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Fellow Student With Zulfikar Shariff: We Can’t Stand For Violence But There’s Truth To What Zulfikar Stands For

To be fair, i am under the same ustaz as him and in some of his posts, i see him as a v sensible person. Idky though, the media picked up some of the worst/misleading of his posts and screenshot them. My ustaz was v analytical, but he’s one of the wisest ppl i know who’s opened my eyes a lot abt the state of Muslims in singapore and our tests living in a secular nation. And i always came home from classes feeling sad abt the situation here, because really we’re tested. There’s some truth to what this guy stands up for, but that said, i dont ever stand up for violence or retaliation. Its absurd though to me that he would. It’d be real sad if he was slandered. Smetimes too, ppl get tested when they speak the truth.

But then again, Allahu a’lam.

I just pray that we’re given wisdom, to know that we don’t know first. These ppl have invested time into knowledge and history that are not shared in secular schls, and thus the rest of us have lost a lot. I hate to say how i can only pray for justice, like how we all do only that for the ppl ard the world. I pray that Allah protects the truthful and makes us see the wrong from right.

Source: Nasyiba Sahari commented in a post by Dzar Ismail on the arrest of Zulfikar Shariff

July 30, 2016
Osman Sulaiman: Zulfikar Shariff Is Not A Radical

May Allah ease their worries in times of difficulties.

Detained under ISA. No court appearance. No judge to determine whether he is guilty of whatever charges the gov thrown on them.

As with all other ISD detainees, we will never know if they are indeed guilty.

I know Zulfikar, Shamim and Saiddin personally. I dont think they are radicalised. Saddened by this event.

Source: Osman Sulaiman

July 30, 2016
MHA: Zulfikar Shariff Detained And Arrested Under ISA

In a press release issued on Friday (July 29), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff, 44, was arrested and detained, after it was found that he had used social media to propagate and spread his radical messages. He considered his propagation of radical material as a form of jihad, by way of creating awareness of ISIS and promoting armed jihad.

On Facebook, he supported terrorism and the terrorist group ISIS, and made numerous Facebook posts that glorified and promoted ISIS and their violent actions, said the MHA.

In addition, Zulfikar admitted that he wanted his online followers to reject the Western secular democratic nation-state system and establish an Islamic caliphate, governed by Syariah law. The MHA added that he had actively looked into holding training programmes aimed at radicalising young Singaporeans so that they would be persuaded into joining his extremist agenda.

Admitting that he had an ulterior motive for setting up a Facebook page, “Al-Makhazin Singapore”, he used this page to unnerve people on certain Muslim issues in Singapore and attack some Singaporean Muslims who disagreed with him. His real agenda – which he hid from members of that page – was to provoke Singaporean Muslims into pushing for the replacement of the democratic system with an Islamic state in Singapore, said the MHA.

Zulfikar, whom the MHA said had embarked on the path of radicalism as early as 2001, has previously made news here, when he was the head of a fringe group called Fateha.com more than a decade ago. The group made waves in 2002 for alleging that the Singapore Government does not consider the sensitivities of the Muslim community. Zulfikar fled Singapore when he was being investigated for possible criminal defamation. His family has resettled in Australia.

Through his radical postings he influenced two other Singaporeans: Muhammad Shamin Mohamed Sidik, who is already detained under the ISA, and businessman Mohamed Saiddhin Abdullah, 33.

Saiddhin had looked up to Zulfikar, followed his postings and was convinced by the latter’s “positive portrayal of ISIS”. Not only did he repost Zulfikar’s postings, he also emulated him by photographing himself adopting the common pose of jihadi fighters while standing before an ISIS flag, said the MHA.

Saiddhin has been placed under a Restriction Order for two years, which took effect this month. A person under an RO cannot change his residence, employment or travel out of Singapore without official approval. He also cannot issue public statements or join organisations without approval.

Source: TODAY Online

July 29, 2016
Man Detained Under ISA Had Radicalised Other Singaporeans: MHA

Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff, the Singaporean arrested and detained for terrorism-related activities, had contributed to the radicalisation of at least two other Singaporeans, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Friday (Jul 29).

One of them was Muhammad Shamin Mohamed Sidik, who has since been detained, and Mohamed Saiddhin Abdullah, who was issued with a Restriction Order for two years in July.

A person issued with a Restriction Order is not allowed to change his residence or employment or travel out of Singapore without prior approval from the authorities.

The 33-year-old businessman identified Zulfikar, whom he befriended online, as the person who had influenced him to support the Islamic State.

