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Cyber ‘Sextortion’ Scams: Filipino Women Extort Money From Victims Online

Credit: Bro Azrin

Credit: BN

Minta rakan2 fb berhati2 dgn username skype n fb “EYA PINEDA” . Perempuan nie dari philiphin. Dya akan video call kita. Bila dpt gmbr muka sahaja pown dya boleh edit smpai jadi bogel dan akan mengugut kita supaya bagi dya duit. Kalau kita x bagi, dya akan post video 2 dkt rakan2 friend kita. Semua detail2 kita kt fb dya akan ambil.

MOHON SEBARKAN!!!

Sumber: BN

News reports

Philippine police, backed by Interpol, say they have arrested 58 suspected members of a cyber-sex extortion syndicate. Users worldwide were lured into exposing themselves via webcams and then blackmailed.

Cyber sextortion generally refers to using sexual images (obtained either through enticement or malicious code) in order to extort money from unsuspecting military and civilian victims.

In November 2012, the security team for Facebook – the world’s largest social networking site – identified a major sextortion ring operating out of the Philippines.

Syndicate members posing as attractive women used social media to trick online users overseas into exposing their bodies or having cybersex.

Such acts were videoed online by the extortionists, typically from images sent by webcams attached to the user’s computer devices. The recordings were made “unknown to the victim,”

While cyber criminals will continue to plague social networking websites and look for unsuspecting victims, there are measures that can be taken to avoid becoming a victim of these types of scams.

Recordings used for blackmail

The extortionists then threatened to send those recordings to relatives and friends of each user, unless they paid via money transfer remittance companies.

Interpol’s Singapore-based digital crime investigator Sanjay Virmani said hundreds of extortion victims were located in Asia, Europe and the United States.

The scale of these extortion networks is massive and run with just one goal in mind — to make money regardless of the terrible emotional damage they inflict on their victims.

EDITOR’S NOTE

As long as porn sites and social media provide opportunity and capability to extort money from people, there will continue to be many opportunities for cyber sextortion predators.

Hope everyone will be more wary of sexy looking foreign women writing in broken English and demand for contact details to conduct video or Skype call. Only you can prevent such situation from happening. Don’t fall for the trap.

June 10, 2014
DrMAZA: Kesimpulan Isu Istihalah Khinzir

https://www.facebook.com/DrMAZA

Ada yang bertanya saya, setelah kita ketahui pandangan Majlis Fatwa Eropah (European Council for Fatwas and Research), European Fiqh Council, dan Persidangan Fekah Perubatan di Morocco 1997 dan lain-lain tidak mengharamkan istihalah khinzir yang terdapat bahan perubatan, makanan dan gunaan yang lain, sementara al-Fiqh al-Islamiy berpusat di Jedah pada keputusan tahun 1986 dan sebahagian pembesar ulama Arab Saudi pula mengharamkan gelatin khinzir yang terdapat dalam bahan perubatan dan makanan, apakah pendirian yang wajar kita ambil?

Saya ingin rumuskan seperti berikut;

1. Pada asasnya, istihalah yang telah menukar sesuatu bahan najis kepada bahan yang lain seperti bangkai kepada abu, mayat yang sudah menjadi tanah, arak kepada cuka, baja najis kepada pokok yang subur dan seumpamanya diiktiraf dalam Fekah Islam sejak dahulu. Cumanya, ada mazhab yang menyempitkan asas istihalah ini seperti Syafi’yyah dan Hanabilah (Hanbali). Ada pula yang meluaskannya seperti Hanafiyyah dan Zahiriyyah juga Malikiyyah. Tokoh-tokoh muhaqqiqin (penganalisis) seperti al-Imam Abu Bakr Ibn al-‘Arabi, Ibn Taimiyyah, Ibn Qayyim, al-Syaukani, Sadiq Hasan Khan dan lain-lain menyokong dan meneguhkan hujah bahawa peroses istihalah boleh menukar najis kepada bahan yang bersih.

