Tag: Syria

  • At Least Two Singaporeans Went to Syria to Join ISIS

    At Least Two Singaporeans Went to Syria to Join ISIS

    SINGAPORE: The escalation of violence in Syria and Iraq over the last three months, as well as the expansion of the Islamic State (IS) threat beyond the two countries’ borders, have raised the security threat posed to Singapore. Two Ministers took turns to address concerns raised by Members of Parliament on Tuesday (Oct 7).

    Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean shared the Government’s assessment of the situation, while Foreign Affairs Minister, K Shanmugam said that countering the terrorism threat has to ultimately be “in the arena of ideas”.

    COUNTERING EXTREMIST IDEOLOGY

    Mr Shanmugam said as many as 15,000 people from about 80 countries could have joined IS and other radical groups fighting in Syria and Iraq. This is the largest mobilisation of foreign fighters since the Soviet-Afghan war in the 1980s – the conflict that ultimately created the Al Qaeda terrorist network.

    This region is not immune to the threat, with many joining in the fight in Syria and Iraq, he said. To combat the threat, Mr Shanmugam raised three points.

    Firstly, international solidarity and action will send a strong signal to the IS that the world has rejected its extremist agenda.

    Secondly, IS in both Iraq and Syria must be dealt with as one entity. He said any overall strategy must include a political solution to end the conflict in Syria, and political will to develop an inclusive and tolerant government in Iraq.

    Lastly, military force alone will not be enough. “Military force is necessary to blunt IS on the ground but missiles and rockets alone cannot and will not bring peace,” said Mr Shanmugam. “This brings me to my third point – the true fight has to be in the arena of ideas. We have to counter the extremist ideology which is used to recruit foreigners to terrorism and fuel their violent agenda.”

    He added that the threat posed by IS was real and everyone must do their part to combat global terrorism.

    THE THREAT TO SINGAPORE

    Mr Teo elaborated on the threat of the IS closer to home. IS continues to actively recruit foreign fighters – including Southeast Asians – and its brutality is not confined to beheadings of Westerners, but also to the killing of other Muslims and minority communities in Syria and Iraq, Mr Teo told Parliament.

    A United States-led coalition of more than 40 countries, including several Arab states, is now taking counter-action against IS, he added.

    “We currently have no information of any specific threat to us resulting directly from beheadings of IS and the anti-IS strikes,” Mr Teo said. “However, our assessment remains that the expansion of the IS threat beyond Syria and Iraq has raised the threat not only to countries who are part of the US-led coalition but also to Singapore.”

    As with the threat from Al-Qaeda, he said, “even if Singapore is not itself a target, foreign interests here may be targeted. This House may recall that Al Qaeda, working with the Jemaah Islamiyah Group, had planned to bomb the US and other embassies in Singapore in 2002”.

    There are also reports that some Malaysians and Indonesians who have fought for IS have formed a militant group called Katibah Nusantara Lid Daulah Islamiyyah, or Malay Archipelago Unit for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

    “If this group expands in Southeast Asia, it will pose a regional terrorism threat like the JI terrorist network, which had also aimed to set up a Southeast Asian Islamic Archipelago that encompassed Singapore, through the use of violence and terrorism,” Mr Teo said.

    LOCAL SECURITY MEASURES IN PLACE

    The DPM said Singapore’s security agencies are working with its security partners to monitor the situation in Syria and Iraq closely though the exchange of information, and will cooperate with them to counter the threat posed by foreign terrorists to Singapore.

    There are also measures to prevent Singaporeans from getting involved in the violence there or from carrying out activities in support of IS, he said, such as co-sponsoring the UN Security Council resolution on foreign terrorist fighters.

    “Any Singaporean who assists, supports, promotes or joins violent organisations like IS would have demonstrated a dangerous tendency to support the use of violence. Such a person poses a real threat to Singapore’s national security, and will be dealt with in accordance with our laws,” he said.

    “Our approach will be carefully calibrated to the specifics of each case. Where necessary, the Internal Security Act (ISA) will be used in order to pre-empt and neutralise these terrorism threats to the security of our citizens and our country.”

