IRF manager influenced my son: Mother of Kerala youth who joined ISIS

Three months after a special court rejected National Investigation Agency's application seeking a lie- detector test on Zakir Naik-led Islamic Research Foundation's (IRF) guest relationship manager Arshi Qureshi, a copy of the chargesheet says that he had influenced youths from Kerala to join ISIS.

According to a Times of India report, a copy of the chargesheet filed last month before special judge VV Patil has a statement by the mother of Ashfaque Majeed, one of the youths who fled the country to join ISIS in 2016. Majeed's mother has said that he would often ask his friends to seek advice from "Arshi bhai of IRF" and call them to meet at IRF in Dongri. His mother also went to add that before Majeed left to join ISIS with his wife and daughter, he had allegedly gone on an all expense paid trip to Sri Lanka in February last year for studies on the holy book which was funded by "Arshi bhai" too.

After this in May, he left home despite his mother's requests. 

However, a statement issued by IRF last year after Qureshi's arrest claimed that, "Conversion is not one of the objectives of IRF. The organisation only spreads the message of Islam and clears misconceptions. This is fully permitted by our Constitution. IRF's guest relations manager, Arshi Qureshi has never forced a single person into conversion against his or her free will, as it is against Islam. We emphatically deny all allegations."

Arshi Qureshi was arrested for allegedly trying to influence a Kerala youth as well as his brother-in-law and sister. The Kerala police has also accused him of sending them to fight for ISIS.