In the name of God or, as they say in Malayalam, Daivanamathil, young Indian Muslims are turning to extremism and fundamentalism, feels Aryadan Showkath, the writer-producer of the Malayalam movie Daivanamathil.
The demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, changed the mindset of the Indian Muslim, he says.
Showkath, the son of Kerala's Electricity Minister Aryadan Ahmed, says he is "an Indian first and a Muslim second." The short-story writer and filmmaker is worried about the way sentiments are exploited by religious fundamentalists. They "brainwash" young people to be jehadis, he says.
"This situation is worrying. I was shocked to see friends of mine who have gone to the (Persian) Gulf (countries) and North India coming back talking about extremism and fundamentalism," adds the filmmaker.