    In response to a question by Workers’ Party MP Low Thia Khiang, Mr Teo said that there are at least two known Singapore citizens who have gone to Syria to take part in the fight, though their exact whereabouts are unknown.

    He added that authorities will continue to investigate anyone who expresses support for terrorism or an interest to pursue violence.

    LOCAL COMMUNITY HAS PART TO PLAY 

    The Deputy Prime Minister also called on everyone to play a part in protecting Singapore against the terrorism threat. This includes alerting the authorities early to prevent family and friends from becoming radicalised.

    There are also various community initiatives to counter IS’ radical rhetoric, he noted. The Religious Rehabilitation Group, for example, plans to produce online videos to debunk IS’ ideology to better reach out to Internet-savvy youths who are most at risk of being radicalised via social media, he said.

    Mr Teo also mentioned a meeting was organised in July, with various community leaders, for them to understand what the Muslim community is doing to counter the threat.

    “The threat is always there, but it’s something which we have to continue to work hard together, to bring people together, and help them understand the problem, and that our Muslim community is taking proactive and real steps to deal with this issue,” he said.

    “All members of the public can also play their part by being alert to suspicious persons, objects and activities. A timely call to the authorities could well save many innocent lives. By working together, we can make Singapore a safer place for everyone,” Mr Teo added.

    Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/rise-of-islamic-state/1401872.html

  • Jihad al-nikah Atau Jihad Seks Bertentangan Dengan Ajaran Islam

    Jihad al-nikah Atau Jihad Seks Bertentangan Dengan Ajaran Islam

    hasbi hassan

    MEREKA sanggup menggadai jiwa dan menjual maruah sebagai wanita demi memuaskan nafsu anggota militan IS di medan perang di Syria.

    Itulah pengorbanan segelintir wanita, termasuk tiga wanita warga Malaysia, kononnya bagi ‘berjihad’ dengan memenuhi keperluan batin anggota militan itu.

    Mereka dikenali sebagai wanita penghibur atau comfort woman.

    HAMBA SEKS

    Namun, perbuatan yang dipanggil jihad al-nikah atau jihad seks itu sebenarnya bertentangan dengan ajaran Islam.

    Pengerusi bersama Kumpulan Pemulihan Keagamaan (RRG), Ustaz Ali Haji Mohamed, yang juga pengerusi Masjid Khadijah, berkata bahawa perbuatan itu sebahagian agenda IS bagi memenuhi keperluan pejuang mereka.

    “Selain itu, ia juga sebahagian rancangan IS melahirkan lebih ramai penjihad dan menarik lebih ramai orang bagi mengembangkan kumpulan itu,” ujar Ustaz Ali.

    Menurut presiden Persatuan Ulama dan Guru-Guru Agama Islam Singapura (Pergas), Ustaz Mohamad Hasbi Hassan, yang turut memimpin RRG, hubungan antara lelaki dengan perempuan dalam Islam hanya sah dengan pernikahan yang sah dan halal. Oleh itu, tiada istilah ‘wanita penghibur’ dalam Islam.

    Imam eksekutif Masjid Darul Aman, Ustaz Suhaimi Hassan, pula menarik perhatian tentang zaman Sayidina Umar Al-Khattab di mana beliau pernah membenarkan pejuang Islam nikah mutaah atau nikah kontrak kerana sudah lebih empat bulan tidak berjumpa dengan isteri.

    Namun, katanya, Sayidina Umar sendiri memansuhkan hukum itu selepas perang berakhir dan sehingga kini ia diharamkan bagi ahli sunnah wal jamaah.

    FATWA JIHAD SEKS

    Sebelum ini, IS juga mengeluarkan fatwa mengarahkan orang ramai menghantar wanita tidak berkahwin berjihad untuk seks.

    Namun, apakah kesahihan fatwa itu sedangkan ia bukan dikeluarkan ulama yang diiktiraf?

    Ustaz Mohamad Hasbi berkata dalam Islam fatwa disyaratkan dikeluarkan oleh ulama yang mempunyai tahap ilmu yang tinggi sahaja.

