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Tag: social media

  • MUIS: Social Media Not Appropriate Platform To Receive Religious Guidance And Instruction

    MUIS: Social Media Not Appropriate Platform To Receive Religious Guidance And Instruction

    In a media statement, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) stressed that social media is “not the appropriate platform” to receive religious guidance and instruction, “not least in understanding complex political and armed conflicts in the Muslim world”.

    MUIS noted that in Khairul’s case, as well as that of Syaikhah Izzah Zahrah Al Ansari – who was detained last week for radicalism – what is “common and disturbing” is that both were self-radicalised through social media.

    “Exposure to the propaganda of extremist and radical groups online who exploit these conflicts to radicalise Muslims will misguide them to believe that participation in such conflicts is a religious duty,” said MUIS. In both cases, family and friends found out about their views and intentions but did not report them to authorities, it added.

    “The best way to help our loved ones away from this path is to offer help early by referring them to experts in this area, as soon as we detect there may be something wrong,” said MUIS.

    MUIS added that it is also working to develop the capabilities of local asatizah, or Islamic religious teachers, to be able to engage Singaporean Muslims on social media, noting that some younger asatizah have “started to make some good headway” in this area.

    “We hope to populate social media with socio-religious content which is appropriate to Singapore, and negate the dangerous content which had managed to mislead Khairul and Izzah,” it said.

    MUIS also urged the community to play its part, and report family members and friends who exhibit such tendencies as soon as they are detected, so “appropriate help and intervention can be given”.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • Najib Warns Uneven Growth Could Fuel Extremism, Instability

    Najib Warns Uneven Growth Could Fuel Extremism, Instability

    Prime Minister Najib Razak on Friday warned that Southeast Asian countries needed to ensure their economic growth was inclusive, or risk marginalised populations turning to violent extremism or even overturning political systems.

    Speaking at an event for entrepreneurs during the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Manila, Najib said the region was posting strong growth that could see Asean become the world’s fourth-largest economy, but that growth needed to be equitable.

    “We do not want our citizens to be marginalised in the age of extremism and radicalisation,” he said.

    “We know that those who see no hope in their own societies are more prone to the siren calls of terrorists who can and will exploit their vulnerability and fill them with their lies.”

    Islamist extremism is expected to be high on the agenda during this week’s meetings, with fears for Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines about piracy and the rising threat of Islamic State.

    Of particular concern is the ease in which militants can acquire weapons, seek refuge with existing rebel groups and move between the many islands between the three countries.

    Najib lauded the success of Asean, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, in expanding its collective GDP to about US$2.7 trillion now, from US$87 billion four decades ago.

    Asean has 10 members: Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

    He warned that economic disparity was dangerous at a political level too, fuelling anger and populism that was causing problem in Western Europe.

    “The neglected underclass of those who felt left behind by economic growth, prosperity and globalisation can overturn elections and political systems,” he said.

    Economists frequently point out huge income gaps among the 620 million people of Southeast Asia, a region that has one of the world’s largest concentrations of billionaires, according to Forbes Magazine.

    Najib said awareness of Asean needed to be better promoted among its citizens to “make it feel real, relevant and tangible”. Trade integration was lagging, he said, with too many trade tariffs still in existence.

    Their removal, and harmonised customs standards, needed to be “vigorously pursued”, he said.

    Philippines Vice-President Leni Robredo echoed Najib’s call for leaders to pay more attention to their poor.

    “For many years, many thought income inequality was alright. But the voiceless and the powerless are now raring to be heard, and with technology and social media, their frustrations are being felt on a global scale,” she said in a speech.

    “They are rejecting globalisation, democracy, traditional media.”

     

    Rilek1Corner

    Source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com

  • Walid J. Abdullah: Do We Live For Social Media?

    Walid J. Abdullah: Do We Live For Social Media?

    How strange is the modern human.

    When we have spouses, we keep talking about them or go out of our way to post stuff that demonstrate how happy we are, to people we barely know.

    When we have children, we keep bombarding our social media pages with their pictures. Without caring about how those without children, in spite of trying, would feel.

    When we are pregnant, we tell the entire world. Without knowing what the outcome of the pregnancy would be. Without bothering whether those who are not pregnant would feel a tinge of sadness.

    When it is mother’s day, we write long and beautiful poems about our mothers on social media, but do not even say ‘I love you’ directly to them.

    When we attend funerals, we busy ourselves with taking ‘solemn’ pictures, and with thinking about what caption the photos should be accompanied with. Without even bothering to respect the deceased, or say a prayer or two for him/her.

