Terrorists are among us be vigilant!
The Big Read: Battered in the Middle East, ISIS eyes South-east Asia as next terrorism hotspot!
ISIS, Al-Qaeda drawn to crisis in Rakhine state
The plight of the Rohingya, an Islamic minority in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, has evoked strong emotions across the Muslim world.Many countries have protested against the persecution of the community, following a violent crackdown by the Myanmar army that left hundreds dead and sparked an exodus of more than 410,000 people from Rakhine to Bangladesh.But as rights groups urge world leaders to impose sanctions on Myanmar's military, which is accused of "ethnic cleansing", a darker danger lies ahead.Counter-terrorism experts say the crisis has attracted the attention of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), as well as Muslim militants and hardliners in Indonesia and Malaysia.This may result in another longstanding conflict in South-east Asia, following the ongoing siege in the southern Philippine city of Marawi by Islamist militants.Echoing its strategy in southern Philippines, ISIS has routinely, through its online publication Dabiq, claimed that it plans to establish a base in Bangladesh to launch revenge attacks on the Myanmar government over its treatment of the Muslim Rohingya.Malaysian counter-terrorism chief Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said earlier this week that ISIS is exploiting the Rohingya crisis to recruit more fighters, particularly from South-east Asia.Indeed, latest developments out of Kuala Lumpur have revealed that a group of Malaysians had travelled to Myanmar, via Bangladesh and Thailand, to take on government troops there.Malaysian police in Kelantan state, which shares a border with southern Thailand, told news agency Bernama that it has identified more than 100 "rat trails" used for smuggling, and has stepped up patrols there to prevent the illegal entry of Rohingya and "untoward incidents".Meanwhile in Indonesia, the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) had called for "jihadists" to travel to Rakhine to fight on behalf of the Rohingya. The FPI has shown that it has the ability to mobilise hundreds of thousands of people, as seen in the many rallies it led against former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, a Chinese-Christian politician, for insulting Islam earlier this year.FPI spokesman Slamet Maarif was quoted by The Australian newspaper earlier this month as saying that the group is prepared to wage "jihad", or a holy war, in Myanmar if the need arises. "That is why one of the main requirements for our recruits is the willingness to die as a martyr," he said.Centre for Radicalism and Deradicalisation Studies executive director Adhe Bhakti said the real danger for Indonesia lies in whether elements of the Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), a local terrorist network with ties to ISIS, join the fray. "More influential groups in the context of 'jihad' such as the JAD have yet to appeal for fighters. If they do, that may pose a greater risk," said Mr Adhe.Islamist militant groups have previously exploited the Rohingya crisis for their cause, notably in 2012 and 2015, but this current conflict has drawn wider attention.Mr Iftekharul Bashar, an associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said the crisis is unfolding at a time when ISIS is losing much of its territory in the Middle East and is trying to expand its hold in South Asia and South-east Asia."The recent siege of Marawi... shows that ISIS penetration in the Rakhine state conflict cannot be ruled out," he added.Datuk Ayob warned that Myanmar's proximity to Malaysia would encourage ISIS to tap the conflict in Rakhine. "Myanmar is closer to Malaysia than Syria and the southern Philippines... and now Rakhine has become their latest destination for 'jihad'," he told Bernama news.The resurgent Al-Qaeda, which was behind the Sept 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, has also started to make its move, issuing a statement on Sept 12 calling for attacks against the Myanmar government over the Rohingya.While most of the attention by security agencies has been on ISIS, Mr Bashar warned that Al-Qaeda, and its affiliate in the Indian subcontinent known by the acronym AQIS, is equally dangerous.AQIS has not carried out any major attacks in Bangladesh in the past few years, but it has recently mentioned the Myanmar military as a key target, added Mr Bashar. "Although the majority of Muslims still support a peaceful settlement with Rohingya returning to their homeland, a smaller segment thinks that an armed 'jihad' is the only solution left to end the plight of the Rohingya."
Al-Qaeda vs ISIS: who will be the next jihadi superstar (or super villain)?
The 55-minute video of al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri announcing formation of an Indian branch of his terror organization will be seen in the context of the growing competition between al-Qaeda and Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s ISIS. It’s even look like the international jihadi community has entered into a cold war between the ISIS and Al Qaeda. Building an Islamic caliphate has been an al-Qaeda dream but unfortunately, the dream has over taken by ISIS. This June ISIS declared a “caliphate” and Baghdadi took the title of Caliph Ibrahim, posing a serious threat to al-Qaeda. From its stunning military successes in Iraq and Syria to the shocking killings of US journalists, ISIS turned its rival’s business model on its head.
