Rilek1Corner

Tag: extremist

  • Alfian Sa’at: Ignore Calvin Cheng, Let Reason Prevail

    Alfian Sa’at: Ignore Calvin Cheng, Let Reason Prevail

    Actually, in all honesty, I don’t really care anymore what this strange, confused and ignorant person by the name of Calvin Cheng said. I mean, where do I even begin? Basically what this guy is alleging is that pointing out discriminatory policies is directly responsible for radicalisation–as if those policies are not the very cause of radicalisation to begin with!

    If this person wanted attention, I’m sure he’s got it, but it makes me feel dirty to want to have anything more to do with him.

    Let’s all move on lah, though I won’t blame people for lingering around to watch him self-destruct on his backpedaling and squirming and stammering and equivocations. The thing is that if you try to smear someone and you’re not very good at it, then you just end up getting shit on your own face.

    (OK, I admit–I did try to find out who Calvin Cheng is, and tried reading some of his Facebook posts. And I concluded that the only argument that this ex-NMP person has produced worthy of any consideration is a walking, breathing argument against the NMP scheme.)

    I do get a warm and fuzzy feeling though from knowing that I have friends who are on the side of reason and truth and sanity. Yay friends!

    In other more important news, my short story collection ‘Corridor’ has been republished by Ethos Books. And contrary to what Calvin Cheng would like to insinuate, it’s not on ISIS’ reading list.

     

    Source: Alfian Sa’at

  • Report Cases Of Radicalism Promptly, Counsellors Urge

    Report Cases Of Radicalism Promptly, Counsellors Urge

    Amid concerns over how friends of self-radicalised youth M Arifil Azim Putra Norja’i did not report him to the authorities despite knowing what he was up to, youth counsellors and experts yesterday stressed the need for the community to report such cases promptly to the authorities, given the potential dire consequences.

    Ms Nur Irfani Saripi, a Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) counsellor, said that had someone not alerted the authorities, Arifil might have succeeded in pulling off his plans.

    “It is not easy to report someone you care about, but it is necessary especially if that person has become influenced by deviant and violent ideologies, like those of ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria),” she said.

    But she noted that “when someone is detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA), he or she is deemed a serious threat to national security”.

    On Wednesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that Arifil, a 19-year-old post-secondary student has been detained since April under the ISA.

    He had hoped to travel to Syria to join ISIS, failing which he planned to carry out attacks in public places here, even going to the extent of trying to recruit others to help him.

    MHA said that while these persons were not recruited, they did not alert the authorities about Arifil.

    The authorities were notified by another person who knew the teenager and had noticed changes in him.

    Separately, another teenager, a 17-year-old who was unnamed, was also arrested under the Act for further investigations into his radicalisation, MHA said.

    The Ministry refers cases to the RRG for counselling.

    While Ms Nur Irfani noted that Arifil was detained because he fit the bill of someone who poses a serious threat to national security, the associate research fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies’ International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research said those who have been detained for radicalism “must be provided proper counselling to try to guide them back”.

    Agreeing, counsellors and experts felt that the book should not be thrown too quickly at these misguided youths.

    To this, the MHA explained that when a report is made, investigations will be carried out to determine whether the person reported has been radicalised, and if so, the extent of radicalisation, and the risk and potential threat the person poses.

    “In appropriate cases, the person may be referred for counselling and other mitigation measures without the need for arrest,” said an MHA spokesperson.“Counselling or rehabilitation programmes are tailored to the person’s specific circumstances, including age.”

    Psychiatrist Adrian Wang, who runs his own clinic, noted that “youths are easily attracted to radical ideas, especially if the idea can compensate for a lack in some area of their lives”.

    Self-radicalised youths have their lives ahead of them and should be helped as much as possible to turn over a new leaf, he added. “We have to try and understand the factors that caused this young person to become so interested in ISIS.”

    The MHA spokesperson urged the members of the public who observe extremist tendencies in any person “to report this early, so that efforts can be made to save him or her from becoming a danger to himself or herself, and to others”.

    “This is particularly so for youths who are impressionable and who could need guidance to steer them away from radicalisation,” the spokesperson added.

    Among parents and youths whom TODAY interviewed, there seems to be a general reluctance to report self-radicalised youth to the authorities as soon as they are uncovered.

    Ms Noorulain Sheik Mohideen, 48, who has two children aged nine and 17, felt that someone like Arifil should not be treated too harshly, and should be given psychological treatment.

    Polytechnic student Siti Nursyazwani Ramle, 18, said: “What I’d do firstly is to ask him why he harbours these kinds of thoughts, and then start to talk to him about how these ideas are not right. If it becomes severe, like if he has intentions of bombing, I think it’s important that I report him to the authorities.”

    Ms Samantha Chng, 41, whose children are aged 15 and 17, said parents need to be aware of what their children do or read online.

    “I am monitoring (my children’s) activities on social media. I don’t throw a (smart device) at them and let them use it without guidance,” she said.

