Singaporean teen aimed to join ISIS or launch attacks here
Student, 19, detained under ISA; he even thought of assassinating leaders
By Wong Siew Ying, The Straits Times, 28 May 2015
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A SINGAPOREAN post-secondary student who made plans to join the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and carry out attacks here has been detained under the Internal Security Act since last month.
Student, 19, detained under ISA; he even thought of assassinating leaders
By Wong Siew Ying, The Straits Times, 28 May 2015
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement yesterday that M. Arifil Azim Putra Norja'i, 19, is the first known self-radicalised Singaporean to harbour the intention of carrying out violent attacks in Singapore.
His detention comes amid growing concern globally that young people are being radicalised by ISIS - increasingly via the Internet - to take up arms in Syria.
Over 20,000 foreign fighters have already joined the ongoing battle in Iraq and Syria, including more than 600 from South-east Asia, and the group has been gaining ground in its recruitment as it makes gains on the battlefield.
The MHA said Arifil revealed that if he was unable to join ISIS in Syria, he intended to carry out violent attacks here. "He gave considerable thought to how he would attack key facilities and assassinate government leaders.
"If he was unable to carry out these plans, he planned instead to carry out attacks in public places in order to strike fear within our society, using easily available weapons such as knives."
Meanwhile, another Singaporean youth, aged 17, was arrested this month for further investigation into the extent of his radicalisation. He was not named. The MHA said his family will be kept informed of the investigation.
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean said terrorism remains a serious global threat and the arrests showed that young people in Singapore are also vulnerable to being radicalised.
“Singapore too, faces real threats of radicalisation”: DPM Teo Chee Hean stresses that terrorism is also a problem that is close to home, following the arrest of two youths for terror-related activities. http://bit.ly/1BoAOnf
Posted by Channel NewsAsia Singapore on Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean said terrorism remains a serious global threat and the arrests showed that young people in Singapore are also vulnerable to being radicalised.
"It is not just a problem that is 'over there' in some other countries. It is also a problem that is 'over here', in our region, and in Singapore as well," he added.
The MHA said Arifil was radicalised around 2013 after he started viewing terrorist propaganda online and soon began to support ISIS' radical ideology and violent tactics.
He also befriended individuals online who he thought could help him join the group.
He actively looked up travel routes to Syria online and researched ways of making improvised explosive devices.
The MHA said Arifil's plans for attacks here were corroborated by several people whom he tried to recruit to help with the plans. While they were not swayed, they also did not alert the authorities.
"Fortunately, another person who knew Arifil noticed the changes in him and brought him to the attention of the authorities, who were then able to investigate... and take action before he could carry out his violent attack plans in Singapore," said the MHA.
Community leaders said they were shocked and dismayed at news of the plans and that more had to be done to ensure young people were not swayed by radical ideology.
Community leaders said they were shocked and dismayed at news of the plans and that more had to be done to ensure young people were not swayed by radical ideology.
Ustaz Ali Mohamed, co-chairman of the Religious Rehabilitation Group, which counsels terror detainees, said: "We need to post online moderate, correct messages... Some may believe what they view online because they themselves feel isolated or disaffected, so it's important that we try to engage and reintegrate them."
DPM Teo urged all communities in Singapore to continue to work together to counter radical ideology and preserve harmony.
"All of us must play our part. If you know or suspect anyone who is becoming radicalised, please notify the authorities early," he said.
"We must strengthen our community resilience, so that if an incident were to occur here, we can recover and emerge even stronger and more united."
“You will be able to save that person from harming himself and others”: DPM Teo Chee Hean urges the public to notify authorities if they suspect anyone of becoming radicalised. http://bit.ly/1BoAOnf
Posted by Channel NewsAsia Singapore on Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Ministers urge Singaporeans to raise the alarm early
The Straits Times, 28 May 2015
The Straits Times, 28 May 2015
TWO ministers yesterday called on Singaporeans to play their part and alert the authorities to potentially radicalised individuals early, in the wake of recent arrests.
"All of us must play our part. If you know or suspect anyone who is becoming radicalised, please notify the authorities early," Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean said.
Communications and Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said the recent discovery of youth seduced by radical ideology was "a reminder for us - parents, religious teachers, friends and community at large - to remain vigilant".
"We must do our utmost to reach out to young people who are in search of answers to problems confronting their generation," he added.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced that M. Arifil Azim Putra Norja'i, 19, was detained last month for planning to join ISIS, failing which he intended to carry out violent attacks here. Another radicalised student, 17, was arrested this month for further investigations.
It is never pleasant for me nor the community to find out that we have youths who have been seduced by radical...
Posted by Yaacob Ibrahim on Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Yesterday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced that M. Arifil Azim Putra Norja'i, 19, was detained last month for planning to join ISIS, failing which he intended to carry out violent attacks here. Another radicalised student, 17, was arrested this month for further investigations.
The MHA said that while Arifil had recruited several persons to help carry out his plans, they did not alert the authorities about him. Fortunately, another person who knew him noted that he had changed and reported him to the authorities.