Until now, al-Qaeda (AQ) and its affiliates dominated the global jihadist movement, a loose franchise model. Local groups pursued local interests but swore allegiance to bin Laden and the al-Qaeda ideology. They swore loyalty to Mullah Omar, the Afghan Taliban leader. Baghdadi spoiled this arrangement when AQ loyalists started inclining towards the ISIS, an alternative jihadi power centre. Recently, Mamoun Hatem, a cleric from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula backed ISIS. Abu Bakar Bashir, Indonesian leader of former Jemaah Islamiyah weighed in its favour to ISIS (Southeast Asia, and Malaysia have become strong ISIS recruiting grounds). Baghdadi got support from Abu Sayyaf members. Even Egyptian Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis apparently switched sides.
ISIS is the successor entity to Abu Musab al Zarqawi’s Jama’at al Tawhid wa al Jihadand at first affiliated to al-Qaeda (AQ) but bin Laden and Zarqawi differed over strategy. Bin Laden, and later, Zawahiri tried to cement the Shia-Sunni fault line, urging Muslim unity in the jihad enterprise but Zarqawi openly targeted Shias and ISIS followed this line. The group far surpasses other al-Qaeda affiliates in lethality, brutality, and effectiveness. The group is refining its expertise. We cannot deny that such expertise will move beyond Iraq and Syria.
![isisn alqaida]()
Is al-Qaeda’s jihad call a recruitment gimmick?
Al-Qaeda has never had any success recruiting from India, despite its huge 180 million-strong Muslim population. In fact, there has been speculation it never tried too hard in the past for fear of opening up another front with the country’s massive Hindu majority.
Which makes Ayman al-Zawahiri’s video announcement of a new al-Qaeda wing for the Indian subcontinent look all the more desperate.
Zawahiri announced Asim Umar, who is Pakistani national as the new leader of al-Qaeda’s South Asia wing. This branch would raise the “flag of jihad” across south Asia, while declaring his loyalty to Taliban leader Mullah Omar. The newly formed “al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (al-QaidaIS)” (Jamaat Qaidat al-jihad fi ‘shibhi al-qarrat al-Hindiya) would fight against injustice and oppression of Muslims in “Burma, Bangladesh, Assam, Gujarat, Ahmedabad, and Kashmir.
Multiple sources in the security establishment said they have no evidence yet of any Indians joining al-Qaeda. Experts suspect this could be al-Qaeda’s bid to improve its fortunes in the face of ISIS’s rising appeal.
Now al-Qaeda is feeling the pressure from ISIS in the heart of its old stronghold in the Afghan-Pakistan borderlands. Several Pakistani-based militant groups previously allied to al-Qaeda have recently pledged allegiance to IS and its goal of an Islamic caliphate.
The ISIS has now reportedly launched a support and recruitment drive in border areas like Peshawar. Booklets in the name of the Dawlat-e-Islamia (Islamic State) have been circulating among the many Afghan refugees living there. Also graffiti or wall-talk, another guide to sentiments, with pro-IS slogans now regularly appearing on Peshawar buildings. There have been reports of an IS recruitment drive in some Indian states too.
Where al-Qaeda failed in India, IS seems to have had some success. In May, four young Indian Muslims from Kalyan (near Mumbai) had travelled to Iraq to join the group after being recruited online.
That set off alarm bells in India, because the country facing the same kind of “blowback” as the Middle East and the West has faced, from jihadis returning home from Iraq or Afghanistan.
Indian government is not ruling out anything and keeping close eye on AQ-ISIS competition of recruitment from India. Indian agencies also increased cyber surveillance because social media posts play a major role in radicalization of youths. They also fear that Zawahir video is only the beginning which may be followed by more brazen posts online. If needed Indian agencies will seek help from US agencies since most social websites servers are located there.
Big No to al-Qaeda:
The country’s Muslim leaders say they’re allied with secular forces and don’t need a foreign, jihadist outfit like al-Qaeda to fight for them. They denounced the creation of AQ’s wing in the Indian subcontinent said AQ is a terror group and it can not be friends of Muslims, either in India or anywhere else.
General Secretary of All India Ulema Council said “Muslims in India believe in the Constitution that guarantees freedom to preach and practise their religion. We’re self-sufficient and can solve our problems within the Indian framework. We don’t need AQ”.
But with IS and al-Qaeda in effect choosing India as a new battleground, India’s security could face a serious challenge.