“Saiddhin had looked up to Zulfikar and followed his postings; he was convinced by Zulfikar’s positive portrayal of ISIS and later started reposting Zulfikar’s postings on ISIS as a form of jihad, emulating Zulfikar,” MHA said.

Like Zulfikar, Saiddhin also photographed himself adopting the common pose of jihadi fighters while standing in front of an Islamic State flag. He posted these photographs online as a show of his solidarity with militants fighting in Syria and Iraq, the ministry added.

OTHER RADICALS DETAINED, ISSUED WITH RESTRICTION ORDER

Separately, MHA also said that another 17-year-old male Singaporean has been issued with a Restriction Order for two years.

Investigations showed that the teenager, who recently graduated from a madrasah, had become radicalised online after viewing pro-Islamic State videos, websites and social media material.

“He became convinced that ISIS’ violent actions were justified and harboured the intention to fight for ISIS in Syria in the future where he was prepared to die a martyr,” MHA said, adding that he also sought out other like-minded individuals online and tried to influence his friends.

Another 27-year-old Singaporean was re-detained under the ISA for two years in April after he planned to join a terrorist group like ISIS to engage in armed violence in Syria, the ministry said.

Muhammad Fadil Abdul Hamid was previously detained from 2010 to 2012 when he was self-radicalised, and wanted to engage in armed violence in Afghanistan. He was released from detention in 2012 and placed on a Restriction Order.

Fadil had initially made some progress in reintegrating into society, MHA said. However, he later became attracted to radical online material again, like teachings of radical ideologues such as Anwar al-Awlaki and the propaganda of ISIS, and fell under its influence.

He became convinced that partaking in the violence in Syria was “justifiable jihad” and wanted to fight alongside ISIS militants in Syria. He also reverted to the belief that militant jihad was the easiest way to achieve martyrdom, the ministry said.

Another self-radicalised Singaporean, Abdul Basheer, 37, was released after his detention order was suspended in February, while the Restriction Order of Rijal Yadri Jumari, 35, was allowed to lapse upon expiry in March this year.

Source: ChannelNewsAsia

July 29, 2016
‘Reasonable’ To Expect Six-Month Wait For New Passport: Malaysia Authorities

Those intending to renew or apply for passports would have to endure long lines and wait hours…for another six months.

The Immigration Department, in acknowledging a shortage of passports, said they expected the matter to be ironed out by January next year.

Its director-general Sakib Kusmi said the department was introducing new passports which would include more security features. However, the passports required extensive testing to ensure they meet international safety standards and are not damaged easily when used.

“The transition to this new version (of passports) cannot be done overnight. We need to ensure the new passports are near-perfect.

“The reasonable time for the transition is six months. The department and the vendor will ensure there is enough supply of passports.”

Mr Sakib said there would be disruptions to Immigration services during this period that would “slow down the application process and production of passports”.

“We hope the public will understand and continue to support the efforts of the government to give the best services and providing world-class full-proof passports,’’ he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he had instructed the Immigration Department to increase the number of passports to 20,000 daily and for them to be delivered to its offices nationwide following the passport shortage.

Mr Zahid’s comments came following a series of reports on the passport shortage by Malay Mail since June 16.

Mr Sakib said 20,000 passports were being supplied daily since Mr Zahid made the announcement.

He added the National Printing Department (NPD) had increase its daily printing quota as ordered by the Home Ministry following an increase in the number of applications.

“Previously, the vendor could only provide between 5,000 and 10,000 passports per day but the printing has increased to 20,000 daily since Wednesday (July 27),” he added.

Sources had previously revealed the department struggled to cope with demand as they had insufficient stock of passports as a large number of the microchips embedded in the data page had defects.

Mr Zahid, who is also home minister, said Datasonic Group Berhad — appointed to supply the biodata polycarbonate data page — would work closely with NPD to resolve the problem.

In a statement to the media on June 14, Mr Sakib said the closing of immigration offices was not due to the shortage of passports and that the department has issued 206,716 passports since May.

The statement added Malaysian passports met requirements of the International Civil of Aviation Organisation.

Pending assemblyman Violet Yong said the Immigration branch at the Urban Transformation Centre in Kuching was supplied with passports on Wednesday but were all issued in a day.

However, she said she was unsure how many passports had been issued.

“I’ve been told the centre is out of stock again,” she said on Thursday.

Ms Yong added the Immigration office continued to process applications despite running out of passports, assuring applicants they would obtain their travel booklets within five days.

Source: TODAY Online

July 29, 2016