Category: Agama

Survey Finds That Local Muslim Respondents For The Donning Of The Hijab In Schools, Autonomy Of Madrasahs

Between 6th to 13th March, we ran a survey to identify Singapore Muslim community perceptions on several socio-political issues. The survey was based on the Suara Musyawarah report, responses to the report and several AMP studies of the Malay community.

Summary

The survey indicates strong concerns on the cost of living, perception of discrimination and the community’s legal and education standing.
Study

The online survey was published on Almakhazin.com. Surveygizmo.com provided the engine.

Five broad categories were addressed: socio-legal, Leadership, Foreign workers/ demography, economy and education. Responses are based on the Likert system with respondents indicating on a 5 point scale from “Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”.

This survey is by no means a comprehensive study of the Muslim community. It serves as an indication on several specific issues. Over the next few months, we plan to expand and deepen the understanding of community preferences through with more community surveys. We hope that it will provide a little insight as to how sections of the community perceive various issues.

We used social media to gather respondents for the survey. Invitations to participate were placed in several Singapore Muslim pages such as Suara Melayu Singapore, Almakhazin SG and Singapore Muslim Students Overseas. None of the groups are based on any political or religious persuasion.

According to ShareThis count, the survey page was shared 603 times. It was shared through Facebook 578 times, by Twitter 18 times, once by email and Liked 235 times. 6 shares were unaccounted by ShareThis.

Caveats

As is inherent in any online survey tool, we rely on respondents’ self identification (religion, gender, age etc) and responses. There is no way to determine if what they declare for themselves are true. However, this is not a unique problem. It exists in online and offline surveys.
There was also initial concerns of multiple responses from the same person. To minimise the possibility of such behaviour, we filtered responses through IP address. Only the last response per IP address is recognised.

Responses

Total number of responses: 334
After filtering repeats through IP address: 314
Muslim respondents: 313
One respondent identified as Christian. Since the survey is on the Muslim community, we had to remove the response.

Demography
Age
The youth age group (defined here for those between 18-35) makes up a slight majority of respondents. However, there was strong representation from 35-54 year olds at 38.7%.

Gender
There was an over-representation of male respondents. 2/3 of respondents identified as male. The survey did not seek specifically male or female groups or participants.

Highest qualifications
About a third of respondents have tertiary qualifications with Bachelors degree making up a quarter of respondents. A further 34.5% have diplomas.

Race
As expected, a large majority of respondents (78.6%) identify as being Malays. 10.2% as Indians.

Categorisation
The survey was set up into 5 categories:
1. Socio-legal
2. Leadership
3. Foreign workers and demography
4. Economy
5. Education

In this analysis however, we will recategorise the survey. There are five categories that make up our analysis:
1. National issues
2. Community concerns- government
3. Social contract
4. Community concerns-Internal
5. Autonomy

National issues

Economy
In terms of the economy, there appears to be uncertainty in the way the government is managing it even as the respondents tend to believe it is not going very well. There are also concerns with the way the CPF is managed. However, there is a strong concern with the cost of living in Singapore.

96.8% of respondents are worried about the cost of living in Singapore with 76.4% stating they strongly agree with the statement “I am worried about the high cost of living.”

However, slightly less than half of the respondents believe the government is not managing the economy well. 30.4% are neutral and about 20% think the government is managing it well.

62% are concerned about the way CPF is managing their funds with 33.9% indicating they “strongly disagree” with the statement “I am confident with CPF’s management of our funds.”

Foreign workers
There appears to be concern on the number of foreign workers and as it relates to the percentage of Malays.

59% disagree with the statement “I believe the government is right in its foreign worker policies.” 77% feel there are too many foreign workers in Singapore.

About 63% are “concerned that the number of foreign workers will result in a reduction in the percentage of Muslims in Singapore.”

Concerns-government
Policies that affect the community negatively appear to get a strong response.

There is strong support among the respondents for hijab to be allowed in school and at the workplace. In reference to the ban of hijab in school, 90% of respondents “believe that Muslim students should be allowed to wear hijab in school” with 68.1% saying they strongly agree. 8.6% were neutral to the question. Only 1.3% disagreed and no one strongly disagreed.

A stronger response was received for question on whether anyone should be denied employment because of hijab. About 98% believe that no one should be denied employment due to hijab with 87.9% believing strongly. 1% were neutral and only 0.6% (even split) believing they can be denied employment due to hijab.

89% “believe that Muslims should be allowed to enlist in any branch of the armed forces.”

Further to the concerns of discrimination, 93% “believe that Singapore should enact an Anti-discrimination law to ensure no one is discriminated.”