The 55-minute video of al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri announcing formation of an Indian branch of his terror organization will be seen in the context of the growing competition between al-Qaeda and Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s ISIS. It’s even look like the international jihadi community has entered into a cold war between the ISIS and Al Qaeda. Building an Islamic caliphate has been an al-Qaeda dream but unfortunately, the dream has over taken by ISIS. This June ISIS declared a “caliphate” and Baghdadi took the title of Caliph Ibrahim, posing a serious threat to al-Qaeda. From its stunning military successes in Iraq and Syria to the shocking killings of US journalists, ISIS turned its rival’s business model on its head.
Until now, al-Qaeda (AQ) and its affiliates dominated the global jihadist movement, a loose franchise model. Local groups pursued local interests but swore allegiance to bin Laden and the al-Qaeda ideology. They swore loyalty to Mullah Omar, the Afghan Taliban leader. Baghdadi spoiled this arrangement when AQ loyalists started inclining towards the ISIS, an alternative jihadi power centre. Recently, Mamoun Hatem, a cleric from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula backed ISIS. Abu Bakar Bashir, Indonesian leader of former Jemaah Islamiyah weighed in its favour to ISIS (Southeast Asia, and Malaysia have become strong ISIS recruiting grounds). Baghdadi got support from Abu Sayyaf members. Even Egyptian Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis apparently switched sides.
ISIS is the successor entity to Abu Musab al Zarqawi’s Jama’at al Tawhid wa al Jihadand at first affiliated to al-Qaeda (AQ) but bin Laden and Zarqawi differed over strategy. Bin Laden, and later, Zawahiri tried to cement the Shia-Sunni fault line, urging Muslim unity in the jihad enterprise but Zarqawi openly targeted Shias and ISIS followed this line. The group far surpasses other al-Qaeda affiliates in lethality, brutality, and effectiveness. The group is refining its expertise. We cannot deny that such expertise will move beyond Iraq and Syria.
Is al-Qaeda’s jihad call a recruitment gimmick?
Al-Qaeda has never had any success recruiting from India, despite its huge 180 million-strong Muslim population. In fact, there has been speculation it never tried too hard in the past for fear of opening up another front with the country’s massive Hindu majority.
Which makes Ayman al-Zawahiri’s video announcement of a new al-Qaeda wing for the Indian subcontinent look all the more desperate.
Zawahiri announced Asim Umar, who is Pakistani national as the new leader of al-Qaeda’s South Asia wing. This branch would raise the “flag of jihad” across south Asia, while declaring his loyalty to Taliban leader Mullah Omar. The newly formed “al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (al-QaidaIS)” (Jamaat Qaidat al-jihad fi ‘shibhi al-qarrat al-Hindiya) would fight against injustice and oppression of Muslims in “Burma, Bangladesh, Assam, Gujarat, Ahmedabad, and Kashmir.
Multiple sources in the security establishment said they have no evidence yet of any Indians joining al-Qaeda. Experts suspect this could be al-Qaeda’s bid to improve its fortunes in the face of ISIS’s rising appeal.
Now al-Qaeda is feeling the pressure from ISIS in the heart of its old stronghold in the Afghan-Pakistan borderlands. Several Pakistani-based militant groups previously allied to al-Qaeda have recently pledged allegiance to IS and its goal of an Islamic caliphate.
The ISIS has now reportedly launched a support and recruitment drive in border areas like Peshawar. Booklets in the name of the Dawlat-e-Islamia (Islamic State) have been circulating among the many Afghan refugees living there. Also graffiti or wall-talk, another guide to sentiments, with pro-IS slogans now regularly appearing on Peshawar buildings. There have been reports of an IS recruitment drive in some Indian states too.
Where al-Qaeda failed in India, IS seems to have had some success. In May, four young Indian Muslims from Kalyan (near Mumbai) had travelled to Iraq to join the group after being recruited online.
That set off alarm bells in India, because the country facing the same kind of “blowback” as the Middle East and the West has faced, from jihadis returning home from Iraq or Afghanistan.
Indian government is not ruling out anything and keeping close eye on AQ-ISIS competition of recruitment from India. Indian agencies also increased cyber surveillance because social media posts play a major role in radicalization of youths. They also fear that Zawahir video is only the beginning which may be followed by more brazen posts online. If needed Indian agencies will seek help from US agencies since most social websites servers are located there.
Big No to al-Qaeda:
The country’s Muslim leaders say they’re allied with secular forces and don’t need a foreign, jihadist outfit like al-Qaeda to fight for them. They denounced the creation of AQ’s wing in the Indian subcontinent said AQ is a terror group and it can not be friends of Muslims, either in India or anywhere else.
General Secretary of All India Ulema Council said “Muslims in India believe in the Constitution that guarantees freedom to preach and practise their religion. We’re self-sufficient and can solve our problems within the Indian framework. We don’t need AQ”.