    “Mereka harus menguasai Al-Quran, hadis Rasulullah saw, tahu pandangan ulama yang berbeza dan dapat menentukan ketepatan sesuatu pandangan. Seandainya beliau belum memiliki tahap ilmu itu, fatwa yang dikeluarkan akan menjadi tidak sah.

    “Contohnya di Singapura, kita ada jawatankuasa fatwa dan bukan mufti seorang sahaja yang keluarkan fatwa. Ini bagi memastikan fatwa yang dikeluarkan itu betul, tepat dan dikehendaki agama,” ujarnya.

    Oleh itu, fatwa yang dikeluarkan IS berkenaan jihad seks tidak boleh dituruti dan harus ditolak.

    Malah menurut pengurus Masjid Assyafaah, Ustaz Mustazah Bahari, istilah ‘jihad seks’ langsung tiada dalam Islam.

    JALAN PINTAS KE SYURGA

    Selain wanita Timur Tengah, beberapa wanita warga asing dari Britain, Australia, Norway, Jerman dan Filipina juga telah ke Syria menyertai konflik di negara Timur Tengah itu.

    Malah baru-baru ini, tiga wanita Malaysia dikatakan menyertai kumpulan militan IS dipercayai menawarkan diri bagi mengadakan hubungan seks demi menenangkan anggota IS itu.

    Menurut Ustaz Mustazah, wanita terbabit itu melakukan demikian mungkin kerana ingin peluang cepat masuk syurga, kononnya sebagai syahid.

    “Mereka juga mungkin rasa simpati terhadap anggota militan itu tetapi sebenarnya tidak tahu erti sebenar perjuangan itu.

    “Wanita harus ingat, mereka mempunyai banyak tanggungjawab kepada ibu bapa atau suami bagi mereka yang telah berkahwin, daripada ke sana,” ujarnya.

    Malah menurut Ustaz Ali, keinginan masuk syurga dengan mudah serta kekosongan ilmu agama dan pengaruh pendakwah yang tidak diiktiraf juga antara sebab yang mendorong wanita itu menyertai kumpulan militan IS di Syria.

    Kekurangan ilmu agama itu jugalah yang membuat wanita itu gagal membezakan antara yang baik dengan buruk, kata Ustaz Mohamad Hasbi.

    Tambahnya, wanita itu juga mungkin dipengaruhi atau terpaksa dek keadaan.

    “Contohnya, mereka rasa terdorong menyertai perjuangan itu kononnya kerana ingin menegakkan agama Islam tetapi sebenarnya mereka tiada ilmu.

    “Mereka juga mungkin telah jatuh cinta dengan pejuang IS dan terpaksa ikut mereka ke sana,” katanya.

    TREND MEMBIMBANGKAN

    Semangat kuat segelintir wanita itu untuk berjuang bersama IS dan melihatnya sebagai ‘tiket’ masuk syurga bukan sahaja membimbangkan pemerintah negara mereka, bahkan turut mencetuskan keresahan keluarga yang mendesak agar mereka kembali ke pangkuan yang tersayang.

    Ini lebih-lebih lagi kerana mereka pergi ke Syria tanpa izin keluarga.

    Menurut Ustaz Suhaimi, perbuatan itu menunjukkan betapa ceteknya ilmu pemahaman agama mereka sehingga tergamak ke sana tanpa izin bapa yang merupakan satu dosa besar.

    “Masalahnya, wanita yang ke sana untuk berkahwin dengan anggota militan IS mesti diiringi wali, kecuali beliau janda.

    Kalau tiada, siapa yang menjadi kadi bagi mengesahkan pernikahan mereka? “Ini menjadikan pernikahan mereka syubhah (meragukan) atau barangkali boleh berlaku zina,” katanya.

    Ustaz Mohamad Hasbi tidak menafikan akan kemungkinan wanita Singapura turut menyertai kumpulan militan IS di Syria kerana pengetahuan agama yang cetek atau pengaruh lain.

