The myth that education prevents Islamic terrorism, particularly the claim that “If Muslims were educated, they wouldn’t become terrorists,” is a misconception. Uddhav Sena MP Sanjay Raut also echoed this idea saying people turn to terrorism because of lack of livelihood and education.
Most recently, on 3 August 2025, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (UP-ATS) arrested Dr. Osama Maj Sheikh, a homeopathic doctor from Maharashtra, and Ajmal Ali, a resident of Amroha, Uttar Pradesh. Both individuals were accused of conspiring against the Indian state, promoting radical ideologies, and plotting to establish Sharia rule and pursue the agenda of Ghazwa-e-Hind. Investigators revealed they were active in a WhatsApp group titled “Revival of Islam,” with a majority of members based in Pakistan.
This report profiles 30+ highly educated individuals who were actively involved in terrorist activities, both in India and abroad, between 1993 and 2025. All of them held degrees or technical qualifications and were linked to radicalization, terror plots, or violent jihad. Their cases expose the failure of the “education as antidote” theory and highlight the complex pathways that lead individuals to terrorism.
#1 Dr. Osama Maj Sheikh and Ajmal Ali
Dr. Osama Sheikh, a homeopathic doctor from Maharashtra, and Ajmal Ali, a resident of Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, were arrested by the UP ATS on 3 August 2025. They were part of a radical WhatsApp group named “Revival of Islam”, reportedly filled with Pakistani members. The two were accused of conspiring to impose Sharia law and promoting Ghazwa-e-Hind ideology.
#2 Mohammad Emwazi – Electrical Engineering, University of Westminster
Mohammed Emwazi, also known as “Jihadi John,” was a British terrorist of Kuwaiti origin. He appeared in several videos produced by the Islamic State (IS), beheading captives in 2014 and 2015. Emwazi was part of a four-man terrorist cell known as ‘The Beatles.’
#3 Ramzi Ahmed Yusuf – Electrical Engineering, Savansey Institute
Ramzi Ahmed Yusuf was a convicted terrorist and one of the masterminds behind the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the bombing of Philippine Airlines Flight 434. He was also involved in the Bojinka plot. British
#4 Khalid Sheikh Mohammed – Mechanical Engineering, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was a key operational planner for al-Qaeda. He masterminded several high-profile terrorist operations, including the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001.
#5 Talib A – Doctor, Specialist in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
On 20 December 2024, Talib A. drove a car into a crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, killing two people and injuring 68 others. Talib had previously been accused of terrorism in Saudi Arabia and trafficking girls from the Middle East to European countries. Once a Muslim and critic of Islam, he left Saudi Arabia in 2006 and became a resident of Germany.
#6 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi – PhD in Islamic Studies (B.A. & M.A.)
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was the leader of the terrorist organization ISIS. He rose to global prominence in 2014 when he captured large parts of Syria and Iraq, founding ISIS and declaring himself Caliph.
#7 Osama bin Laden – Civil Engineering, King Abdullah Aziz University
Osama bin Laden was the founder of the terrorist group al-Qaeda. He was the mastermind behind the 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in the United States.
#8 Ayman al-Zawahiri – Surgeon (MBBS, Cairo University)
After the death of Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri became the leader of al-Qaeda. He was involved in planning and executing the 9/11 attacks on the United States, further solidifying his role in global terrorism.
#9 Afzal Guru – Doctor (MBBS) & IAS competitive aspirant from Jhelum Valley
Mohammad Afzal Guru was a member of the terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed and was the main accused in the 2001 Indian Parliament attack.
#10 Masood Azhar – Graduate in Journalism, Editor of Sawat-e-Kashmir magazine
Masood Azhar is the founder of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a terrorist group operating in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Jaish-e-Mohammed was responsible for the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament.
#11 Hafiz Saeed – Professor, Two Master’s Degrees (Lahore University)
Hafiz Saeed is the founder of the terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba. He is responsible for orchestrating the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2006 Mumbai train bombings, and the 2001 Indian Parliament attack.
