New York: A prominent Muslim missionary group, Tablighi Jamaat, has come under the scrutiny of US investigators who suspect that al-Qaida used it for recruiting terrorists, a media report said in New York on July 14.

Founded in India 75 years ago, Tablighi Jamaat is a conservative Islamic missionary group spread across the globe.

"We have a significant presence of Tablighi Jamaat in the United States, and we have found that al- Qaida used them for recruiting, now and in the past," Michael J Heimbach, the deputy chief of the FBI's international terrorism section, was quoted as saying by the 'New York Times'.

The group, which describes itself as a non-political, non-violent group interested only in "proselytising and bringing wayward Muslims back to Islam", attracted US investigators' "interest" following the September 11 attacks.

Another senior law enforcement official described the group as "a natural entree, a way of gathering people together with a common interest in Islam."

"Then extremists use that as an assessment tool to evaluate individuals with particular zealousness and interest in going beyond what's offered," he said.

According to officials, the group has been "caught up" in terrorist cases because of its global reach and reputation for rejecting such worldly activities as politics, precisely the qualities that are exploited by terror groups like al-Qaida.

The leaders of Tablighi Jammat said the new scrutiny was "unwanted and grossly unfair" as their beliefs were against everything espoused by Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida.

"It is a very great accusation, a total lie", said Abdul Rahman Khan, a leader of the group's North American council.

PTI