But with IS and al-Qaeda in effect choosing India as a new battleground, India’s security could face a serious challenge.
Rohingya plight making Myanmar a target for Isis, Malaysia warns!
Malaysian counter-terrorism chief speaks after suspected Isis follower detained over alleged plot to’ perform jihad in Myanmar’
Myanmar faces a growing danger of attacks by foreign Islamic Statesupporters fighting for persecuted Muslim Rohingyas, Malaysia’s top counter-terrorism official has said.
Malaysian authorities have detained a suspected Isis follower planning to head to Myanmar to carry out attacks, the head of the Malaysian police counter-terrorism division, Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, said in an interview.
The suspect, an Indonesian man whom he did not identify, was detained in Malaysia last month. The suspect was scheduled to be charged on Wednesday for possession of materials linked to terrorist groups, which carries a seven-year jail term or fine, Ayob Khan said.
More militants were likely to try to follow his lead in support of the Rohingya cause, Ayob Khan said. “He was planning to perform jihad in Myanmar, fighting against the Myanmar government for this Rohingya group in Rakhine State,” Ayob Khan said.
A Myanmar army sweep since October in the north of Rakhine state, on its border with Bangladesh, has sent about 34,000 members of the Rohingya minority fleeing into Bangladesh, the United Nations said.
Residents and rights groups have accused security forces in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar of summary executions and rape in the army operation, launched in response to attacks on police posts on 9 October that killed nine officers. The government of Aung San Suu Kyi has denied the accusations of abuse.
Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay said an official report on October’s violence in Rakhine state found no evidence of an Isis presence there or that the attacks were linked to Isis.
The conflict in Rakhine risks becoming a lightning rod for Islamists in a network that stretches from the Philippines to Indonesia and Malaysia, with links to Isis in the Middle East, security analysts and officials said.
Scores of south-east Asian Muslims, most from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, have travelled to the Middle East to join Isis, counter-terrorism police in the region said. Over the past year, Isis has claimed several attacks – or been linked to foiled plots – in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
There is a high possibility that Muslims, be it from IS or other groups, will find the ways and means to go to Myanmar to help their Rohingya Muslim brothers,” Ayob Khan said.
The thinktank International Crisis Group (ICG) said in a report last month the coordinated attacks on Myanmar police in Rakhine State were carried out by a group called Harakah al-Yakin. While the group had links to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, it would be wrong to “over-interpret the significance of the international links”, ICG said. “Nevertheless, the longer violence continues, the greater the risks become of such links deepening and potentially becoming operational,” it said.
Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia, which has the world’s biggest Muslim population, have led calls in south-east Asia for Myanmar to stop the violence against the Rohingya.
Rohingya have for years been fleeing persecution in Myanmar, which denies them citizenship because it sees them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. They often end up on south-east Asian shores in rickety boats seeking asylum. More than 55,000 Rohingyas are registered with the United Nations in Malaysia.
Analysts have warned the large number of Rohingya migrants are a potential pool of recruits for militants. “The network between Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and the Rohingyas is there,” said Badrul Hisham Ismail, programme executive director of the Malaysian counter-militancy group, Iman Research.
Ismail said his group had discovered Malaysian militants involved in recruiting Rohingyas and sending them to Indonesia’s Poso region for training.
Rohan Gunaratna, a security expert at Singapore’s Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said Isis operatives in the region were “determined to mount attacks both inside Myanmar and against Myanmar targets overseas”.
In November, Indonesian authorities detained an Isis-linked militant over a plot to attack the Myanmar embassy there.
“The highest threat to Myanmar emanates from Islamic State networks,” Rohan said. “The Rohingya conflict is emerging as one of the rallying issues for IS. At a strategic level, Myanmar should resolve the Rohingya conflict to prevent IS influence and expansion.”
The Big Read: Battered in the Middle East, ISIS eyes South-east Asia as next terrorism hotspot!
SINGAPORE — The terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is today a shadow of its once-formidable self in the Middle East, with its army in tatters and its territories reduced to a sliver of turf.
But the ISIS ideology — which includes the setting up of a caliphate — is far from dead and buried.
And its supporters, including those who have returned home after fighting wars in Iraq and Syria, have now set their sights on turning South-east Asia into the next terrorism hotspot.
For ISIS, the region has all the ingredients needed to become its next cauldron of violence: Porous borders, existence of logistical bases, weak regimes, poor enforcement measures and disenchantment among marginalised Muslims.“South-east Asia has been dubbed as the second front for ISIS,” said Professor Mohd Kamarulnizam Abdullah, who researches on terrorism and religious violence at Universiti Utara Malaysia.