#12 Yakub Memon – Chartered Accountant, Postgraduate in Political Science (IGNOU)
Yakub Memon, the brother of Tiger Memon, was involved in the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai, masterminded by Tiger Memon.
#13 Mansoor Asghar Peerbhoy – Software Engineer, Principal Engineer (Yahoo)
Mansoor Asghar Peerbhoy was the head of the media cell for the terrorist organization Indian Mujahideen. He was arrested in 2008 for his involvement in several bombings across India.
#14 Salim Khan – Professor, PhD
Salim Khan, a leader of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, was arrested by the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for recruiting and training Muslim youth in terrorist activities. He had expressed intentions to join ISIS in 2010.
#15 Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi – Chemical Engineering (IIT Mumbai)
Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi was convicted and sentenced to death in January 2023 for his attack on the Gorakhnath Temple and security personnel in Gorakhpur on 3 April 2022.
#16 Omar Sheikh – Graduate, London School of Economics
Omar Saeed Sheikh is accused of kidnapping and murdering American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002. He is also one of India’s most wanted terrorists and was released in the 1999 Kandahar hijack incident.
#17 Mohammad Atta – Architect (Cairo University) & Hamburg University of Technology
Mohammad Atta was the hijacker-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11. He was directly responsible for crashing the North Tower of the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001, killing over 1,600 people.
#18 Faisal Shahzad – Computer Engineer, BA in Computer Applications (University of Bridgeport)
Faisal Shahzad attempted to carry out a bombing in Times Square in May 2010. He was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment by a Manhattan court.
#19 Naeem Noor Khan – IT Specialist (Al-Qaeda)
Naeem Noor Khan, an Al-Qaeda operative, was arrested in Pakistan on 13 July 2004. Files found on his laptop detailed terrorist plots to attack US buildings and key locations in the UK, including Heathrow Airport.
#20 Ahlam Tamimi – Journalist (Birgit University)
Ahlam Tamimi, a Jordanian national, orchestrated a bomb blast in Jerusalem in 2001, which killed 16 people and injured 145 others.
#21 Riyaz Bhatkal – Engineer
Riyaz Bhatkal is the founder of the terrorist organization Indian Mujahideen. He was involved in several high-profile attacks, including the 2006 Mumbai serial blasts, the 2007 Hyderabad blasts, and the 2008 Delhi blasts.
#22 Mannan Bashir Wani – PhD Scholar (Aligarh Muslim University)
Mannan Bashir Wani, a PhD scholar at Aligarh Muslim University, joined the terrorist organization Hizbul Mujahideen. He was killed in an encounter with the Indian Army in October 2018.
#23 Mohammad Rafiq – Assistant Professor (PhD in Sociology)
Mohammad Rafiq was an assistant professor at Kashmir University and was involved in training youth for Hizbul Mujahideen in Kashmir. He was killed in an encounter with Indian Army forces in Shopian district on 6 May 2018.
#24 Dr. Adnan Ali – Doctor (MBBS, BJ Government Medical College)
Dr. Adnan Ali, an anesthesia specialist, worked for ISIS’ magazine Voice of Hind to radicalize Muslim youth. He was planning to carry out the Ghazwa-e-Hind conspiracy in India under the direction of terrorist groups. On 11 August 2023, Saqib Nachan was arrested as the 6th accused in the Pune ISIS module case.
#25 Riyaz Naiku – Math Teacher (Government Permanent Teacher)
After the death of terrorist Burhan Wani, Riyaz Naiku became the face of terrorism in Kashmir. As a top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen with a bounty of Rs 12 lakh on his head, Riyaz Naiku was killed by security forces in May 2020.
#26 Dr. Ishtiaq – Doctor (Radiologist, Medica Hospital)
Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmed, a radiologist at Medica Hospital in Ranchi, was arrested by Jharkhand ATS and Delhi Police on 22 August 2024. He was the mastermind behind the AQIS (Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent) terrorist module. In addition to his work at Medica, Dr. Ishtiaq also operated a clinic in Hazaribagh.