Social contract
Article 152 of the constitution states:
“Minorities and special position of Malays
152.
—(1) It shall be the responsibility of the Government constantly to care for the interests of the racial and religious minorities in Singapore.

(2) The Government shall exercise its functions in such manner as to recognise the special position of the Malays, who are the indigenous people of Singapore, and accordingly it shall be the responsibility of the Government to protect, safeguard, support, foster and promote their political, educational, religious, economic, social and cultural interests and the Malay language.”

Signifying the strong sense of the existing social contract 75% of respondents believe in retaining Article 152 of the constitution. Only 3% believed the Article should not be retained.

About 20% believe the government is living up to its responsibilities as specified in the Article. 34% are neutral about the government’s performance and 43% believe the government has not lived up to it.

We received several queries in the comment section indicating the respondents’ unfamiliarity with Section 152.

Community concerns- Internal

The Malay statistic for imprisonment and educational underachievement has been a disconcerting discussion in the community for some time. Another issue that has received some attention is of the erosion of Malay language use in Singapore.

With 79% being concerned about the over-representation of Malays in prison, it indicates not only the concern of the severity but also the recognition that the Malays are over-represented.

Similarly, the perception of Malay educational underachievement is strong with 83% indicating their agreement that it is a concern. Only about 4% are not concerned about the over-representation in NA/NT streams and ITE and the underrepresentation in Universities.

However, it should be noted that with a growing recognition of the value of ITE education, respondents may have indicated their lack of concern due to their acceptance of ITE as a viable and valuable educational pathway.

There is also a strong position taken on Malay language. 80% are concerned about the erosion of the language in Singapore. 14% are neutral.
The concern however may also be due to the greater public statements and campaigns encouraging the use of the language. With enhanced recognition, the belief in its lack and improper use may have become stronger.

Autonomy
There is also a strong sense of the necessity of community autonomy from government control. About 80% of respondents believe madrasah should be independent of government control and for the highest Islamic authority to not be appointed by the government. About 63% also believe that community leaders should not be involved in politics.

Discussion
There appears to be disenchantment within the community in various government policies. There also is a strong sense of communal concern among respondents. This can be due to the possibility that those who participate in such surveys to already be concerned about the questions asked, that the issues are current and significant or there is a socio-political alignment among those who participate in such community based surveys.

It may also be due to respondents who participate in social media based discussions to be more concerned about the issues in the survey.

The demographics indicate a wide variety of respondents. If this can be taken as a cross section of Malay community response, then it indicates a substantial disagreement with current policies especially with regard to community-government relations.

There appears to be a greater sense of disenfranchisement between members of the community and the government. Discrimination, control and high cost of living apart from community underachievement are real concerns that need to be resolved.

This survey provided the broad strokes in community perception. We will follow up with surveys that go in depth on the issues discussed above with special attention on community-government relations.

The survey results can be viewed at:
http://app.surveygizmo.com/reportsview/?key=345590-4188929-4606949383d247e91eebedc49140b4e8

Source: http://almakhazin.com

June 2, 2015
American And Singaporean Missing In Yemen Found In Oman

An American and a Singaporean who had been missing in war-ravaged Yemen were found and taken to neighbouring Oman on Monday, the sultanate’s official ONA news agency reported, as the Americans held talked with the Iran-backed rebels.

The announcement came as a US official said that an American citizen who had been held in the war-torn country had been freed and sent to Oman where he was met by the US ambassador, and where talks were being held between the Americans and the Iran-backed Houthis.

News of the release of the American identified as journalist Casey Coombs came as Omani state media reported that a Singaporean had also arrived in the sultanate on his way home.

“I can… confirm that US citizen Casey Coombs has departed Yemen and has arrived safely in Muscat, Oman,” said US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf.

“He is in stable condition. The US ambassador and a consular official met him at the airport upon his arrival and are providing all possible consular assistance.”

Pictures released by Oman’s official ONA news agency showed Coombs being stretchered into an ambulance with a brace around his head.

“We are grateful to the government of Oman and personally to Sultan Qaboos for assisting with the safe passage of a US citizen to Oman,” said Harf.

The Singaporean has so far not been identified and there was no confirmation of where the pair had been held or by whom, but the American journalist’s Twitter account has been inactive since May 15.

ONA news agency said the pair had been “found” with help from Muscat which had “coordinated with concerned parties in Yemen to search for the American citizen and the Singaporean”.

Oman’s Sultan Qaboos had issued “orders to help the American and Singaporean governments regarding their two citizens who had gone missing in Yemen”, ONA reported.