    Namun, beliau menggalak masyarakat Islam setempat supaya menghubungi asatizah atau ulama di sini serta Pergas, Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (Muis) atau badan Islam lain bagi meminta pandangan, bimbingan atau nasihat sekiranya tidak pasti atau mempunyai masalah.

    Ustaz Ali turut menggesa asatizah di sini menggiatkan lagi usaha mereka berdakwah serta berkongsi pandangan dan nasihat mereka dengan orang ramai.

    HAMBA SEKS ZAMAN DAHULU

    Wanita kini juga seharusnya belajar daripada sejarah, lebih sedar dan berhati-hati supaya tidak menyertai IS dan menjadi hamba seks anggota militan kumpulan itu, kata Ustaz Mohamad Hasbi.

    Ini kerana wanita hari ini tidak dipaksa menyertai militan IS di Syria, yang setakat ini hanya menguar-uarkan tentangnya.

    Malah, pihak mereka yang mendatangi pihak asing daripada pelbagai negara di seluruh dunia.

    Ini berbeza berbanding zaman Perang Dunia Kedua di mana askar Jepun memaksa wanita di beberapa negara, seperti Korea, menjadi hamba seks atau wanita penghibur atau tempat mereka melepaskan nafsu.

    Sekiranya wanita itu tidak menuruti permintaan askar Jepun itu, nyawa mereka terancam. Sekitar 200,000 wanita dianggarkan telah dipaksa mengadakan hubungan seks dengan askar Jepun.

    Kebanyakan mereka merupakan wanita Korea, manakala bakinya termasuk wanita China, Indonesia, Filipina dan Taiwan.

    Menurut Ustaz Suhaimi, konsep wanita penghibur tidak harus dikaitkan dengan Islam kerana ia langsung tiada dalam hukum syariah Islam.

    “Kumpulan militan IS mengaburi wanita ini dengan slogan agama Islam, kononnya inilah cara terbaik dan perbuatan itu dibolehkan dalam Islam tetapi sebenarnya ia bertentangan dengan ajaran Islam,” jelas beliau.

    Source: http://beritaharian.sg/wacana/hidayah/tiada-konsep-wanita-penghibur-dalam-islam#sthash.VbQrewmL.SAaEfWkt.dpuf

  • Malaysian Woman Shares Life Story on Being Married to ISIS Fighter

    Malaysian Woman Shares Life Story on Being Married to ISIS Fighter

    marriage ISIS

    KUALA LUMPUR: A 26-year-old doctor from Malaysia who claimed she has travelled to Syria to join the jihadist movement revealed the realities of being married to an Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) fighter on social media accounts, which have since gone viral.

    In a report by Buzzfeed, the woman known as Shams, has been using the moniker ‘Bird of Jannah’ to share her experience of joining the insurgents since she left home in February 2014.

    Sham, who also blogs at  ‘Diary Of A Muhajirah’, said that she thought it was her duty tohijrahor pilgrimage to join the fight in Syria since she is a doctor.

    In her posts, Shams indicated that she flew to Turkey and then crossed the Syrian border, all done without the knowledge of her family.

    Although upset at first, her parents eventually supported her decision, Shams revealed.

    “I never spoke to them before I made thehijrah. I told them only after I have reached Turkey. They were quite upset at first but then they are very supportive and happy,” she responded to a question on social networking website, ask.fm. The account has been deactivated.

    After two months in Syria, Shams revealed that she had entered in an arranged marriage with an Isis insurgent from Morocco, who both agreed to be married without having met each other.

    “I made little steps. I was trembling. Nervous. Scared. My emotions were mixed. Upon seeing me, he gave salam and introduced himself, so did I. Then, it was a long awkward silence. A few minutes later, I flipped my Niqab. He looked at me, our eyes catches each others’. I had palpitation that is faster than the speed of light,” she said in a blog post.

    “He smiled. And he asked a question that I shall never forget for the rest of my life.

    “Can we get married today? After Asr?”

    Deep inside my heart shouted, no. But I have no idea why I answered “Yes”.

    Shams further revealed that she had called her father on the same day to obtain his consent for marriage.