#27 Shahnawaz Alam – Mining Engineer
A mining engineer and government school teacher from Jharkhand, Shahnawaz Alam was arrested on 2 October 2023. He was on NIA’s most-wanted list for his involvement in ISIS’s Pune module and planning attacks during upcoming festivals in Ayodhya and Mumbai.
#28 Mohammad Arshad & Mohammad Rizwan Ashraf – Engineers
Engineering graduates, Arshad and Ashraf were arrested in October 2023 from different locations in Uttar Pradesh. Linked to Shahnawaz Alam, they were accused of plotting terror attacks during major Hindu festivals.
#29 Anwar al-Awlaki – Civil Engineer
An American civil engineer with degrees from Colorado State and San Diego State University, Awlaki was a major ideological figure for al-Qaeda. He was killed in a US drone strike in 2011. Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born cleric of Yemeni descent, was a key ideologue of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. A civil engineer educated in the US, he radicalized many through sermons and online propaganda, including 9/11 hijackers, Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, and “underwear bomber” Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. Awlaki was linked to several global terror plots and designated a global terrorist by the US. Despite legal challenges from his family, he was targeted and killed in a US drone strike in Yemen on 30 September 2011.
#30 Professor Salim Khan – PhD
Professor Salim Khan, a PhD holder and resident of Madhya Pradesh, was arrested in 2010 by the MP ATS for leading a Hizb-ut-Tahrir module. He was accused of brainwashing Muslim youth and providing them with terror-related indoctrination. Salim frequently cited the teachings of controversial preacher Zakir Naik during his sessions. Investigators revealed that he had expressed intent to travel to Syria to join ISIS, highlighting his deep involvement in radical activities.
#31 Ramzi Ahmed Yousef – Electrical Engineer
An electrical engineer, Yousef was one of the masterminds behind the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and was linked to the Philippine Airlines bombing plot. On 26 February 1993, a massive truck bomb detonated in the parking garage beneath the World Trade Center, killing six and injuring over a thousand. The FBI quickly identified the rented van used in the attack and arrested Mohammad Salameh, leading to the capture of three more plotters and discovery of bomb-making materials. The mastermind, Ramzi Yousef, intended to collapse both towers and later plotted to bomb U.S. airliners. Captured in Pakistan in 1995, he was convicted alongside van driver Eyad Ismoil. The attack was a precursor to 9/11, with Yousef’s uncle, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, later orchestrating that devastating plot.
#32 Yahya Ayyash – Electrical Engineer
An electrical engineer known as “The Engineer,” Ayyash was Hamas’s top bomb-maker and orchestrated multiple suicide attacks in Israel during the 1990s. The weaponisation of telecommunications in warfare began with the 1996 Mossad assassination of Hamas bombmaker Yahya Ayyash via a rigged mobile phone. This tactic evolved into high-tech precision strikes, like the January 2024 drone attack that killed Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut using a Wi-Fi signal. Recent pager and walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon, killing dozens, underscore the continued use of telecom devices for covert assassinations. These methods offer real-time targeting with minimal collateral damage.
#33 China-Educated Doctor Held in Gujarat for Alleged Ricin Terror Plot
In November 2025, the Gujarat ATS arrested Dr. Ahmed Mohiuddin Syed, a 35-year-old Hyderabad-based doctor with an MBBS degree from China, for allegedly plotting large-scale terror attacks using the deadly poison Ricin. Acting on intelligence, officers intercepted Syed near Adalaj Toll Plaza and recovered pistols, cartridges, and castor oil that was used to extract Ricin. The ATS said Syed was in contact with ISKP operative Abu Khadeja and Pakistani handlers, while two ‘Deeni’-educated aides from Uttar Pradesh aided in weapon supply and reconnaissance in Delhi, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad. All three were booked under UAPA and the Arms Act.
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