A 62-year-old woman is among three
Singaporeans facing restrictions for terror-related offences and support for
Islamic State, in a reflection of how the extremist group’s online
radicalisation effort is continuing despite the crumbling of its so-called
caliphate in Syria.
Production technician Rasidah Mazlan, 62,
was in contact with multiple foreign entities suspected of involvement in
terrorism-related activities, including supporters of ISIS, according to a
Tuesday statement from Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs.
“Investigations showed that Rasidah’s contacts
with these individuals were mainly driven by her deep sympathy for Muslims
suffering in overseas conflicts,” said the ministry, which issued her with a
restriction order that will see her monitored and prevented from travelling
abroad.
Professor Zachary Abuza of the
Washington-based National War College said Rasidah was “definitely the oldest
woman” radicalised online to be identified by authorities.
He said her case shed light on some of
Isis’ “propaganda techniques”, which involve multiple channels pushing
different messages to different audiences as well as the recruiting of
“influencers” to draw people to the group’s cause.
“One thing [Isis does] to target women or
Muslims in very moderate or prosperous states far from Iraq or Syria is to
focus on the suffering of Muslims in conflicts around the world,” said Abuza,
who specialises in counterterrorism and insurgencies in Southeast Asia.
“This connects them to the ummah [Muslim
community],” he said.
“Once people feel that connection, they are
much more susceptible to online radicalisation and recruitment.”
While Isis would not have any expectation
that a 62-year-old woman would join them in Iraq or Syria, Abuza said she could
play a key role as an influencer in her own community as “someone who could
inspire others to take up the struggle that she was not able to”.
The home ministry’s statement said a
40-year-old unemployed man, Imran Mahmood, was detained under the Internal
Security Act (ISA) in January, while a 39-year-old food delivery man, Mohamad
Fairuz Junaidi was given a restriction order.
.
Imran wanted to travel to Syria to fight
alongside ISIS. His radicalisation began in 2013 when he started listening to
online lectures by foreign religious preachers and became 'a strong supporter'
of ISIS’ violent objectives and actions, according to the ministry.
“Once people feel that connection, they are
much more susceptible to online radicalisation and recruitment.”
Fairuz was “emotionally affected” by
reports of killings of Sunni Muslims in Syria, and also considered travelling
there to join the militant group.
.
“Almost all radicalisation in Singapore is
done by individuals through social media. It is a country of lone wolves. There
is very little in the way of terrorist organisation, as the country is so small
and the security forces so well-resourced,” Abuza said.
.
Singapore’s Minister-in-Charge of Muslim
Affairs Masagos Zulkifli said the cases illustrate that there would always be
those who are vulnerable to radicalisation.
“Over the years, the Islamic Religious
Council of Singapore (MUIS) has stepped up both its online and offline
engagement to counter such ideologies,” Masagos wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.
Four Singaporean ISA detainees – three men
and one woman aged between 24 and 40 – were released in March and June.
According to the home ministry, the four
had shown good progress in their rehabilitation and no longer posed security the threat that required preventive detention.
Muslim affairs minister Masagos said the
Muslim community “must help” the former detainees reintegrate into society and
continue to look out and care for one another.
Said Abuza: “Singapore has the resources at
its disposal to engage in copious post-release monitoring, unlike Indonesia. It
still is a very cautious and overly conservative government when it comes to
security.
“So for them to release suspects really speaks
to the confidence, they have in their [rehabilitation] efforts.”
Credit: South China Morning Post – 25 June
2019
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