Republic TV stings Kolkata cleric Syed Noor-ur Rahman Barkati

He’s India’s most controversial cleric, a man known for making obnoxious statements and demands. As part of Republic TV’s unrelenting expose against the fringe, we unmasked Maulana Syed Noor-ur Rahman Barkati in yet another Super Exclusive.

Caught on tape, the man who claims to be a religious leader makes a case for the Islamic State.

Excerpts from the transcript:

Republic TV: A lot of Muslim youth is not happy, maybe moving towards radicalisation.

Barkati:  See, Muflisi har bahaar khoti hai [poverty leads to everything bad]. A man can do anything for his stomach and for his life. Just like, how a tiger hunts, he doesn't look at anyone and attacks the powerful too. He thinks that if he eat that, he will be saved, if not he will die. It's very tough but he does it to save life. When youths of the age of 17 and 18 are jobless. Lying in the colony, they start thinking and move towards the wrong path. When there are no factories, college and education.. there is no two opinion about this. There is an army report, the Sachar report mentions it. It's written very clearly in the report..(inaudible) so those kids then go on wrong path.

Republic TV: Sir, when we see the reports, it's said Muslim youths are moving toward radicalization.

Barkati: Everything is happening because there is no way out and also to seek justice. For instance, Tiger will only attack everyone when hungry. When we feed and treat them only then they'll become nation lovers.

Republic TV: So when ISIS comes and radicalisation happens questioned are asked why the radicalisation.

Barkati:  This is the reason. Muflisi har Bahar khoti hai (rough translation: poverty leads to everything bad)..because of poverty they do everything. Poverty, poor, poorness are very dangerous things. Forget humans, even animals act insane in this situation.