The sultanate had “coordinated with concerned parties in Yemen to search for the American citizen and the Singaporean”, said ONA.

“They were found and have been taken from Sanaa to the sultanate this evening in preparation for their return to their home countries,” it added without giving further details.

The news came after it was revealed that several Americans were imprisoned in Yemen. The Washington Post said the Americans were believed to be held by the Houthis in a prison near the rebel-held capital Sanaa, but there has been no word whether the Singaporean had also been held there.

US officials said efforts to secure the Americans’ release had been mainly through “intermediaries including humanitarian groups that continue to have a presence in Sanaa”, it reported at the weekend.

One of the prisoners had been approved to be released in recent days, but the rebels went back on their decision. He had initially been detained for overstaying his visa, but then the rebels accused him of travelling to “sensitive” areas in Yemen.

Yemen’s exiled government and diplomats in Muscat have said that Oman was hosting the talks between a US delegation and the Shiite rebels. Muscat has often played the role of mediator between Iran and the United States and had in the past secured the release of several detainees.

Oman is also the only member of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council not to have joined a Saudi-led air war targeting the Houthis and their allies in Yemen.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

June 2, 2015
Self-Radicalised Persons In Singapore

The Ministry of Home Affairs said on Wednesday that it had detained a 19-year-old self-radicalised Singaporean student who was planning to join terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and planning attacks here, and arrested another radicalised youth, aged 17, for further investigations.

The two were the youngest individuals to have been picked up for being self-radicalised in Singapore.

Self-radicalisation is when individuals are influenced by terrorist ideology through reading or viewing materials, usually online, rather than being recruited by terrorist groups. Instances of this happening in Singapore date back almost a decade.

We take a look at these past instances of self-radicalised individuals who were detained under Singapore’s Internal Security Act and how they got drawn in to radical ideology.

1. Abdul Basheer Abdul Kader

The former lawyer was detained in 2007 at the age of 28.

He went to top schools like Raffles Institution and National Junior College before graduating from the National University of Singapore.

He practised law at a top firm here and later became a polytechnic lecturer.

His militant views were shaped by the Internet and in 2006, he left for a Middle East country to learn Arabic for communicating with “mujahidin” fighters.

Very soon, the extremist propaganda on the Net so influenced him that he bought a plane ticket to Pakistan, where he planned to get training for a militant jihad or holy war and to go into Afghanistan and join the Taleban.

He was released in 2010 under Restriction Order, but rearrested in 2012 after he was found to have reverted to his past interest in undertaking militant jihad abroad.

While still under the post-release supervision regime, Abdul Basheer made enquiries as to how he could leave Singapore, illegally if necessary, to pursue his earlier agenda. He had made plans to take up arms against foreign military presence in places including Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and Syria.

Factors contributing to his relapse include the surfing of radical websites that propagated virulent extremist ideology, and political events in Middle-Eastern countries

He is still under detention.

2. Muhammad Fadil Abdul Hamid

The full-time national serviceman was detained in 2010 at the age of 20.

He had zealously surfed the Internet for jihadist propaganda and videos while studying in a local polytechnic and later made contact online with a known radical, Anwar Al-Awlaki, and with an Al-Qaeda recruiter who encouraged him to fight in Afghanistan.

He also searched for bomb-making information online, and posted a self-made video glorifying martyrdom and justifying suicide bombing. He was undergoing section leader training in SAF’s Pasir Laba Camp when he was arrested.

Fadil was released under Restriction Order in 2012.

3. Muhammad Zamri Abdullah and Maksham Mohd Shah

They were both 26 at the time their detentions were announced in 2008.

Zamri was self-radicalised through propaganda in publications, videos and the Internet. He had even gone overseas to join a “mujahidin network”, so he could wage armed jihad overseas and die a martyr.

Like Zamri, Maksham also actively consumed radical propaganda in various media.

Inspired by news footages that showed Molotov cocktails being used in attacks, he then experimented with making improvised explosive devices using material found in sparklers. He even travelled overseas to source for other materials commonly used to make such devices.

In 2012, Zamri was released under Restriction Order.

In 2013, Maksham was released on Suspension Direction, meaning he may be detained again if he does not meet conditions of his release.

4. Asyrani Hussaini

He was 24 when he was detained in 201 3 after trying to join Thai rebels in their armed insurgency.

Asyrani had been radicalised by Internet literature and “pursued specific action” to participate in the insurgency, where Muslim separatists have been battling for autonomy.

He was unsuccessful in attempts to link up with the rebels, and entered another regional country – which the ministry did not name – illegally.

There, he was arrested and convicted of immigration offences, and deported back to Singapore.