The region already has had a taste of ISIS-style terror in recent years. In 2016, ISIS-linked militants launched a gun and bomb assault in the centre of Jakarta, killing several people.
Last Sunday (Jan 27), a Roman Catholic cathedral on the island of Jolo in southern Philippines was bombed as worshippers gathered for mass. ISIS claimed responsibility for it.
Although Singapore has been fortunate enough not to have experienced any violent attack, it will become increasingly harder to keep the country secure from the threat as the web of terror closes in on the island.
While the Singapore Government has repeatedly stressed that a terror attack here is not a matter of if but when, there remains a sense of complacency among Singaporeans.
A recent report by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) showed that only 20 per cent of Singaporeans felt that the terrorist threat was imminent.
The MHA’s Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2019 also said that the Republic’s “most pressing threat” comes from ISIS.
In 2016, an ISIS-inspired plot to attack Marina Bay Sands from the Indonesian island of Batam — a 40-minute boat ride from Singapore — was foiled.
Mr Joseph Franco, a research fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), said: “Even if you’re strong security-wise but exist in a bad neighbourhood, you can’t help but always look over your shoulders.”
A photo provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines shows a soldier inspecting the damage after two bombs exploded during Mass at a Roman Catholic cathedral on the island of Jolo in the southern Philippines, on Jan 27, 2019. Photo: New York Times
THE REGION: A SECOND WAVE OF TERRORISM
The first wave of terrorism crashed into South-east Asia in 2002, starting with the devastating bombings in Bali that year. It lasted till 2008, according to last year’s Global Terrorism Index, with terrorist groups the Philippines’ Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Indonesia’s Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) — which has ties to Al Qaeda — being responsible for 301 and 274 deaths respectively.
The second wave came in 2016, amid ISIS’ rise. As a result, South-east Asia saw a 36 per cent increase in deaths due to terrorism from 2016 to 2017.
In 2017, militant and insurgent groups championing separatist causes, which later forged alliances or became affiliated to ISIS, committed 348 terror acts which resulted in 292 deaths. They came from countries including Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand.
Research fellow Muhd Faizal Abdul Rahman from RSIS’ Centre of Excellence for National Security pointed out that “partnerships” between militant groups are not new.
They existed back in the days when Al Qaeda was at its zenith, forming ties with JI. The latter group sent its members to Afghanistan to train and gain combat skills under Al Qaeda and learn its doctrine.
Similarly, aligning themselves with ISIS “facilitates the exchange of talent, skills and material resources” with local and regional groups, said Mr Faizal.
Smaller militant or terrorist groups would also attain a higher level of legitimacy and support if they associate themselves with ISIS’ ideology, which seeks to establish a caliphate through a final battle between good (Muslims) and evil (non-believers).
“It is more important to sustain the will to fight even when the means to fight is suppressed by security forces,” said Mr Faizal.
Counterterrorism analysts also pointed out that by working together, the different groups can eliminate their common enemies — Western forces and governments that they claim to have exploited and marginalised Muslim communities — on multiple fronts.
Such collaboration was exemplified during the Marawi siege in southern Philippines in 2017.
Pledging allegiance to ISIS, a number of militant groups banded together to attack and take control parts of the city, before they were defeated by government forces after months of battle.
Although the militants lost, the siege underscored ISIS’ reach in the region, said analysts.
The Global Terrorism Index report said that the battle of Marawi was a “defining moment” in Islamist terrorism in the Philippines. Following that, ISIS’ online propaganda has urged foreign fighters to travel to the Philippines and other South-east Asian outposts.
Mr Franco said that even after the Marawi siege, there continues to be militant groups — whether aligned to ISIS or not — operating in the Mindanao region.
“With access to illegal firearms, they continue to pose a threat,” he said.
About 18 years after the Sept 11 attacks in the United States — which were carried out by the Al Qaeda — the terrorism threat has evolved and possibly become more potent, said analysts.
Dr Mohamed Ali, an RSIS expert in religious extremism, pointed out that previously, the definition of a terrorist was clear-cut: He or she had to pledge an oath and be a member of a terrorist group.
Now, however, individuals can just carry out attacks in their homelands without having to go through military training.
“They can be anyone and can strike alone and out of the blue,” he added. “That makes them more dangerous.”
The rising exclusivist sentiment in the region, namely in Indonesia and Malaysia, has also added fuel to fire.
Last December, thousands of Muslim Indonesians took to the streets to commemorate the series of rallies held in 2016 that targeted a former Jakarta governor, who is a Christian.
Days after, Malaysians rallied in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur to call on the government to preserve Islam as the country’s national religion and protect the rights of the Malays.