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • 5 Drivers Causing Singaporeans To Become Extremist

    5 Drivers Causing Singaporeans To Become Extremist

    Psychological studies of Singaporeans who support the Islamic State (IS) have revealed five drivers behind their radicalisation.

    In a presentation during the East Asia Summit, a symposium on religious rehabilitation and social reintegration, Ministry of Home Affairs psychologist Hu Weiying said the Islamic State’s exploitation of social media to recruit foreign fighters in large numbers has resonated with a handful of Singaporeans, resulting in them being radicalised by the online propaganda.

    Hu, who interviewed several radicals during her study, said there are five psychological drivers contributing to the adoption of the Islamic State’s agenda by locals.

    The first is justifying violence, such as when Islamic State fighters or sympathisers attributed the responsibility for violence to external factors and developed a binary worldview — that is, a world of good guys versus bad guys. One example of this was when the Islamic State’s violence was justified based on the actions of the Assad regime in Syria.

    The second driver is the romanticised view of the Islamic caliphate. Hu said this was driven by the view that many Muslim nations are ruled by corrupt and inefficient regimes subservient to Western powers. The desire to restore the Islamic caliphate comes from the romantic idea of reigniting the glory and influence of the Ottoman empire.

    The third driver, according to Hu, is the desire to be a ‘good Muslim’. The Islamic State, she said, offered both a transcendental-future time perspective as well as a present-hedonistic time perspective.

    In the transcendental-future time perspective, the IS focuses on life after death, giving its followers attractive notions on what happens to them after death. This redemption through jihad, according to IS, redeems not just the fighters, but also their families.

    The present-hedonistic time perspective, meanwhile, gives IS fighters a sense of excitement in the here and now. The actions of the group arouse feelings of novelty, pleasure and stimulation, while also transcending the individuality of its followers. It also romanticised the idea of the being part of the ‘real action’.

    The fourth and fifth factors are the need to escape the ‘unbearable present’ and the existential anxiety in relation to End Times prophecies. End Times prophecies, Hu said, motivates people to increase their levels of religiosity by engaging in ‘worthy causes’. The fear of missing the final opportunity, she added, drove misplaced activism.

    While most radicalised individuals driven to misplaced activism aren’t ready to go and fight for the IS in places like Syria, many resort to ‘negative activism’, such as buying jihadi-themed paraphernalia or ‘clicktivism — using social media to help promote or spread the ideology.

    In a later discussion, Indonesia’s national counter-terrorism agency (BNPT) international co-operation deputy head, Inspector General Dr Petrus Reinhard Golose said many of the same psychological factors were seen in Indonesian radicals and extremists.

    Hu said that in order to wean these people off the IS, the group’s ideology and legitimacy had to be undermined. She also said radicalised IS followers needed psychological counseling and cognitive reframing in order to change their radical worldview and to help them find alternative perspectives.

     

    Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com

  • Holistic Approach Needed To Fight Religious Extremism

    Holistic Approach Needed To Fight Religious Extremism

    Identifying weak religious grounding as a common trait among radicalised individuals here, national leaders yesterday reiterated the need for a holistic approach to counter the threat of terrorism.

    Speaking at the East Asia Summit Symposium on Religious Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said: “One common characteristic that has been observed among radicalised individuals that we have investigated in Singapore is that they possess weak religious grounding.”

    He added that this made the individuals “more susceptible to believing wholesale the radical exhortations that distort religious concepts to give their message of violence an aura of divine sanction”.

    Since the first arrest of alleged Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members here, religious scholars and teachers have embarked on a counselling programme to debunk radical ideas, said Mr Teo, who is also Home Affairs Minister.

    Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said that a holistic approach cannot only involve “kinetic power or arresting people”.

    Stressing the importance of showing radicalised individuals “the right approach to religion”, Mr Shanmugam said: “When you radicalise a person you are creating a human bomb … you can arrest and put him in prison, you can also try to de-radicalise by getting him to see the real aspects of religion.”

    While religious leaders here have been reviewing the curriculum and enhancing training of Islamic teachers, challenges abound, said Singapore’s mufti, Dr Fatris Bakaram.

    For instance, some preachers and leaders are reluctant to correct popular misconceptions “because they have this worry of being unpopular”, he said. He added: “Preachers and teachers have to stand up, have to develop their self-confidence, that they are part of the whole responsibility to guide youths.”

    Dr Fatris said that the young today exhibit an increased sense of “restlessness to fight injustices”. They should be given the right platforms to further their desire for social justice, he said. “The younger generation has the energy and drive to change the world, and that has to be acknowledged.”

    For instance, Islamic studies graduates have been employed as youth development officers in local mosques to assure young Muslims here that they have important and active roles to play in the religious community, he said. “When (the youths) feel they are appreciated, that they are given the trust and confidence to contribute, I think that will provide effective safeguarding them from being deceived by the extremists.”

    Dr Fatris added that while terrorism cannot be isolated as a “Muslim problem”, Muslims must not shy away from it. “We have to acknowledge that this is the issue of the day affecting global communities … extremist groups have been using, or abusing, the name of Islam … It is not to say that Islam itself is the source of the problem, but the misunderstanding of Muslims and their religion is the thing we have to address,” he said.

