White Collar Jihad.
The Educated Face of Radical Violence
The 2025 arrests from Delhi and Ahmedabad marked a disturbing turn in India’s encounter with terrorism. The Red Fort bombing in Delhi, which killed thirteen people, was not the work of madrasa students or unemployed youth. It was planned and executed by a group of medical professionals. Around the same time, police in Gujarat uncovered a plot to manufacture ricin, one of the deadliest natural poisons, allegedly organized by doctors with foreign training. Both cases revealed that terrorism in India had entered a new phase—one led by the educated.
These developments overturn the long-held stereotype of the terrorist as an uneducated fanatic. Professionals trained in medicine, chemistry, and engineering bring with them the skills, access, and networks to stage sophisticated operations. They know how systems work, where vulnerabilities lie, and how to camouflage their activities under the cover of legitimate institutions. Their participation greatly expands the operational potential of extremist organizations.
From the Classroom to the Cell
The Delhi case centred on Dr. Umar Un Nabi, a physician linked to Al Falah University in Faridabad. Investigators uncovered what they called a “doctor terror module,” composed of medical graduates who had been radicalized through online channels and had ties to transnational outfits. In the Gujarat case, the Anti-Terrorism Squad seized castor seeds, chemical equipment, and documents detailing ricin extraction. The accused doctors were allegedly preparing to contaminate food and water supplies in major cities. Both incidents occurred in November 2025 and, taken together, highlight a new trend: terrorism emerging from inside professional circles rather than their margins.
The End of the Madrasa Myth
For decades, security policy assumed that extremism grew from poverty and lack of education. The recent investigations contradict that assumption. The new radicals come from university campuses and middle-class families. They use encrypted apps, professional contacts, and scientific training to outmanoeuvre traditional surveillance. Their respectability is their camouflage. Laboratories, hospitals, and research centres—spaces once trusted as apolitical—can now serve as unwitting enablers.
A Question of Ethics
During the pandemic, a smaller episode in Uttar Pradesh illustrated how professional misconduct can corrode public trust. At a primary health centre in Jamalpur, a nurse was accused of pretending to vaccinate patients and discarding loaded syringes. The case led to her dismissal and criminal inquiry. Whether her motives were ideological or negligent, the incident created suspicion that rippled through communities. When trust in institutions collapses, rumours and communal narratives quickly fill the void, and extremists exploit that mistrust.
The Ideological Backdrop
In the wider intellectual climate, some influential academics have also pushed to reframe how we see terrorism. Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani is now widely discussed as the father of New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. In his 2004 book Good Muslim, Bad Muslim, he wrote that “we need to recognize the suicide bomber, first and foremost, as a category of soldier” and that suicide bombing should be understood as a feature of modern political violence rather than stigmatized as mere barbarism. Critics argue that such language normalises terror tactics by placing suicide bombers conceptually alongside regular combatants, even if the intent is analytical rather than approving. For young radicals looking for intellectual cover, this kind of framing can sound like justification dressed up as theory.
Policy Implications
The rise of educated radicals demands a different counter-terrorism lens. Intelligence and professional-licensing bodies must share data on individuals engaged in suspicious research or unexplained travel. Universities and hospitals need clearer codes for reporting ideological extremism or misuse of facilities. Ethics courses in medicine, engineering, and science should emphasize civic responsibility and empathy as professional duties. Above all, the state must enforce laws firmly and uniformly, addressing minor infractions before they escalate into catastrophic acts. Consistent enforcement, combined with discreet counselling, can intercept the escalation ladder early.
Conclusion
The phenomenon of “white-collar jihad” exposes a paradox of modern education: knowledge without empathy can become a weapon. Radicalization among professionals shows that the challenge is not literacy but moral formation. Preventing future violence means building institutions that unite technical mastery with ethical awareness, and administrations that apply law with both firmness and fairness. When order is predictable and justice impartial, extremism finds little room to grow.
References:
- University World News, “Peak university body suspends Al-Falah after Red Fort blast,” https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20251113135137
- India Today, “An ordinary, damp and musty hostel room at Al Falah University,” https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/al-falah-university-terror-investigation-2367890
- Hindustan Times, “Red Fort blast: Al-Falah room shows explosive traces as police believe the module had prepared for serial blasts,” https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/red-fort-blast-al-falah-room-shows-explosive-traces-10167654321
- Times of India, “12 suitcases, 20 timers and a rifle: new twist in Faridabad arms haul,” https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/12-suitcases-20-timers-and-a-rifle-new-twist-in-faridabad-arms-haul-weapon-found-in-woman-doctors-car/articleshow/125217283.cms
- New Indian Express, “Gujarat ATS seizes chemical from Hyderabad doctor’s house,” https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2025/Nov/13/gujarat-ats-seizes-chemical-from-hyderabad-doctors-house
- The Telegraph, “Pandora Papers: Tony and Cherie Blair saved £312,000 stamp duty by buying offshore firm,” https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/10/03/pandora-papers-tony-cherie-blair-saved-312000-stamp-duty-buying/
- Mehmood Mamdani, Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror, Pantheon Books, 2004.
- Times of India, “Bill Ackman makes shocking allegation about Zohran Mamdani, rakes up his father’s ‘suicide bomber’ theory,” 11 July 2025.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/bill-ackman-makes-shocking-allegation-about-zohran-mamdani-rakes-up-his-fathers-suicide-bomber-theory-what-you-need-to-know/articleshow/122379487.cms