A Tale of Two Extremes: Islamist Reactions to Hindutva Nationalism - A Talk by Hari Prasad

The establishment of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent and the Islamic State coincided with the rise of a Hindutva government in India. Today, both ISIS and AQIS are competing throughout South Asia to win recruits, conduct terror attacks, and foment religious turmoil—and both have increasingly fixed their gaze on India. While it has been widely recognized these two Salafi-Jihadist movements are seeking to exploit Muslim-Hindu communal tensions in India for their own gain, less attention has been paid to their rhetoric about the Modi government and the social and political ascendancy of Hindutva or Hindu Nationalism. This dynamic demands greater attention.

This presentation followed by an encompassing discussion will take a look at how these extremist organizations have discussed Hindutva activity in India, and the narrative they form.

About the Speaker:

Hari Prasad is a Research Associate at Critica Research and Analysis where he focuses on the Middle East and South Asian politics and security. He has previously worked for renowned Washington DC-based think tanks like the Hudson Institute, the United States Institute of Peace, and obtained his MA International Relations from the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.

His writings have been published in prominent academic journals and media outlets such as the GW International Affairs Review, The Diplomat, The Harvard Journal of Middle Eastern Politics and Policy, The Wire, and the Stimson Institute’s blog – South Asian Voices.

Prasad’s latest academic research publication “The Salafi-Jihadist Reaction to Hindu Nationalism” was recently featured in Volume 21 of The Hudson Institute’s prestigious scholarly journal “Current Trends in Islamist Ideology.”

He recently gave a more formal presentation on Countering Extremist workshop organized by Nanyang Technological University – S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies’ Centre of Excellence for National Security. At this two day workshop, his presentation - based off his latest research paper - helped policymakers, mid to senior-level officers/analysts, and academics tips in examining radicalization, countering violent extremism, and terrorism.

For more of his work and about him, please visit his website, hkprasad.com

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