2. Disebabkan umat Islam tidak menjadi pengeluar, kita asyik menjadi pengguna, maka bahan berasal khinzir tersebar begitu luas dalam pelbagai aspek kehidupan manusia; makanan, perubatan, bahan kecantikan dan lain-lain. Kehidupan manusia, termasuk umat Islam terpaksa berkait dengan bahan-bahan yang berasal dari sumber bahan yang haram. Fatwa dalam hal ini sudah pasti diperlukan.

3. Maka, fatwa tentang hal ini dikeluarkan oleh ulama termasuk yang membabit isu istihalah. Berikut teks kesimpulan fatwa Majlis Fatwa Eropah (European Council for Fatwas and Research) yang mengizinkan bahan yang berasal haram tapi telah berubah melalui proses, begitu juga alcohol yang sedikit yang terdapat dalam makanan tertentu yang tiada kesan:

Fatwa (34)
Q) The ingredients of some foods contain items which are denoted by the letter “E” and a string of numbers. We were told that this denotes items manufactured from Lard or Pork bone and marrow. If this is true, what is the Shari’a ruling on such foods?

A) The items which carry the letter “E” and a string of numbers are additives. Additives are more than 350 compounds, and could be either preservatives, colouring, flavourings, sweeteners, etc. These are divided into four groups according to their origin:

First: compounds of artificial chemical origin.
Second: compounds of vegetal origin
Third: compounds of animal origin
Fourth: compounds dissolved in Alcohol

The ruling on all these compounds is that they do not affect the status of these foods being Halal, due to the following:
The first and second groups are Halal because they originate from a permissible origin and no harm comes from using these items.

The third group is also Halal, because the animal origin does not remain the same during the process of manufacturing. In fact it is transformed radically from its original form to a new clean and pure form through a process called “chemical transformation”. This transformation also affects the legal ruling on such ingredients. Therefore, if the original form was unclean or Haram, the chemical transformation changed it to another ingredient which requires a new ruling. For instance, if alcohol changed and was transformed to vinegar, then it does not remain Haram, but carries a new ruling according to the nature of the new product, which is Halal.

As for the fourth group, these items are usually colourings and are normally used in extremely small quantities which dissolves in the final product form, which deems it an excused matter.

Therefore, any foods or drinks that contain any of these ingredients remains Halal and permissible for the Muslim’s consumption. We must also remember that our religion is a religion of ease and that we have been forbidden from making matters inconvenient and hard. Moreover, searching and investigating into such matters is not what Allah (swt) or His Messenger (ppbuh) ordered us to do.

Anggota Majlis Fatwa Eropah terdiri dari mereka yang berikut;

1. Professor Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, President of ECFR (Egypt, Qatar)
2. Judge Sheikh Faisal Maulawi, Vice-President (Lebanon)
3. Sheikh Hussein Mohammed Halawa, General Secretary (Ireland)
4. Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Jaballah (France)
5. Sheikh Dr. Ahmed Ali Al-Imam (Sudan)
6. Sheikh Mufti Ismail Kashoulfi (UK)
7. Ustadh Ahmed Kadhem Al-Rawi (UK)
8. Sheikh Ounis Qurqah (France)
9. Sheikh Rashid Al-Ghanouchi (UK)
10. Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Ibn Bayya (Saudi Arabia)
11. Sheikh Abdul Raheem Al-Taweel (Spain)
12. Judge Sheikh Abdullah Ibn Ali Salem (Mauritania)
13. Sheikh Abdullah Ibn Yusuf Al-Judai, (UK)
14. Sheikh Abdul Majeed Al-Najjar
15. Sheikh Abdullah ibn Sulayman Al-Manee’ (Saudi Arabia)
16. Sheikh Dr. Abdul Sattar Abu Ghudda (Saudi Arabia)
17. Sheikh Dr. Ajeel Al-Nashmi (Kuwait)
18. Sheikh Al-Arabi Al-Bichri (France)
19. Sheikh Dr. Issam Al-Bashir (Sudan)
20. Sheikh Ali Qaradaghi (Qatar)
21. Sheikh Dr. Suhaib Hasan Ahmed (UK)
22. Sheikh Tahir Mahdi (France)
23. Sheikh Mahboub-ul-Rahman (Norway)
24. Sheikh Muhammed Taqi Othmani (Pakistan)
25. Sheikh Muhammed Siddique (Germany)
26. Sheikh Muhammed Ali Saleh Al-Mansour (UAE)
27. Sheikh Dr. Muhammed Al-Hawari (Germany)
28. Sheikh Mahumoud Mujahed (Belguim)
29. Sheikh Dr. Mustafa Ciric (Bosnia)
30. Sheikh Nihad Abdul Quddous Ciftci (Germany)
31. Sheikh Dr. Naser Ibn Abdullah Al-Mayman (Saudi Arabia)
32. Sheikh Yusf Ibram (Switzerland)