Mr Faizal stressed that exclusivism “forms the pathway to terrorism”.
“A person goes through the cognitive process of exclusivism before he is further radicalised into a terrorist. Exclusivism conditions an individual’s mind and values into believing that others are less human, less moral and deserves to be harmed,” he added.
Dr Mohamed Ali warned that the harm caused by exclusivist ideas could be more damaging than the effects of terror attacks. It leads to different racial and religious communities alienating one another and breeding suspicion. The result: A weakening of the country’s unity and social fabric, he added.
INDONESIA: CHANGING FACES OF TERROR
Last May, an Indonesian family of six were involved in back-to-back attackson three churches in the country’s second-largest city of Surabaya.
The incident drove home the point that the terrorism threat in Indonesia had evolved in two areas: The people conducting the attacks and the weapons used.
An Indonesian Special Forces Police counter-terrorism squad member walks by burned motorcycles following a blast at the Pentecost Church Central Surabaya in Surabaya in May 2018. It was one of three churches targeted by three Islamic State-linked families of suicide bombers in attacks that killed over 30 people. Photo: Reuters
Indonesian counterterrorism expert Dr Noor Huda Ismail noted that terrorist operations have morphed from group operations to lone wolves, and later involving women as well as the entire family unit.
It is part of the ISIS doctrine to involve the entire family as part of efforts to establish a caliphate, he pointed out. In its propaganda magazines Rumiyah and Dabiq, it has been stated that the role of women is to breed the next generation of terrorists.
Another reason why terror attacks now involve women and the entire family is because Indonesian authorities have successfully destroyed many terrorist networks in the country.
“So, ISIS supporters have to change their tactics,” added Dr Noor Huda, who founded the Institute for International Peace Building to rehabilitate and reintegrate former terrorists into the society.
Using household items as weapons to inflict damage is also the new norm. No longer is it necessary to make or smuggle in traditional bombs or firearms to carry out an attack, said Dr Najib Azca, the director of the Centre for Security and Peace Studies at Indonesia’s Gadjah Mada University.
ISIS has indoctrinated its followers to believe that if they cannot join its fight in Syria and Iraq, they can carry out attacks in their homelands as part of the jihad (armed struggle), he said.
To do that, they can use vehicles to ram into crowds, or simply use household items like a kitchen knife to stab as many people as they can, said Dr Najib.
He cited the case of an Indonesian woman Dian Yulia Novi, who planned to use a pressure-cooker bomb to attack the Presidential Palace in 2016, but was arrested before she could do so.
“Those (household items) are also equally effective in killing people,” he added.
In Indonesia, the authorities also have to deal with another conundrum: Radicalisation taking place behind bars, partly due to the lack of capacity in the prisons.
The country’s 477 prisons are meant to house 125,000 inmates, but have ended up being crammed with more than 254,000 prisoners.
This has resulted in arrested jihadists being placed in the same cells as offenders of other crimes. “That’s where they influence the others,” said Dr Noor Huda.
In some parts of the country such as Solo, he noted that jihadists sit at the top of the moral hierarchy in prisons as they are regarded as “pure and enlightened”.
“So, what happens is that other prisoners will go to them for Islamic teaching, and they too get radicalised. For the jihadists conducting the teachings, they become more hardcore.”
The Indonesian authorities also have to grapple with the return of citizens who had taken part in foreign wars.
A study by the US-based non-profit organisation Soufan Center and the Global Strategy Network released last year tracked 5,600 fighters who had returned to their home countries.
Among them were 50 Indonesians.
Dr Noor Huda said that in areas such as the Indonesian city of Medan, the returning fighters would be welcomed as “mujahideen”, a title given to those who had engaged in jihad. They could then pass on their experience and the teaching they had received.
The release of extremists from prisons and back into society poses yet another threat.
Last week, the government of President Joko Widodo faced a backlash after it announced that the JI’s spiritual leader and mastermind of the Bali bombings, Abu Bakar Bashir, would be released early from prison on medical grounds. The Indonesian government later said it will review the issue.
There were concerns over the move as the 80-year-old ailing cleric is still regarded as influential, and could continue to inspire others to wage jihad.
Abu Bakar Bashir, who is considered the spiritual leader of the Islamist group Jemaah Islamiah, was convicted under anti-terrorism laws in 2010 for links to militant training camps in the province of Aceh, on the island of Sumatra, and jailed for 15 years.
Dr Najib said the announcement of Abu Bakar’s release comes at a politically sensitive time, as the Muslim-majority nation is preparing to elect its next president in April.
“But it could come at a cost, because those individuals could influence others to be radicalised,” he added.