    “On the same day, after Asr prayer, my friend, her husband, an English speaking brother and I went to the nearest internet cafe and made call to my father. Again, I spoke about this matter to him and I could hear my mother was shouting in joy at the back.

    “Later, I passed the phone to the English speaking brother for him to take the consent from my father, as my father is mywali.”

    In her postings, Shams also shared the harsh realities of being married to an insurgent and the loathing fear of losing her husband each time he heads out for the ‘battlefield’.

    She relayed a story of a friend named Umm Habiba, who lost her husband in ajihad. Instead of grieving, the widow was happy and celebrated her husband’s death because it means that that he has ‘become asyahid.

    “We entered the house where I saw almost 20 sisters. Nobody cried. Everyone was smiling. The house smells good. The kids seemed happy and there were plenty of foods strewn on the floor. I was astonished, puzzled.

    Shams described the widow as joyful, wore nice clothes and had makeup and jewelleries on when she visited her.

    “Umm Habiba..” I hugged her. The tears began to flow on my cheeks. I cried like a baby. She took her hand and wiped my tears and hold my cheeks. She said something that amazed me.

    “Umm al Baraa ya Habibty. My husband is a  He is In sha Allāh in the garden of Jannah, married to Hoor-al Ayn. Today is the day of celebration. Today is the day of joy. No one shall cry! Especially you. You’re a new bride, you should always smile,” she said in another one of her blog post.

    “I pulled Habiba closer to me and asked her how she’s doing. She said she’s happy because her mother told her that the father has bought a house in paradise and waiting for them.”

    A week and a half into the marriage, it was Sham’s fear turned a reality. Her husband, Abu al Baraa was preparing himself to leave home for a militant operation.

    Jihadis my first wife, and you’re my second. I hope you understand” he told Shams.

    Shams, who is now pregnant, admitted that it was tough being the wife of an insurgent and sometimes post poetry on her Facebook page, begging her husband to not leave her ‘too soon’.

    The doctor, in her Twitter postings, has also defended Isis for carrying out killings on Western journalists and aid workers.

    Her Facebook account has been taken down on several occasions – as it went against Facebook’s policy that do not permit ‘terrorist groups’ to use the social networking site.

    In August, Special Branch (Operations/Counter Terrorism division) assistant director-general Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay confirmed reports of Malaysian women who travelled to Syria for certain purposes.

    However, there is no proof that they are involved with ISIS by offering sexual jihad orJihad Al-Nikahto date.

    According to a Malaysian Insider report last month, senior intelligence officials confirmed that three Malaysian women have journeyed to the Middle East to join up with Isis forces.

    Source: http://english.astroawani.com/news/show/we-shall-meet-in-jannah-malaysian-woman-reveals-married-life-with-isis-militant-44247
  • Austrian Teenage Girl Who Joined ISIS ‘Killed in Syria’

    Austrian Teenage Girl Who Joined ISIS ‘Killed in Syria’

    One of two young Austrian women who travelled to Syria to fight with Islamic extremists has reportedly been killed just months after arriving in the country.

    Sabina Selimovic, 15, and Samra Kesinovic, 16, both the daughters of immigrant families from Bosnia, left their homes in Vienna in April with the apparent intention of fighting for Syrian rebels.

    They are thought to have travelled to Turkey and then to have crossed the border into Syria, having become radicalised after attending a local mosque in Vienna and reading about jihad on the internet.

    They posted on social media photographs of themselves handling assault weapons and wearing black, full length burkas.

    But Austrian authorities now think one of them – they have so far refused to divulge which one – may have been killed during fighting.

    “The parents of the girl concerned have been informed that there is a risk that their daughter is dead,” said Konrad Kogler, the director-general of public security for Austrian police.

    Alexander Marakovits, a spokesman for the Austrian interior ministry, told The Salzburger News: “We also have this information, but cannot say with absolute certainty that it is true. But the parents have been informed their daughter could be dead.”

    Austrian authorities fear that the two teenagers’ example is inspiring other young, radicalised Muslim women to travel to Syria and volunteer to fight.

    In Germany, meanwhile, an alleged jihadist went on trial on Monday, accused of fighting in Syria for Isil.