4. Walaupun para ulama bersetuju pada asasnya proses istihalah itu, mereka kadang-kala berkhilaf pendapat tentang apakah sesuatu proses itu benar-benar merubah sifat bahan-bahan najis itu ataupun tidak. Ada bahan yang diyakini telah berubah, ada yang diandaikan tidak. Dalam soal gelatin babi umpamanya, sarjana fekah masakini berfatwa berdasarkan kepada taklimat saintis kepada mereka. Kadang-kala berlaku khilaf. Majlis Fatwa Eropah (European Council for Fatwas and Research) tadi yang terdiri dari tokoh-tokoh Islam dari Arab dan ulama Islam yang menetap di Eropah, begitu juga Europen Fiqh Council dan beberapa orang tokoh ilmuwan Islam antarabangsa menganggap telah berlaku istihalah. Sementara sebahagian ilmuwan pula menganggap proses istihalah bagi gelatin itu tidak sempurna. Maka, jadilah isu gelatin di sudut itu perkara yang syubhah.

5. Sesiapa yang mengelakkan sesuatu yang syubhat -sekalipun tidak sampai ke peringkat haram- merupakan perkara yang baik untuk diri dan agamanya. Namun, dia tidak boleh berkeras mengharamkan untuk umat Islam yang lain yang mempunyai pandangan yang berbeza. Dalam soal makan-minum, perubatan, pakaian, perhiasan, kebudayaan setiap pihak mesti mengakui keluasan fekah Islam dan mengiktiraf khilaf fekah yang berasaskan hujah. Tidak boleh hina-menghina dan bermusuhan dalam persoalan amalan peribadi yang seperti ini selagi semua pihak beramal atas dalil yang diyakininya.

6. Selagi, umat Islam mempunyai sumber yang pasti halal, mereka sepatutnya mengelakkan sumber yang syubhah. Di Malaysia umpamanya, gelatin halal wujud dan boleh didapati, maka memulaukan yang syubhat dapat menggalakkan industry halal.

7. Umat Islam hendaklah berusaha menjadi pengeluar, bukan sekadar pengguna. Kelemahan industri umat Islam adalah punca berluasan bahan yang syubhat dan juga mungkin haram.

Sumber: https://www.facebook.com/DrMAZA

June 10, 2014
No Proper Support For Muslim Converts After Conversion to Islam

Terence Helikaon Nunis

This is more for the converts. In coming to Islam, we still have family and friends of our prior faith. Just as we want them to respect our spiritual path, we must also respect their beliefs. It is never acceptable to condemn them because they did not find what Allah (s.w.t.) had Allotted for you. Your role is to be an example in this world, not so much in terms of knowledge, but more in terms of adab. And strive to be one of those Granted the Gift of interceding before Allah (s.w.t.) on the Day of Judgement.

It is also important that we do not tolerate disrespect of the faith of our family from the Muslims, just as we do not condone disrespect of Islam from the non-Muslims. Islam is about justice. We must be fair. And we cannot allow ourselves to be turned into performing monkeys by Muslims who feel the need to parade a convert condemning a prior spiritual path to feed their collective egos.

In every convert story, we speak and we hear about those who found Islam after study, after discovery after a epiphany. In reality, it was Allah (s.w.t.) Removing His Veil so that we could find Him.

Hakim ibn Hizam (r.a.) was a relative of Khadijah (r.a.), the wife of the Prophet (s.a.w.). He was renowned for his mercy and generosity. Before the rise of Islam, he used to buy the daughters of those families who wanted to bury them alive and graciously assumed the responsibility of taking care of them. Hakim ibn Hizam (r.a.) asked the Prophet (s.a.w.) about these good deeds which he had done prior to his declaration of faith in Islam.