“For Indonesia, the battle against terrorism is still ongoing and there are always new elements that we have to deal with.”
MALAYSIA: POROUS BORDERS A CHALLENGE
According to the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, 70 convicted extremists in Indonesia were released between January 2017 and August 2018.
More are expected to be freed by the end of this year.
Some came from the neighbouring countries of Indonesia and the Philippines. Others from as far as the Middle East. These foreigners entered Malaysia on work permits, and were later employed as labourers or construction workers.
While many were in Malaysia to earn an honest living, some others had nefarious intentions.
According to Malaysia’s authorities, 445 terror suspects had been arrested since 2013 and more than 120 of them — or over a quarter — were foreigners, some of whom were directly involved in a number of plots planned by extremists groups.
Since 2013, the authorities have thwarted 23 planned attacks, including a plot to launch an assault at the closing ceremony of the South-east Asian Games held in Kuala Lumpur in 2017.
However, in July 2016, Malaysia experienced its first successful ISIS attackafter a grenade blast wounded eight people at a nightclub in Selangor.
The Movida bar in Selangor, Malaysia after the grenade attack on June 28, 2016. Photo: Reuters
Prof Kamarulnizam of Universiti Utara Malaysia attributes the influx of such extremists to the country to the region’s porous borders as well as Malaysia’s openness in welcoming Muslims from other countries.
“It is easy to slip in and slip out. You can go to the Philippines through Sabah, for example,” he added.
“Extremists who come to Malaysia, they either stay here to plot attacks in the country, or they use Malaysia as a launching pad to other South-east Asian countries to carry out attacks.”
Ahmad El-Muhammady, a counterterrorism analyst at the International Islamic University Malaysia, said the country has seen fewer arrests since the peak of 2013 to 2016.
This, however, does not mean the “end of terrorism”, he cautioned.
“This is just a hibernation period,” said Mr El-Muhammady. “On the surface, it looks safe, but beneath it, extremists are secretly making plans and radicalising others.”
Even though the authorities have managed to crack down on terrorist networks such as JI, Al Qaeda or ISIS, analysts said they still pose a significant threat: Their ideologies are still floating around — whether online or offline — and are deeply entrenched in the minds of supporters and sympathisers.
“Total eradication of ideology is almost impossible. It can be tamed and ‘domesticated’, but not total eradication,” stressed Mr El-Muhammady.
Prof Kamarulnizam said that another worry is the return of Malaysians who had fought overseas. The study by Soufan Center and the Global Strategy Network estimated there were eight such fighters who had returned to Malaysia.
Ironically, the authorities had received personal requests from Malaysians who had fought in Syria, asking to be brought home, said Prof Kamarulnizam. They had burnt their passports after pledging allegiance to ISIS.
“Of course we cannot entertain them. The risk is too huge,” he added.
The situation in Malaysia, however, is not as bad as in Indonesia, said analysts. For instance, there has yet to be an entire family unit radicalised and plotting terror attacks, though Prof Kamarulnizam pointed out that there was a case of a family who had sold their land and used the money to travel to Syria.
Another issue of concern for Malaysia is “political radicalisation”, said analysts.
Mr El-Muhammady said it involves spreading exclusivist views where Muslims are told they cannot celebrate the festivals of other faiths and that they should not accept non-believers.
“It is a perfect ingredient for individuals to be led down the path of terrorism, when political radicalisation and terrorist radicalisation are merged together,” he added.
SINGAPORE: LINGERING COMPLACENCY
Like many other countries, Singapore faces the risk of home-grown, self-radicalised “lone actors”, the authorities have said.
Since 2015, a total of 22 radicalised Singaporeans have been dealt with under the Internal Security Act — double the number between 2007 and 2014, according to the Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2019.
Singapore is also not immune to having radicalised foreigners on its home turf. Since 2015, 14 radicalised Indonesian domestic workers have been repatriated after they were found to have been radicalised.
Last year, three Malaysian work-permit holders were arrested for their suspected involvement in terrorism-related activities. Two were allegedly involved in a Johor-based group linked to ISIS which was plotting attacks in Malaysia.
Dr Noor Huda said that domestic helpers working abroad are susceptible to radicalisation. They are alone in a foreign land with no friends and families. Muslim domestic helpers, in some instances, might also find it hard to reconcile working for non-Muslim employers.
One tactic employed by ISIS militants is to forge “romantic relationships” with the domestic helpers. Using various online platforms, they would target those searching for love.
Once romance is in the air, the radicalisation process begins. “Furthermore in Indonesia, marrying a religious man is seen as a step up,” said Dr Noor Huda, who recently organised a seminar on the issue for Indonesian domestic workers at the Indonesian Embassy.
