Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim urged Singaporeans to beware of pro-ISIS materials online, one day after the Ministry of Home Affairs announced that 2 men and 1 woman here have been arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for radicalisation, yesterday.
The politician, who is also the Minister of Communication and Information as well as Minister-in-charge of Cyber security, revealed in a Facebook post yesterday that the three detainees were self-radicalised:
“The three new cases of self-radicalisation are another reminder that our community requires support and guidance from sound and credible religious sources.
“We cannot underestimate the influence exerted by online sources. Adzrul became radicalised through continued exposure to pro-ISIS materials and videos online. Amina, a housewife, was radicalised by a foreign online contact. She shared materials promoting terrorism on social media to influence others to support ISIS.”
The Minister also urged members of the Muslim community in Singapore to be very discerning of what they see online:
“I strongly urge the Muslim community in Singapore to seek religious knowledge from our ARS-accredited asatizah and be very discerning towards what you see on the Internet. Whether in the online sphere or in our local communities, we must continually look out for each other and seek help from Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS), the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), or the police if we see signs of radicalisation in our friends or loved ones. If we do not seek help, we do them and our community irreparable and grave harm should they act on their misguided beliefs.
“MUIS recently set up the Asatizah Youth Network (AYN) comprising young asatizah who can connect well with youths, online or offline. We want to develop their capabilities so that they provide a trusted and dependable first line to guide those seeking answers.”
Lastly, the Minister urged all Singaporeans – regardless of race or religion – to stand united and work together to protect the “peace and harmony we cherish in Singapore”:
“To fellow Singaporeans, regardless of race or religion, we must stand united. We must never let the actions of the misguided few define an entire community. Let us continue to work as one people in protecting the peace and harmony we cherish in Singapore.”
The three new cases of self-radicalisation are another reminder that our community requires support and guidance from…
Posted by Yaacob Ibrahim on Thursday, 9 November 2017
https://theindependent.sg.sg/mha-detains-2-men-and-1-woman-under-internal-security-act-for-radicalisation/