The Prophet (s.a.w.) replied, “These good deeds are but the reasons that brought you the honour of being Blessed with Islam.”

Being Given Islam is a tremendous Honour. The shahadah is the Key to Paradise. Just as it is Given, it can be taken away. So we must consider why we are Muslim. And never think we are better than those who are not.

As a Muslim, I still have a great love of Catholicism. And spending time with both the Catholics and the Muslims, the Catholics are superiors to the Muslims in my eyes. If the Catholics were all Muslims and the Muslims were all Catholics, the ummah of Muhammad (s.a.w.) would not be in this sorry state.

The one thing that disgusts me about many Muslims is how they are so sure they alone are going to Heaven, or how they are full of triumphalism when someone converts as if it validates their ego. Aside from that, they do nothing for the converts. Or how they disparage the beliefs of the Christians when they only have kindergarten knowledge, but when a non-Muslim were to do that, they want to claim injury. Hypocrites.

If I were to look at the Muslims and confuse it with Islam, I would never have converted. The average Muslim is not a good example of the sunnah of the Prophet (s.a.w.). There is only affected piety, arrogance and cultural imperialism. As an ‘alim once said, “Islam is in the books and the Muslims are in the graves.” The ummah of Muhammad (s.a.w.) is dust and we are left with arrogant, self-righteous pretenders.

Authored by Terrence Helikaon Nunis*

*Terrence Helikaon Nunis used to be Catholic and belonged to a missionary organisation. After his conversion to Islam, he sat on the board of a Muslim converts’ organisation and specialised in da’wah programmes, convert management, interfaith issues and apostasy cases. He is also an initiate of a Sufi order.

EDITOR’S NOTE

What a brave guy.

Life stories and testimonies from Muslim converts are always interesting because they come from different backgrounds and colourful cultures. Adapting to Islam can be quite challenging but all challenges bear fruits of joy at the end of sheer determination and perseverance.

People who are born into Islam have the benefit of having a foundation with their parents and family. The Qur’an is on their bookshelf, Arabic words are mixed into conversation without needing definition, and there is an environment of tradition that provides a reference point for looking at the world. A convert is experiencing the total opposite. He or she doesn’t have any sort of religious connection with their family anymore, and there is sometimes backlash from parents and extended family about the decision to become a Muslim.

Even if there’s no significant backlash, there are no blood relatives to talk to about Islam, no one to clarify things, and no family support to be offered in the entire process. All of these things can cause an immense amount of stress and disillusionment. It’s common for converts to have moments of breakdown where they feel like nobody is on their side. For those who are lucky enough to have a close friend or mentor to help them in situations like this, it’s still not the same as having family help. Converts need an exceptionally good amount of emotional support from individuals in their community to feel empowered as Muslims. This doesn’t require a full-time therapist, but just people to make them feel at home.

June 9, 2014
The Tudung Issue: Open Letter to the Prime Minister

Dear Prime Minister,

Wishing you a very Happy New Year.

I hope that what I am going to say here will help to make you reconsider your stance with regard to several issues which the Malay Muslim community has long been unhappy about, the latest of which concerns its women folks’ desire to wear the tudung wherever their employment may be.

To say that the Malay Muslim community is sad and disappointed with your decision to still disallow its woman folks in certain sectors of employment to don the tudung is an understatement.

As usual the mainstream media tried to paint a different picture with its lopsided report. The Berita Harian topped it up with a group photo of seemingly happy, smiling people to give the false impression that the community is happy with your decision. I do not see any sensible reason as to why they should be smiling.

Inso far as this issue is concerned the community has been keeping track of statements made by your ministers, including those of the Minister in charge of Muslim Affairs and members of Parliament from your party over the last few months.

I read the statement you made after last Saturday’s dialog session several times over to try and make some sense of what you were saying and what message it was supposed to convey.

I find it strange that in spite of having lived among Malay Muslims all your life and after more than 50 years lording over the people – 55 years of PAP rule since 1959 – you and senior members of your party still do not understand the psyche of the Malays and their steadfastness over their religious faith.

