It seems that he was recruited via grievance-mongering, the likes of which jihadists employ frequently and in multiple contexts. But when he got to Kashmir, he didn’t see any oppression, and thus decided there was no need for jihad.
This is predicated upon some core theological assumptions. If a Muslim land is attacked, defensive jihad becomes fard ayn, or incumbent upon every individual Muslim. Offensive jihad, in contrast, can in Sunni Islam only lawfully be called by the caliph, and there has been no caliph since 1924. Hence all jihads today are cast in defensive terms — partly also because in the jihadist mythology, unbelievers are always operating in bad faith and seeking to oppress and impede the Muslims: this is the role they play again and again in the Qur’an.
So anyway, when Syed Moinullah Shah saw that the grievance propaganda was just that — propaganda — he wanted to go back. Would that all jihadists were so perceptive, and so honest.
“No need of Jihad, says an arrested Pakistani militant,” from the Press Trust Of India, April 25 (thanks to James):
A Pakistani militant arrested by Army today said there is no need of Jihad in Kashmir as contrary to what he has been told in Pakistan, Kashmiris are not facing any oppression.
Syed Moinullah Shah, cadre of the Pakistan based Hizbul Mujahideen who was part of the group of 31 militants who crossed over the LoC recently said that after seeing the conditions of Kashmiri Muslims he wanted to go back rather than carry on with “jihad.”
“I was told by Kashmiris who come there (Pakistan) that they are being tortured by the Indian Army. Their houses have also been taken away besides not being allowed to do the namaaz. They also said their women were being raped,” Shah who was presented before the media said.
Shah who underwent an intensive training in Pak-occupied Kashmir, said,”When I came here, I did not see any kind of torture. Everybody was busy doing their own work. I felt their [sic] was no need of jihad in Kashmir and hence wanted to go back.”…