    When we do a good deed, we rush to advertise it to the world. While somehow convincing ourselves that we are not showing off, but rather, portraying an example for others to follow. And then we find no irony at all in perennially checking how many ‘likes’ our post garnered.

    When we praise ourselves in public, we paradoxically always precede it with ‘All praises to God’, when in fact, we proceed to praise ourselves.

    How strange is the modern human, indeed.

    Has social media changed us? Or has it merely given us an opportunity to express our true selves?

    Do we live for social media?

     

    Source: Walid J. Abdullah

  • Gangs Using Social Media To Recruit Members

    Gangs Using Social Media To Recruit Members

    They post photos of “brothers” covered in tattoos on social media to pique curiosity. Some send private messages on social media platforms to recruit members.

    Accounts of how gangs are tapping into social media to recruit young members were told to participants of an annual camp organised for at-risk youths by the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) Secret Societies Branch yesterday — now into its eighth year.

    “When youths see these photos through social media, they get very curious … they want to be cool (and) known to the public,” said former gang member Kim Whye Kee, 37, who shared his story with the 35 participants of the camp.

    Mr Azmi Abdul Rehman, 43, who was in a gang for more than 15 years until he quit in 2011, added that gangs are “more open” than before. With gangs recruiting through social media platforms nowadays, he said it has become easier for youths to fall into bad company, but the conspicuity also increases their chances of getting caught.

    The at-risk youths, aged between 13 and 18, were asked to share how they were recruited, and the advantages and disadvantages of being part of a gang, among other things, during the two-day camp held at Pulau Ubin.

    Some said they were recruited through Facebook, where a friend would send a message asking directly if they would be interested in joining a gang. Others said they were approached during football games.

    They said they were lured in because of the easy money from criminal activities, or saw it as a way to make more friends. At the same time, they admitted that they were stressed out about getting caught or drifting away from their loved ones.

    For example, Jack (not his real name), 16, said a schoolmate confronted him last year, accusing him of looking for trouble. Later, he was asked to join the schoolmate’s gang, where he helped sell drugs. Jack decided to call it quits when he realised that his family was slowly giving up on him.

    “That really affected me, so I wanted to quit the gang and try to lead a better life,” he said, adding that he is inspired to follow the path of the social worker who helped him.

    Superintendent of Police, Bernard Wee, who heads the Secret Societies Branch, said youth crime is multi-dimensional, requiring the police to work closely with key stakeholders to address root causes of the issue.

    “Through such experiential learning opportunities, we seek to reinforce the youths’ self-confidence and instil in them self-discipline and positive values,” he said. “They would then learn to take responsibility for themselves, and make the right decisions to steer clear from gangs and to stay crime-free.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • Anonymous Hackers Target Social Media Accounts Linked To IS

    Anonymous Hackers Target Social Media Accounts Linked To IS

    Hacking group Anonymous has claimed responsibility for taking down hundreds of social media accounts allegedly linked to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants, including some belonging to Malaysians, media reported on Tuesday.

    “ISIS, we will hunt you, take down your sites, accounts, emails and expose you,” the group warns in a two-minute video posted on YouTube, saying that its campaign targeting the militants under the name #OpISIS is continuing.

    Anonymous has published a list of 800 Twitter accounts, Google Plus accounts, recruitment websites, Facebook accounts and email addresses that it had exposed and targeted, the Daily Mirror reported on Monday.

    Some of the 11 Facebook accounts revealed were believed to be owned by Malaysians, according to Sin Chew Daily.

    The video was Anonymous’ second warning in two months against ISIS, which has built up a large social media presence with accounts on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, BBC reported.

    The Islamists, who have seized large swaths of Iraq and Syria, used the Internet as a channel for disseminating propaganda, circulating brutal videos of hostages being killed and as a tool for radicalising and recruiting new members.

    Anonymous “declared war” on websites run by ISIS last month after an attack on a magazine’s offices in Paris.

    Yet the hacking group’s efforts did not manage to silence ISIS on the Internet, as the Islamists have recently released a social media guide to help members create accounts that are not easy to detect.

    Anonymous is made up of activists and hackers claiming to defend and protect democracy.

    “We are Muslims, Christians, Jews, we are hackers, crackers, Hacktivist, phishers, agents, spies, or just the guy from next door,” says the voice in Anonymous video.

    “Remember the terrorists that are calling themselves Islamic State are not Muslims.”

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com