Perhaps you have been relying too much on feedback from the mainstream media and from people around you who may include those who regard themselves ulamas and who have the tendency of making a virtue of telling you only what they think you would like to hear. Many among them may have mastered the art of posturing or are simply playing the PR game.

If you continue to rely on the mainstream media – in this case the Berita Harian,which many in the community feel is being micro managed by your Minister in charged of Muslim Affairs – for your feedback and be counseled largely by people around you,chances are you will remain blissfully ignorant of what the Malay ground is really saying.

Some are already saying that the Prime Minister seems to think that he is now mightier than God since he has the power to easily overrule what has been made obligatory by the religion.

They are not happy that they have to subject themselves to the discretion and whims and of the government even in carrying out certain aspects of their religious obligation.

Granted that not all Muslim women will want to put on the tudung even if they are allowed to. That is their personal choice and they are answerable to God for their defiance. As for those who choose to don the tudung it is felt that there should not be an earthly power to prevent them from doing so. Even the Constitution guarantees them the freedom to practise their religion.

You also warned against a ‘push back’ from the other communities should we insist on having it our way.

At the same time you noted that the issue over the tudung was an old one and that you fully appreciate the desire of those who want the headscarf to be able to be worn by women more freely. According to you the change has got to be gradual.

It can be agreed that change has got to be gradual. We have no quarrel with that and have been patiently waiting for change to happen. There has not been muchprogress since the 10 years that the issue last surfaced. We are neither asking for any concession nor are we taking anything away from or even depriving the other communities of anything, let alone intruding into their space.

As such the likelihood of any push back from the other communities is very remote.It is only your government that is making it sound so threatening. Singaporeans are very rational people and when given the proper explanation as well as by citing examples shown by other countries where Muslims make up even smaller numbers there is less likelihood that they would raise any objection.

As things stand today, there is no evidence that members of the other communities are unhappy if Muslims women are allowed to wear the tudung no matter where their places of employment may be. They have got so usedto such sights. Contrary to what you think, my experience shows that they are quite supportive of our effort. This only goes to show how out of the touch you and your government are with the ground.

I shall not dwell into the example you mentioned, equating the tudung issue with the putting up of Chinese language signs on the circle line as I feel that it is irrelevant in this discussion and totally out of context. This can be discussed at another forum.

ButI agree that the issue at hand is broader than the tudung itself. I suppose you are trying to say that you have to be fair to followers of the other faiths, hence the term ‘push back ‘. I suppose the breath of the issue also include the need to broaden the common space and your government’s declared intention to build an inclusive society.

I find this argument quite hollow and insincere. On the one hand you and yourministers talk about broadening the common space and the government’s desire in building aninclusive society. But on the other hand and in practice you are shrinking the common space by importing large numbers of immigrants mainly from the People’s Republic of China, India and the Philippines to swarm our limited space and in the process making life less bearable for Singaporeans. This has also further reduced the percentage of Malays compared to the others. Again no worries about any push back.

But what is so annoying and detestable to the Malays is the carving out of areas and making them exclusive to non Malays and Muslims. In case you miss the point I am referring to your long time discriminatory national service policy which bars us from large sectors of the armed forces, especially the in the more specialised areas in the army, the air force and the navy.

You have turned these sectors into exclusive domains of the non Malays and non Muslims.And you still have the audacity to talk about broadening the common space andbuilding an inclusive society? Can there be more hypocritical than this. We are taken to be fools.

The psychological, and to a certain extent, economic, damage this destructive policy has done to the nation as a whole and to the Muslims in particular is incalculable.This is no way to build a united multi ethnic nation. Of course you are not worried about any push back since non Malays make up an overwhelming 86.6% of the population.

For the sake of our future as a peaceful, united and progressive nation urgent steps need to be taken to make right where you have gone wrong.

You may begin by allowing our Muslim female nurses to don the tudung and gradually the other sectors like the Customs and Immigration, the Civil Defence and the rest. This should be followed by changes to other areas. Let us celebrate our diversity in unity.

