Religious leaders and academics have
cautioned that Singapore is not immune from extremists using the Internet to
influence and recruit foreign fighters to join conflicts in Iraq and Syria.
But
they said Singapore's experiences in tackling the threat of radicalisation and
extremist ideologies should help stave off the danger of some Muslims in
Singapore being influenced to join the causes in the Middle East.
Research
fellow Fanar Haddad, at the National University of Singapore's Middle East
Institute, said: "It is worrying that sectarian entrenchment and sectarian
hate emanating from the Syrian and Iraqi conflicts have had an echo as far away
as Southeast Asia, though thankfully not in Singapore."
Dr
Haddad also said it was important to note that differences in beliefs are not
what fuelled the tensions in Iraq. "The real drivers of sectarian tensions
in Iraq are issues of power, politics and representation," he pointed out.
The
conflict between Sunni and Shia Muslims in the Middle East have reportedly
attracted several thousands of foreigners to join the fighting, giving rise to
concerns that it could impact nations in this part of the world.
In
Iraq, an extremist Sunni group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is
trying to carve out a purist Islamic state on both sides of the Syria-Iraq
border.
When
asked about the situation, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said last Friday that
Singapore was carefully watching it.
"You
may think it's a long way away, but things in the Middle East have a way of
sending out long-distance vibrations and reverberations which can affect us in
Southeast Asia," he added.
With
reports of Malaysians and Indonesians joining the fight in Syria, PM Lee
cautioned that there was a chance Singaporeans might also be led astray.
He said
the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, or Muis, has issued statements to
guide Muslims on the right path.
Mufti
Fatris Bakaram has also stressed the importance of education in preventing
religious misinterpretation.
In an
April interview, he said it was crucial for Singapore Muslims to be able to
discern what is being said online about the conflicts.
Meanwhile,
the home affairs Ministry is investigating a 37- year-old Singaporean, Haja
Fakkurudeen Usman Ali, for allegedly going to Syria to take part in armed
violence there.
A
former Indian national, he became a Singapore citizen in 2008.
Self-radicalisation,
however, is a real possibility, said Dr Haddad.
"The
twisted jihadi ideology has proven attractive to young Muslims from just about
every walk of life and every part of the world, so there are no hard and fast
rules about who is liable to become radicalised and who is not."
Still,
Singapore's economic situation, social cohesion and levels of tolerance help
reduce the risk of violent extremism, he added.
Agreeing
with the Mufti, Dr Mohamed Ali, secretary of the Religious Rehabilitation Group
which counsels extremists, said the best way to prevent self-radicalisation is
through education.
The
group's work has given the community valuable experience in dealing with
extremist ideology, he said.
The
Singapore Muslim community understands the threat well, "but we must to
continue to prevent the occurrence of religious misinterpretation and
self-radicalisation", added Dr Mohamed, a research fellow at Nanyang
Technological University's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
Worries
that the political strife between Sunni and Shia Muslims could raise tensions
among Muslim groups in Singapore are also unwarranted, the experts said.
Most of
Singapore's 700,000 or so Muslims are Sunni. About 5,000 are Shia Muslims.
Ba'alwi
Mosque's Imam Habib Hassan, a Sunni, said the two groups have prayed, lived and
inter-married without fuss or fanfare in Singapore for more than 100 years, he
said. "We identify ourselves as one," he added.
Agreeing,
Ustaz Mohammad Rosli Hassan, president of Shia organisation Jaafari Muslim
Association Singapore, said "people living here are more educated,
peaceful, harmonious and civilised".
More
importantly, he added, the government is secular and "we trust it is
capable of tackling any extremist group or individual"
Maryam
Mokhtar and Nur Ashyiqin Mohamad Salleh
Business & Investment Opportunities
Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd (SBC) is incorporated
in Singapore since 1994.
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