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Tag: RRG

  • RRG Counsellors Saved Two Secondary Schoolboys From Further Radicalisation

    RRG Counsellors Saved Two Secondary Schoolboys From Further Radicalisation

    One developed an interest in global affairs involving Muslims and became convinced of the need to migrate to an Islamic caliphate. Another penned pro-Islamic State (IS) slogans in his school books that were discovered by his father.

    In both cases, which involved secondary schoolboys, relatives and friends became concerned enough to alert the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG). The boys met with RRG counsellors, who explained religious concepts and the IS’ violent ideology to them.

    A third case was of a wife who noticed her husband becoming more vocal about a much stricter form of Islam, holding the exclusivist view that loyalty could only be given to God and Muslims. She confided in her relative, who approached RRG for advice. The wife spoke a few times over the phone with a counsellor on how she could advise her husband not to hold such extreme religious views.

    Sharing these cases on Friday (June 23) of people who had approached the RRG, the group’s vice-chairman Mohamed Ali urged the public to tap its helpline, mobile app and resource and counselling centre at Khadijah Mosque on Geylang Road, if they suspect their loved ones are close to being radicalised.

    The three cases are the only instances of voluntary reporting that RRG has encountered since 2014 – the year its resource centre opened – and that its counsellors “saved” from going further down the path of radicalisation, said Ustaz Mohamed.

    Because they were detected early, they did not need to be reported to the Ministry of Home Affairs or dealt with under the law, he said. “They are not those who were ready to use violence, but they believed that violence is justified.”

    Ustaz Mohamed declined to reveal when RRG was alerted to each case or the backgrounds of the individuals. The secondary schoolboys felt they benefited from the sessions with RRG counsellors and realised the danger of supporting IS, he said.

    In the third case, counsellors had no contact with the husband. But through speaking with the counsellors, the wife learnt more about how extremists promote their ideologies “under the cloak of religion”, said the RRG.

    Loved ones must be “first agents” and seek information such as what websites their children, relatives or friends have browsed, and for how long, said Ustaz Mohamed.

    Cases are not reported to the MHA unless individuals persist in the belief that violence is legitimate even after counselling. “RRG works with MHA, not for MHA,” he said.

     

    On whether the three individuals might have ended up detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA), were they not reported early to the RRG, Ustaz Mohamed said the answer was not straightforward.

    This is because there are other channels available, such as local mosques or the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore. “But logically we understand that when someone is radicalised and nothing is being done, that process of radicalisation can go further and it could lead to violence. It could lead to him wanting to use violence,” he said.

    The authorities have stepped up calls for family members and the community to report those who are potentially radicalised. They said the time between radicalisation and committing violence could be very short and that terror attacks would divide communities, playing into the hands of terrorist groups.

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • Mufti: Jangan Ragu-Ragu Minta Bantuan Pihak Berwibawa

    Mufti: Jangan Ragu-Ragu Minta Bantuan Pihak Berwibawa

    MASYARAKAT Melayu/Islam tidak harus teragak-agak dalam usaha mendapatkan bantuan pihak tertentu yang lebih arif menangani ajaran radikal dan ideologi pelampau, kata Mufti Dr Mohamed Fatris Bakaram.

    “Walaupun susah, kita tidak harus berasa berat untuk bekerjasama dengan pihak berkuasa dan bersama Kumpulan Pemulihan Keagamaan (RRG) untuk menyelamatkan orang tersayang,” ujar beliau.

    Dalam satu kenyataan semalam, Dr Fatris berkata beliau amat terganggu dengan berita penangkapan terkini, bahawa “seorang yang begitu muda boleh terpengaruh dengan kepercayaan yang keji, dan sedia mensia-siakan hidupnya”.

    “Saya ingin menggesa masyarakat agar benar-benar mengambil serius isu radikal sendiri ini,” ujarnya.

    Masyarakat perlu menghayati pengajaran daripada kes ini, lebihlebih lagi dalam bulan Ramadan yang mulia ini.

