Identical twins Brandon-Lee and Tony-Lee Thulsie aspired to flashy lives with women, cars, parties and modelling. But eight months later they were allegedly planning a terror campaign across South Africa, including disrupting the upcoming local government elections. Converting to Islam last year the twins, who changed their names to Yaqeen (Tony-Lee) and Sullahuddin (Brandon-Lee) Ibn Hernani, embraced the religion, devouring its teachings.They were arrested in a police anti-terror raid over the weekend in Florida on the West Rand and Newclare for allegedly planning to attack US and Jewish targets in South Africa,with siblings Ibrahim and Fatima Patel in Azaadville. For Ruwayda Haroun their curiosity over Islam was "beautiful".Haroun's husband, Muzaffar Begg, an Islamic scholar in Newclare - where the twins grew up - helped the brothers explore Islam.Haroun said: "I was curious about them choosing Islam. Their thoughts were innocent." But their curious innocence changed.Begg said they initially followed the mainstream thought of Islam."But from the way the twins began to speak months later you could see something had changed. They became conservative, insulting our imams whom they accused of not fulfilling their duties."They spoke about how a good Muslim had to speak up about the abuse of 'our people' [in Palestine and Syria]." He said when questioned about where they were studying and who was teaching them their "extreme ideologies", they said they were being taught by "Sheikh Musa Jibril", and the internet."But we learnt they attended class at a Mayfair school, which deviated from the mainstream teachings. They followed the conservative Salafi teachings."The school, said Islamic religious leaders who spoke to The Times on condition of anonymity, is apparently headed by East and North African scholars who disagree with South Africa's moderate imams.Begg said the twins told him they chose the school because they wanted a "greater" purpose."They had problems with South Africa, specifically with the upcoming elections.''Their new teachers said voting was forbidden. [The boys] wanted to be soldiers for their religion."Ruwayda Haroun said when Yaqeen spoke about getting taken off the plane when they tried to fly to Syria, he said he was accused of joining Islamic State , but he claimed he was going on holiday and ''to help Islam flourish''."We told them Islam's a religion of peace, but they said in a time of war one needed to make war. We told them there's no war, and that prayer would be strong enough to help fellow Muslims but they wouldn't listen."Former Newclare religious leader Sheik Rashad Isaacs said though he hoped IS was not getting a grip in South Africa, three years ago the group began threatening to bomb the country's imams."Those threats continue."A police source said from equipment seized, including cellphones, it was clear the two had been communicating with outside people."There are special encryption apps which we believe they used."The race is on to try to crack these codes. We have to get to those they were communicating with."Johan Kruger, UN Office on Drugs and Crime's terrorism programme head for East Africa, said there was concern over radicalisation by al-Shabab, IS and al-Qaeda. "These groups reach out to marginalised youngsters from thousands of kilometres away."He said Southern Africa was known to have been used by al-Qaeda for exfiltration of operatives and financing, "and while there have never been attacks here, there are cosmopolitan communities, especially in South Africa, with accessible Western targets."When countries face threats from terrorism, it's crucial the response to prevent terrorism doesn't incite terrorism."Karen Jayes, of global anti-terrorism advocacy group CAGE, which assists terror accused and their families and which is assisting the Thulsies and Patels, said in Africa anti-terror laws were used to clamp down on legitimate dissent.She said in South Africa they were seeing similar rumblings, with increased scrutiny of Muslims and calls for people to be profiled as part of the counter-terrorism laws."The war on terror in South Africa is intensifying. We anticipate there may be more people needing our assistance ... our concern is that from these moves young people especially will be alienated and will be drawn towards political violence."..