    In the first German criminal proceedings involving Isil, Kreshnik Berisha, a 20-year-old born near Frankfurt to a family from Kosovo, has been charged with membership of a foreign terrorist organisation.

    He could face 10 years in prison if convicted by the city’s superior regional court.

    Berisha is believed to have become radicalised when he fell in with a group of Muslim fundamentalists while on a job training programme.

    Federal prosecutors say Berisha travelled to Syria via Turkey in July 2013 with other Islamists planning to join the fight to create an Islamist “caliphate” straddling Syria and Iraq.

    Soon after his arrival, Berisha allegedly underwent firearms training and was put to work as a medic and a guard.

    In the six months he spent in Syria, he is believed to have fought in at least three battles on the side of the jihadists against President Bashar al-Assad’s troops.

    He returned home for reasons that are unclear to German authorities in Dec 2013 and was arrested at Frankfurt airport.

    Authorities estimate around 400 German nationals have travelled to Iraq and Syria to battle for the militants.

    Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/austria/11098039/Austrian-teenage-girl-jihadist-killed-in-Syria.html

  • Penang-born Husband Took Singaporean Wife and Two Children to Syria, Join ISIS

    Penang-born Husband Took Singaporean Wife and Two Children to Syria, Join ISIS

    A 37-year-old Penang-born man has brought his Singaporean family to Syria where they are believed to be in different locations fighting alongside jihadists or supporting them.

    His Singaporean wife was a 47-year-old widow who had a daughter and a son – aged 18 and 14 – from a previous marriage, The Star newspaper reported on Friday.

    The report quoted sources as saying the family went to Syria in November, but did not stay together.

    “The authorities believe the man joined the Jabhat Al-Nusra group and his stepson the IS (Islamic State),” the sources told the newspaper. IS is also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

    “The wife worked as a cook while the daughter taught English to the children of the fighters in Syria,” one source was quoted as saying.

    The family members are believed to be in different parts of Syria, according to the newspaper. One possible location is east Hama, where jihadists are known to have set up a base of operations.

    Authorities are keeping close tab on the family and trying to find out how they were influenced to go to Syria, said the report. The sources said the authorities believe their decision had to do with the woman’s former husband.

    In July, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean disclosed in parliament that several Singaporeans are among 12,000 foreigners taking part in the armed conflict in Syria, including a couple of parents who had taken along their children

    Among the “handful” of Singaporeans is said to be a woman who went with her foreign husband and their two teenage children.

    “The whole family is taking part in the conflict in various ways, either joining the terrorist groups to fight, or providing aid and support to the fighters,” said Mr Teo, who is also Singapore’s Home Affairs Minister.

    Another man, Haja Fakkurudeen Usman Ali, 37, took with him his wife and three children between the ages of two and 11. He is a Singapore citizen who was an Indian national, the Home Affairs Ministry had said in March when announcing that he was under investigation.

    Several other Singaporeans had planned to join the conflict but were detained before they could set off, and some others were under investigation, said Mr Teo.

    The Star newspaper had earlier reported that five former Internal Security Act detainees are among 40 Malaysians who have joined the militants.

    The five named include 45-year-old former Kedah PAS Youth information chief Mohd Lotfi Ariffin, who was injured in an attack which killed the youngest Malaysian jihadist in Syria on Tuesday. Mohammad Fadhlan Shahidi Mohammad Khir, 21, from Kedah was the second Malaysian jihadist to be killed in Syria.

    The first Malaysian militant to die in Syria was Abu Turob, 52, who was killed during an attack by tanks and snipers on Aug 19.

    In Putrajaya, Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi called on Malaysians to reject extremist views and protect the country’s image. He said the actions of a few individuals did not reflect the true nature of the country and its people.

    “We don’t want Malaysia to be presumed internationally as a breeding ground for terrorists (and) we must protect the image of our religion and country based on the principle of moderation or wasatiyyah.

    “This principle has to be defended by all citizens. We have to avoid being extreme left or extreme right.”

    Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/malaysian-man-took-singaporean-family-join-syria-jihadists-report-20