    Masyarakat telah sentiasa digesa agar mengamalkan amal maaruf dan nahi mungkar – mengajak kepada kebaikan dan mencegah kejahatan.

    Ini bermakna memupuk dan melakukan semua perkara baik dan menolak perbuatan dan kepercayaan sangat keji yang dipupuk ISIS kerana ia tidak mempunyai asas dalam ajaran Islam.

    Hal ini harus dilakukan semua dalam masyarakat, sama ada sebagai saudara, bapa dan ibu, kawan dan rakan sekerja.

    Namun, masyarakat juga perlu tahu bahawa ia tidak boleh berdiri sendiri dalam usaha untuk menolak kejahatan dan mencapai rahmah dan belas kasihan.

    “Kita berdiri bersama-sama sebagai sebuah masyarakat, bersedia untuk membantu antara satu sama lain, dan memanfaatkan kekuatan masing-masing,” ujar Dr Fatris.

    Masyarakat tidak mampu kehilangan satu nyawa pun kepada ajaran pelampau dan eksklusif, katanya.

    Orang ramai yang memerlukan bantuan boleh menghubungi Muis di talian 6359-1199, Kumpulan Pemulihan Keagamaan (RRG) di talian 1800-774-7747 atau menerusi aplikasi mudah alih RRG.

     

    Source: www.beritaharian.sg

     

     

  • Father Of First Female ISA Radicalism Detainee Regrets Not Reporting Her

    Father Of First Female ISA Radicalism Detainee Regrets Not Reporting Her

    The father of the first woman detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) regrets not reporting his daughter to the authorities.

    Mr Syaikh Abdu Manaf Al Ansari told Berita Harian last night that he and his wife had questioned Syaikhah Izzah Zahrah Al Ansari in late 2014, after noticing she had started dressing in black and wearing the niqab, a facial veil which reveals only the eyes. She was also using the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) flag as her WhatsApp display picture, he said.

    “I asked if she was an ISIS member. She denied it but said she thought ISIS was fighting for Islam,” said Mr Manaf, 49.

    “I told her all well-known Islamic scholars reject ISIS. I asked, is it halal in Islam to kill innocent people, children and women? I told her to show me evidence from the Quran and sunnah (prophetic teachings) that it is halal. She just kept silent.”

    Mr Manaf and his wife, both Quranic teachers, gave Izzah – the second of five children – religious advice, and decided not to inform the authorities after she stopped wearing the niqab and started listening to music and watching films again.

    “We thought she was okay. But we did not realise she had become more radical. She was smart at hiding herself,” he said.

    After Izzah was arrested, he found documents in her room with information about moving to Syria, including how to get tickets.

    He felt “disgust and anger” and, in a bid to “protect her”, threw the materials away. He told the authorities about them only during the investigation, and was given a warning.

    “This should not have happened. I really regret it,” he said.

    He advised the public to contact the authorities or the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), which helps to counter radical ideology, if they notice suspicious changes in their loved ones. “To other parents, this comes from the bottom of my heart. If you see any sudden changes, et cetera, contact the authorities. If not (the authorities), contact RRG,” he said.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • No One Should Spread Ill-Will Against Other Religions Or Non-Believers: DPM Teo

    No One Should Spread Ill-Will Against Other Religions Or Non-Believers: DPM Teo

    Singapore must keep a close watch on exclusivist and divisive teachings or statements, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said on Tuesday (March 14).

    Such remarks have had repercussions in other countries, he noted in a speech at the annual retreat of the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), a group of local Muslim scholars who have been countering terror detainees’ misunderstanding of religious concepts.

    “Attacks claimed to be in the name of Islam have led to a rise in Islamophobia, with anti-immigration rhetoric and negative reactions among other communities,” he said.

    “More importantly, no person should spread ill-will against other religions or non-believers,” said Mr Teo.

    Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, said the Government takes a strong stand on such teachings or statements.

    “We will investigate each case carefully, and take action if necessary,” he said.