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • Redefining The Moderate Contemporary Muslim

    Redefining The Moderate Contemporary Muslim

    Muslim religious elites have repeatedly been told to categorically condemn the Sunni militant group Islamic State, with Pope Francis being the latest to make such a call. During a three-day visit to Turkey, he told Prime Minister Recep Erdogan that Muslim politicians, ulama (religious scholars) and academics should repudiate violence. He expressed his concern after an escalation of attacks on minority Christians living in Iraq.

    The Pope’s concern is valid. However, it raises several questions. First, has Muslims’ condemnation of the Islamic State so far been insufficient? Sheikh Ahmad Tayyeb, the rector of Al-Azhar University, a world-renowned institute for Islamic studies, has openly condemned the militant group. He was joined by the Egyptian grand mufti, Shawqi Allam, and Al-Azhar graduate students who also expressed their disapproval towards the terrorist group. King Abdullah Hussein of Jordan has even compared fighting the Islamic State to battling in World War III.

    Similarly, Australian Muslim ulama’s condemnation of the recent Sydney Lindt Chocolate Cafe hostage crisis was immediate, while the event was unfolding. The hostage-taker, Man Haron Monis, had forced two hostages to press a black flag — similar to the Islamic State’s — against the cafe’s window. This shows that for many ulama, any form of association with the militant group is deplorable.

    Second, will repeated condemnation of Islamic State militants change the situation for the better? On the one hand, Muslim ulama’s condemnation has so far fallen on the militants’ deaf ears. On the other hand, they are “deafening” to Muslims who have repeatedly opposed the group.

    How many times do Muslims have to say the Islamic State does not represent Islam, the Quran and Islamic traditions before they are believed? Moreover, condemning the group alone does not generate a better understanding of its emergence if the social, political and economic conditions that gave rise to its struggle are neglected. As Sheikh Ahmad Tayyed correctly points out: “The emergence of the Islamic State is a natural result of political marginalisation in Iraq.”

    Asking Muslims to keep condemning the group also neglects the many commendable efforts to tackle extremism on the ground, including in South-east Asia.

    The region’s Muslim leaders who attended the recent MABIMS meeting — an annual meeting of Islamic religious ministers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei —criticised the Islamic State’s use of the faith to recruit Muslims to its cause.

    To be sure, South-east Asia has been a hotbed of terrorist activity as much as the Middle East. Some South-east Asian Muslim youth have also joined the group’s struggle, thinking it is a form of “jihad” or holy war. At least 40 Malaysians have been linked to the Islamic State struggle and, most recently, the government suspected some of the country’s military men to be sympathetic to the group. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak recently tabled a White Paper in Parliament recommending a new terrorism law to be passed to tackle the Islamic State issue.

    The Singapore Muslim community has also stepped up efforts to prevent Muslims from being enticed into the group. The Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), which counselled Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists, has reminded Singaporean Muslims not to sympathise with the group’s struggle. Recently, it distributed leaflets entitled The Fallacies Of ISIS Islamic Caliphate as part of its ongoing efforts to develop better understanding of Islam.

    The RRG also indicated the militant group has misrepresented Islam, indicating the group’s struggle to establish an Islamic state is misleading and serves only as an excuse to attract others to its cause. The RRG will receive S$250,000 over the next five years from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore to support its de-radicalisation of terrorists.

    MODERATES IN A MODERN WORLD

    Nevertheless, having Muslims condemning the militant group alone does not make them moderate. It is easy to find some using Quranic verses or Prophetic traditions to denounce the group, but it is difficult to alter how they approach religious texts in other aspects, especially when they continue to harbour distrust towards the modern world.

    This group seeks to replace the existing world order with what they perceive to be an Islamic one. The call for alternative Islamic order can manifest in violent and non-violent means. Today, we hear some Muslims pushing Islamic development, Islamic currency, Islamic cars and Islamic environmentalism, and the more extreme ones calling for an Islamic state and Islamic Caliphate.

    Moderate Islam is not linked to only condemnation of the Islamic State. I see a moderate as one who seeks to live universal Islamic values in line with modern-day realities. One cannot be a moderate if one is calling for institutions that are not in sync with contemporary realities.

    For example, the call for an Islamic Caliphate does not resonate in a world where empires have collapsed. Muslims now live in post-Westphalian states, which do not differentiate citizens based on religion, ethnicity or culture, making the Islamic state versus non-Islamic state dichotomy irrelevant. All citizens are equal in the eyes of the law and cannot live under a separate, exclusive system.

    The challenge for Muslims now is to live in contemporary, multicultural societies as good, law-abiding citizens, who remain committed to Islamic values of justice, equality, freedom of expression and the right to privacy.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

    Norshahril Saat is a PhD candidate at the Department of Political and Social Change, Australian National University. He researches on Indonesian and Malaysian politics.

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com