Sincerely yours,

Mohamed Jufrie Mahmood

June 9, 2014
Parents Should Often Listen and Communicate With Their Children

Ian Johari Monteiro

My mind is buzzing at the moment … I just had a very heart-warming moment with one of my weaker lot of pupils. During his ceramics class, he’d asked me if he needed to glaze the side of the base of his soap dish and I said yes but just a touch for otherwise the glaze would melt and stick to the kiln shelf and would have to be smashed to be removed. Later on, the external instructor came up and said he needed to remove the glaze from the side of the base. He insisted that I had instructed him to do so indignantly. He threw his glaze brush in a tantrum and kept repeating that I had asked him to do so. Had I not stepped in, he would have probably proceeded to smash the bisque wares on the table.

What happened next could only be done with the years of experience I have under my belt. Had I been 10 years younger, I would have flared up right back in his face.

I took him out of the classroom and calmed him down and asked him to relate to me what would transpired. The only thing he could tell me was (with tears streaming down his face) “Why is it no teacher ever believes me? I know I’m from the last class! I know I’m stupid but when ever I try to explain myself, no one ever believes me! I’m always at fault! But I’m not always wrong, you know!”

I could only feel one thing … that this was an emotion suppressed over a long time. He had been taking it and taking it and taking it and he finally snapped.

I looked right at him and told him, “You’re NOT stupid and never let anyone tell you otherwise. Yes, you have difficulties with your studies but I know your past, I was your form teacher for 2 years, remember? I’ve been your Art teacher for 5 years now! You told me nobody cares about your studies at home and you never get any kind of help with your work.

You just had a bad start but that doesn’t always mean you have to finish last!

Look at me. I teach Art, only Art. Other teachers look at me like I’m some kind of joke, a waste of breathable air in school. They forget that I have been a Form Teacher for 12 years before this. They think I’m stupid too, that’s why I don’t teach any major subjects.”

He blurted, “But you’re very good at what you do! You’re talented!”

“And so are you! You just haven’t found your passion yet … Art and teaching children have always been mine. I’m lucky.” I added.

What happened next was totally unexpected. He threw himself against me and hugged me tight, sobbing into my dirty apron. “Sir, you’re one of the few teachers who ever listens to me before answering. You’re not a joke, you’re very talented. I always try to do my best in your class. I’m not the best artist but you’ve never put me down about my work. I wish more adults were like you …”

I patted his shoulder, took a step back and looked him right in the face. “Sometimes, being an adult can also be very difficult. Promise me whatever difficulty you face in life, it will never make you a bad person but a better person. Now, enough already. Wash your face, freshen up and apologize to the instructor because firstly, she didn’t know of my instructions to you. Secondly, she’s not from the school and doesn’t know you very well and thirdly, be big enough to know that she is an adult and deserves your respect just as one day, you will deserve it from someone as well.” I stood there as everything I had asked him to do was carried out with a smile.

A few things ran through my head at that moment.

How many times have we, as adults, lost our temper because we had a bad day, at someone younger or even a child? Do we know what a child in Singapore has to go through these days? How many times have be brushed off a child JUST because he is a child? Have we ever listened to a child’s side of the story? Or do we immediately assume that a child is not capable of being honest or giving a true account of things? How many adults do we know of who would NOT embellish the truth to protect their own skin?

I’m just glad one child now know someone who will listen to him if he needs someone to do so.

Authored by Ian Johari Monteiro

EDITOR’S NOTE

This is such a moving story that we just have to share it. Kudos to Ian Johari Monteiro for writing this beautiful piece.

Parents should often listen to their child, pay attention to every detail, and offer your support, instead of screaming because not every child has the tendency to deal with yelling. The more you listen to your child, you will help your child to established a sense of connections with you, they will feel comfortable to express their feelings to you at anytime with no hesitation. Not saying it’s an easy process but it can be done if you only take a minute to just listen and you’ll be amaze to see how soon this child will start to have a closer relationship with you as a parent.

To those parents who are obsessed with success, here’s something you should think about from today onwards. Success can never be thought of as more important than moral values. The journey is actually more important than the destination and if no ethics were involved in the journey then the destination has no value at all. A person has to feel good about how they achieved their success in order to feel good about it.

June 9, 2014