS also claimed responsibility for the murder of American blogger Avijit Roy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, as well as other "blasphemers" there and in Pakistan, according to US-based SITE Intelligence Group. The video was reported to have been posted in a video posted on jihadist fora yesterday.

He also claimed the murders of other "blasphemers".

"Like the companions of the Prophet who defended him with their lives," Umar was quoted as having said in a statement that was released online yesterday, "The mujahideen of al-Qaeda have despatched to hell many who blasphemed against God, and insulted the Prophet."

Narendra Modi

"Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) leader Asim Umar claimed credit for the murder of American citizen Avijit Roy in Bangladesh as well as other "blasphemers" there and in Pakistan, according to SITE, a US website that monitors extremist groups.

Roy, a prominent writer and secular activist, was hacked to death by two assailants with machetes on the streets of Dhaka in February as he returned from a book fair with his wife.

The Bangladesh-born writer, who emigrated to Georgia some 15 years ago, was well known in his homeland for his Mukto-Mona (Free-mind) blog where he railed against all forms of organised religion.

He was also the author of a series of books, including the best-selling "The Virus of Faith", which triggered a controversy in Bangladesh.

Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri announced the creation of AQIS and introduced Asim Umar as its leader in a video posted online in September 2014.