He is still under detention.

5. Muhammad Thahir Shaik Dawood

He was placed on Restriction Order in 2010 at the age of 27.

While this does not amount to detention, he had to abide by several conditions. For instance, they cannot change jobs, move or leave Singapore without the prior approval of the director of the Internal Security Department.

He had gone to Yemen to seek out Awlaki, an English-speaking United States-born radical cleric, with the intention of joining an armed jihad overseas. He also enrolled in an educational institution run by an associate of Osama bin Laden’s. However, he failed to get in touch with Awlaki.

After some time in Yemen, Thahir had a change of heart about armed jihad. He came round to the view that there were other ways of doing jihad, like pursuing knowledge and performing good deeds. He also withdrew from the Yemeni educational institution.

The RO placed on him was allowed to lapse in 2015.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

May 31, 2015
19 Year Old Planned To Join Syria, Intended To Kill President And Prime Minister

The 19-year-old student detained last month for planning to join terror group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) intended to kill President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong if he could not leave Singapore for Syria, Mr Lee disclosed on Friday.

His comments, in a speech at the opening of the annual Shangri-La Dialogue security summit, come two days after the Ministry of Home Affairs announced it had detained M Arifil Azim Putra Norja’i, and arrested another 17-year-old student who had been radicalised for further investigations.

The ministry had said Arifil gave considerable thought to how he would attack key facilities and assassinate government leaders, but did not go into details.

On Friday, Mr Lee said of his case: “This is why Singapore takes terrorism, and in particular ISIS, very, very seriously. The threat is no longer over there, it is over here.”

Mr Lee also announced that Singapore’s deployment of a KC-135 tanker refueling aircraft to the Middle East started on Friday. The tanker is part of Singapore’s participation in the international coalition against ISIS.

In his speech, Mr Lee said terrorism was not an entirely new phenomenon, and various politically-motivated terror groups have largely faded away.

But the problem of jihadi terrorism will be around for a long time, and many societies were now finding home-grown terrorists and self-radicalised individuals who can mount attacks with minimal resources.

ISIS has managed to exploit the Internet and social media to attract over 20,000 foreign fighters from all over the world, who will pose a threat when they return.

ISIS supporters have carried out lone-wolf attacks in a number of countries, and two weeks ago, ISIS leader Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi repeated a call for Muslims to migrate to the Islamic state or wage war in their home countries, Mr Lee added.

ISIS has also said it intends to establish a wilayat, or province under the caliphate, in South-east Asia, which has become a key recruitment centre for the group. Over 500 Indonesians and dozens of Malaysians have joined ISIS, and its Malay Archipelago combat unit, Katibah Nusantara, has been active on social media.

Radical groups in the region have also pledged their allegiance, including Jemaah Islamiah spiritual leader Abu Bakar Bashir, whose followers in Singapore planned to set off truck bombs after the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on America.

Several hundred terrorists in jail in Indonesia are also due to be released in the next two years, Mr Lee said.

“The idea that ISIS can turn South-east Asia into a province of a worldwide Islamic caliphate controlled by ISIS, that is a grandiose, pie-in-the-sky dream,” Mr Lee added.

“But it is not so far-fetched that ISIS could establish a base somewhere in the region, in a geographical area under its physical control like in Syria and Iraq, somewhere far from the centres of power of state governments, somewhere where the governments’ writs does not run.

“And there are quite a few such places in South-east Asia. If ISIS did that, it would pose a very serious threat to the whole of South-east Asia.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

May 30, 2015
Golongan Belia Punya Peranan Cegah Radikalisme

Beberapa pemimpin pelajar dan wakil belia melahirkan rasa sedih dan bimbang selepas mendengar berita dua remaja menjadi radikal sendiri setelah dipengaruhi ideologi ganas kumpulan militan Negara Islam di Iraq dan Syria (Isis) yang tersebar di Internet.

Mereka juga melahirkan rasa terkejut seorang daripada mereka mahu melakukan serangan ke atas orang awam di negara ini.

Presiden Persatuan Muslim Universiti Nasional Singapura (NUS), Muhammad Faiz Rosli, 23 tahun, berkata: “Kami rasa amat sedih dengan apa yang berlaku. Ia juga amat mengejutkan kerana pemimpin dan masyarakat Islam kita telah banyak berusaha untuk mengajar erti Islam sebenar kepada orang Islam dan bukan Islam di sini.

“Kami berharap peristiwa ini tidak akan menghapuskan usaha mereka, dan kita harus bekerjasama untuk menyatukan masyarakat kita. Kelakuan ISIS tidak wajar dan boleh memusnahkan. Kita harus buat apa yang patut untuk menghalang dan menghentikan kelakuan pengganas ini demi ajaran Islam sebenar.