    “It has taken many years for us to build a cohesive society, united as one people regardless of race or religion. We must focus on what we have in common rather than allow others to divide us,” he added.

    He was speaking in Malay to about 50 RRG members and volunteers, many of them religious teachers.

    In his speech, Mr Teo noted that the threat of terrorism to Singapore and the region is at its highest level in recent years.

    As terror group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) faces severe pressure in Syria and Iraq, its fighters are likely to disperse and find new battlegrounds.

    “We have to be prepared for attacks from ISIS-linked cells in South-east Asia,” he said.

    Observers have noted that the threats of terrorism and extremism could have an impact on social cohesion here, and Mr Teo suggested three levels the RRG could help in building a united and cohesive society.

    First, it can counsel individuals at risk and detainees to support their rehabilitation.

    Such individuals now tend to be significantly younger, have no prior terror links and were self-radicalised by extremist propaganda, said Mr Teo.

    Second, the RRG can play a “peace-building” role to enhance cohesion and promote inter-faith understanding within the Singapore community.

    “By working with other communities and religious groups, we can show how Islam as a religion is inclusive and consistent with our nation’s values,” he said.

    This is especially important as exclusivist religious teachings from the internet or preachers have tried to make inroads into Singapore, he added.

    Third, the RRG can continue to strengthen the understanding of the practice of Islam within Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-religious context.

    “Every one of you in the RRG has worked tirelessly,” Mr Teo said, thanking members for their work. “You make an important contribution to maintaining peace and harmony among all Singaporeans,” he said.

     

    Source: ST

  • Government Will Protect Everyone From Threat Of Violence

    Government Will Protect Everyone From Threat Of Violence

    The Government will protect its people against any threat of violence, regardless of their race, religion or sexual orientation, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam said yesterday.

    “Violence against any group, in any form, is not acceptable. Here, the Government will act decisively if there is threat of violence against anyone or any group,” Mr Shanmugam said before the iftar (breaking of fast) at the Khadijah Mosque in Geylang yesterday.

    “The Government’s duty is to protect everyone – their race, their religion, their sexual orientation, that’s not relevant.”

    His comments came in the wake of a massacre at a gay nightclub in Florida on Sunday, when gunman Omar Mateen mowed down 49 people and injured another 53, in the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.

    Investigators are examining whether Omar was driven to violence as a deeply disturbed individual who was himself gay or because of extremist ideology. “But it looks like the gay community has been targeted. This is unacceptable,” Mr Shanmugam told reporters.

    The kind of threat posed by lone- wolf individuals who are inspired but not directed by known extremist groups is “a significant risk” for Singapore as well, he said, noting that the Government had arrested “people who have self-radicalised, had intended to go to the Istana open house and do violence” to the President and Prime Minister.

    In another case of home-grown terrorism, six Bangladeshis were charged last month with financing terrorism after they were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for planning attacks back home.

    Mr Shanmugam said education is key in inoculating the population against radicalisation but it is not foolproof. Communities also have to come together and families have to be on the lookout for suggestions or evidence of radicalisation, while security agencies stay on high alert.

    Under the ISA, the Government can move in and arrest an individual who has been identified before he can do harm, he said.

    But these measures do not guarantee that Singapore will not be attacked, as terrorists often blend into the community. “There are threats in a variety of forms. Thankfully, our population is a cross of many races, and we are not infected by extremism to any substantial degree,” said Mr Shanmugam.

    Yesterday, thousands of people in cities throughout the United States and Europe stood in solidarity to remember those who had died. In Singapore, some 700 people attended a candlelight vigil in Hong Lim Park.

    Mr Shanmugam stressed the importance of the national SG Secure initiative in organising and training residents to guard against attacks, and maintain social harmony in the aftermath.The Muslim community has an important role in combating radical ideology as well, he said.

    Said Dr Mohamed Ali, vice-chairman of the Religious Rehabilitation Group: “Religious and community leaders have a strong influence over the followers of their religion. They need to convey these messages to their communities, to reject extremism and ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria).”

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com