Analysts said that Singaporeans’ attitudes towards terror-related issues are a source of concern.
“There’s still that thinking that terrorism is a Middle East problem. It will never happen here,” said Associate Professor Bilveer Singh of the National University of Singapore.
According to the MHA threat assessment report, a survey last year showed that 97 per cent of the respondents agreed that all Singaporeans have a role to play in preventing and dealing with a terror attack.
In addition, 60 per cent of the respondents recognised that Singapore is a target for terror attacks.
But there was also this finding: Only around 20 per cent felt that the threat is imminent, that an attack might occur in Singapore within the next five years.
Mr Faizal, the RSIS research fellow, said that “some complacency” still exists as “some Singaporeans may take our long period of peace for granted”.
He added: “But at the same time, it may also reflect that Singaporeans have a high level of confidence in our security agencies.”
MHA’s Senior Parliamentary Secretary Sun Xueling said that such a perception is “not completely unexpected”.
In an email response to TODAY’s queries, she noted: “Our security agencies have worked hard to keep the terror threat at bay, but therein lies the challenge of how to keep complacency at bay.”
As such, the Government is boosting its SGSecure efforts, a nationwide movement launched in 2016 to sensitise, train and mobile the society to prevent and deal with a terror attack, said Ms Sun.
Recently, she announced new initiatives under SGSecure, which include organising roadshows in suburban malls.
Ms Sun said ramping up SGSecure will “sustain the awareness amongst Singaporeans of the terror threat, and give more people the opportunity to pick up emergency preparedness skills”.
Asked whether SGSecure focuses more on preparing Singaporeans, and not so much on informing them of the different types of terrorism threats, she said that “being aware is an important first step, but it is not enough”.
SGSecure aims to prepare the community to collectively and effectively respond to such threats, and to an attack when it takes place, Ms Sun added.
In building an informed citizenry, Assoc Prof Singh noted that the Government could end up seen as being “too paranoid” if it puts out too much information.
Mr Faizal said that the authorities, in any case, should devise new ways to make the information attractive and easily digestible. They could do this based on current patterns of information consumption and themes that are currently popular.
He added: “We need different methods of communication to inform people of different ages, social groups and backgrounds.”
NTU Terrorism Expert Claims ISIS Supporters Identify Singapore As Part Of Their Territory!
ISIS Supporters Name Singapore As Their Territory
The recent slate of terror attacks around the world has Singapore’s terror threat level remaining at its highest in recent years, reported TODAY.
The severity of the situation has even prompted the Ministry of Home Affairs to release an unprecedented national terrorism threat assessment report on 1 June.
Given the arrest of two police auxiliary officers and an infant-care assistant for terrorism-related activities in Singapore, it seems no longer a question of if, but when our city-state will be victim to the inhumanity that is terrorism.
Aftermath of the recent London terrorist attack
Singapore Highly Susceptible To Terrorist Attacks
An article published by The Straits Times today (22 June) revealed some blood-curdling details about the terror situation on our little red dot.
Singapore has been singled out as part of the East Asia Wilayah by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) supporters.
Wilayah literally means an administrative division in Arabic.
Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar and Japan are the other countries which ISIS supporters claim are part of its East Asia territory.
Simply put, terrorists could be encouraged to carry out attacks in the aforementioned nations in the event they are unable to find their way to join the fight in the Middle East.
Jasminder Singh, a Senior Analyst with the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) gave his thoughts on self-radicalised individuals stepping foot into our East Asia region:
“For foreign fighters coming into the region, this gives them an idea of what they will be in for, and what the targets are.”
However, ISIS has not made an official declaration as to the precise territorial boundaries that the East Asia Wilayah will encompass.
Radicalised Individuals In Singapore
It appears the problem may be closer to home than one would expect.
About 2 weeks ago, Singapore detained its first female citizen for radicalism under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
22-year-old Syaikhah Izzah Zahrah Al Ansari, who used to be a contract infant-care assistant started her radicalisation in 2013.
She was propagandized by online content featuring ISIS.
Last month, two Singaporean auxiliary police officers were arrested for terrorism-related offences.
And over the years there have also been other cases of radicalised Singaporeans being detained.
Report Suspected Radicals
It’s best we heed the advice of the Ministry of Home Affairs:
“It is “imperative” for family members and friends to raise to the authorities anyone they suspect of being radicalised or who is planning terror activities, to make Singapore safer in the face of the heightened terrorism threat worldwide.”
Singapore hasn’t been hit by acts of terror for a considerable period of time and we may be taking our peace and security for granted.
Here’s a reminder for us to remain vigilant and report any terrorist-related activities.