“Persatuan pelajar atau belia boleh bekerjasama dengan badan-badan pemerintah atau badan-badan lain untuk meningkatkan mutu program mereka.

“Kita tidak boleh mengumpulkan belia di bawah satu label tanpa memahami kepelbagaiannya. Belia terdiri daripada banyak kumpulan, seperti pelajar universiti, maktab rendah, politeknik, madrasah dan sebagainya. Kita harus memahami kumpulan individu ini dan menjaga mereka secara berasingan.”

Seorang lagi pemimpin pelajar, Encik Mohamed Hamzah Mohamed Abdul Kadir, 24 tahun, berkata: “Saya berasa amat sedih dan terkejut ada orang sebegini dalam masyarakat kita. Ia juga membimbangkan kerana kita masih tidak tahu berapa ramai lagi di luar sana mempunyai niat sama.

Setiausaha Persatuan Islam Universiti Teknologi Nanyang (NTU) itu menyarankan mereka yang mempunyai niat sebegitu supaya pergi ke kelas-kelas agama di masjid-masjid terlebih bagi mendapatkan pengetahuan Islam yang betul dan “jangan terlalu mengikut apa yang ada di media sosial”.

Seorang pelajar madrasah, Sofiyyah Mohd Kamal, 17 tahun, berkata Isis sebenarnya kumpulan pengganas yang menggunakan Islam.

“Perbuatan Isis tidak sejajar dengan prinsip dan ajaran Islam. Sebagai contoh, Islam tidak membenarkan membunuh orang tidak berdosa atau melakukan pengganasan.”

Mengenai cara pelajar boleh bantu menentang ideologi dan propaganda Isis, Sofiyyah berkata usaha perlu dipertingkat bagi menggalak orang ramai, termasuk beliau, mendalami ajaran Islam sebenar.

“Kita juga boleh memberi nasihat kepada rakan-rakan dan anggota keluarga agar mereka elak daripada mendekati kumpulan pengganas ini di Internet,” ujarnya.

Duta Pelajar Siti Aishah Amirrudin, 17 tahun, yang sedang mengikuti kursus Nitec komputer dan perangkaian di Institut Pendidikan Teknikal Kolej Timur, berkata orang harus disedarkan bahawa bahawa ideologi Isis menyeleweng daripada ajaran Islam.

“Kita beragama jadi kita seharusnya tahu mana yang baik dan mana yang buruk. Kita tidak boleh mudah terpengaruh oleh semua ini (ideologi Isis).

“Nasihat saya bagi belia ialah jangan terlalu percaya apa yang dilihat di media sosial. Jika ada perkara yang mereka kurang faham berkaitan agama atau ajaran tertentu, tanyalah orang-orang bertauliah seperti asatizah,” kata beliau.

Seorang lagi pelajar madrasah, Shafirah Nazreen Mohammed Ali, 17 tahun, berkata tindakan Isis mencemarkan imej Islam serta membahayakan umat Islam dan bukan Islam.

“Tindakan radikal Isis hanya menghalang orang bukan Islam menerima Islam. Malah, ia menyebabkan orang bukan Islam melihat umat Islam sebagai pengganas,” katanya.

Nurfarah Diyanah Aidi, presiden kumpulan pelajar kursus pengurusan komunikasi dan media Politeknik Temasek, bimbang mengenai implikasi jangka panjang akibat penangkapan belia tersebut bak menconteng arang ke muka masyarakat Melayu/Islam.

“Perbuatan kedua-dua remaja itu memang salah, tidak masuk akal mengapa mereka boleh terpengaruh dengan kumpulan radikal seperti ISIS.

“Perbuatan kejam ISIS menconteng arang ke muka semua umat Islam. Perbuatan mereka buat saya sungguh marah dan kecewa,” kata Nurfarah yang juga presiden kumpulan pelajar kursus Pengurusan Komunikasi dan Media, Politeknik Temasek.

HUBUNGI ISD JIKA ADA MAKLUMAT

Sesiapa yang tahu atau mengesyaki seseorang yang telah menjadi radikal digesa menghubungi segera Pusat Pencegah Pengganasan Jabatan Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISD) di talian 1800-2626-473.

Ini dapat menyelamatkan individu berkenaan dan membolehkannya mendapat bantuan dan kaunseling supaya tidak melakukan kegiatan pengganasan yang boleh membahayakan diri mereka dan orang lain.

Source: http://beritaharian.sg

May 30, 2015