GG News Bureau
Kathmandu,26 August -A shocking revelation has rocked Nepal’s security and political circles: Turkish citizens, among other foreign actors, are said to have been giving secret Quran classes to Nepali adolescents in the sensitive Terai belt of Nepal. Authorities suspect this could be part of a grand design to modify Nepal’s sensitive demographic configuration and steadily propel the Hindu-dominant Himalayan nation toward an Islamic identity.
Probe into Foreign Islamic Activities
As per top-level sources, Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs has launched a full-scale investigation following multiple intelligence reports about direct interaction by Turkish citizens with local youth. It is indicated that mosques and ad hoc madrasa-like establishments in southern districts were being utilized to indoctrinate kids through Quranic teachings.
Officials in the government, concerned about the rising foreign influence, believe that this is not an isolated incident of religious instruction but is a planned bid at ideological penetration, reflecting Turkey’s expanding efforts to export Islamist influence in South Asia.
Terai in the Crossfire of Demographic Change
The Terai belt, already demographically sensitive due to cross-border migration and religious conversions, is seen as a vulnerable region. Experts warn that sustained Islamic propagation could lead to long-term shifts in population balance, creating tensions similar to those witnessed in parts of India and Bangladesh.
Security agencies have been put on high alert, and local administrations have been instructed to map all foreign-funded religious activities.
Political Storm Brewing
The news has sparked a political turmoil in Kathmandu. Nationalist quarters condemn the government of “sleeping” while external forces seek to change Nepal’s cultural identity. Hindu organizations are calling for an immediate crackdown on such activity and for tighter visa controls for overseas preachers.
Meanwhile, opposition parties are calling Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s government to speak truthfully regarding the extent of Turkey’s engagement and whether Nepal is being used as a pawn in some broader geopolitics.
Turkey’s Shadow in South Asia
This is not the first time Turkey has been accused of exporting Islamist ideology. Ankara’s soft-power networks have been spreading steadily from Sri Lanka to Maldives. Experts say that Nepal, with its porous borders and weak polity, is particularly susceptible to such foreign religious infiltration.
The developing inquiry is likely to have implications at the regional level, with India keeping a close eye on the proceedings. Delhi is concerned that the Turkish involvement in Nepal will make Nepal an Islamist arc along its northern border, thereby posing both security and cultural issues.
As the investigation continues to probe deeper, one chilling question remains large: Is Nepal the next arena for Turkey’s Islamic expansionism?