Mr Edwin Tong, deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Home Affairs and Law, said the best defence against radicalisation of the young was in family members and friends "being close to them, knowing what they are reading online, and observing any change of behaviour".
The MHA said family members, colleagues and others have a role to play in protecting fellow Singaporeans from radicalisation.
This should be done early, so that they can get guidance, supervision and religious instruction. It said anyone who knows or suspects that a person is radicalised should call the ISD Counter-Terrorism Centre on 1800-2626-473 (1800-2626-ISD) promptly.
Muslims in Singapore are unique. My community is closely knitted, moderate and peace-loving. We guard the harmony...
Posted by Masagos Zulkifli on Wednesday, May 27, 2015
ISIS videos 'tailored to appeal to youth'
Experts also point to some young people feeling disconnected from society
By Jasmine Osada, The Straits Times, 28 May 2015
Experts also point to some young people feeling disconnected from society
By Jasmine Osada, The Straits Times, 28 May 2015
THE grisly video clips put out by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have shocked many, but they have also helped to radicalise a number of young people across the world, including here.
Yesterday, the detention of a 19-year-old Singapore student, radicalised after he started viewing terrorist propaganda online, once again drew attention to the question of why is it that some young individuals are attracted to such ideas.
In recent months, ISIS' gory footage has included the beheading of two Japanese hostages as well as a Jordanian pilot who was burned alive.
While the incidents drew widespread condemnation, there has nonetheless been a growing number of teens detected and detained for wanting to join ISIS in Syria and for plotting attacks elsewhere.
Academics and experts say the likely reasons behind the trend include a lack of maturity and the feeling of being disconnected from society, coupled with the easy availability and seductive quality of extremist material online.
"ISIS recruitment videos, like MTV videos, are made to look very attractive. Online content can be tailored to be very appealing to young people," said consultant psychiatrist Adrian Wang.
Dr Wang said teens who believe that they are not supported by society or who are disconnected from their communities and families can also find extremist ideology appealing as it gives them an opportunity to make a statement for themselves.
Subscribing to such ideology can also be a show of strength and a way for youth to push back against the society that they believe has left them out, he added.
Psychiatrist Brian Yeo noted that teens are also likely to find acceptance, solace and even guidance from radical groups online.
Such behaviour, he added, was similar to that of deviant groups, and was not limited to those claiming to be religiously right.
Because so much of ISIS' recruitment activity takes place online, it is easier for deceptive messages to be portrayed as the truth, as it is harder to verify what is true and what is not.
Said Dr Shashi Jayakumar, head of the Centre of Excellence for National Security at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS): "It is much easier to radicalise oneself through social media, rather than through a book or newspaper."
Some experts think that the problem may worsen.
Dr Yeo said that it is important that parents speak to their children about contentious issues, instead of rejecting them even when their opinions differ.
Parents can also let technology work to their advantage and stay ahead with online security solutions, said Mr Tan Yuh Woei, a senior director at Asean Symantec. One option is to use an Internet filter, which can limit access to certain sites and even monitor chats or instant messages.
But the nature of the Internet also means that online extremism may be hard to kill.
According to a BBC report in March, there are at least 46,000 Twitter accounts operating on behalf of ISIS. Youth are their most likely targets.
Said Dr Kumar Ramakrishna, head of policy studies at RSIS: "Unfortunately, this trend will likely increase largely because we have yet to effectively counter ISIS ideology."
Revelations on teen met with shock and dismay
Religious leaders call on community groups to join hands to engage youth
By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 28 May 2015
Religious leaders call on community groups to join hands to engage youth
By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 28 May 2015
THE latest revelations that a 19-year-old student was not only actively making plans to go to Syria to join the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), but was also thinking about carrying out violent acts on this island if he could not go, were greeted with shock and dismay by both Muslim and non-Muslim leaders yesterday.
What was even more worrying, they noted, was that M. Arifil Azim Putra Norja'i had tried to recruit several others to join him, and none had alerted the authorities about it.
Several Muslim leaders interviewed yesterday said community groups could get together to do more to engage young people, educate them about the danger of ISIS, and take the battle against the militant group online.
"Organisations here need to band together and make youth development their main agenda: What kind of values we teach, what kind of information we should be providing, and what kind of people we want our youngsters to be in the future," said Association of Muslim Professionals chairman Azmoon Ahmad.
While some groups have over the years adapted lessons from abroad on engaging young people, what is lacking is a national approach to youth outreach, said Mr Azmoon, who also chairs the Inter-Agency Aftercare Group (ACG). The ACG looks after the welfare of terror detainees' families and helps reintegrate the men into society upon their release.
Ustaz Ali Mohamed, co-chairman of the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), said organisations like the RRG and the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) had to redouble their community outreach to prevent further cases of self-radicalisation.
Noting that individuals who succumb to radical teachings online tend to have "a very shaky understanding of the religion", he said the community is looking at ways to amplify the correct interpretation of Islam online.
Mr Azmoon said: "We should make it as easy to access accurate information about Islam on the Internet as it is to find ISIS-related material."
Even as such moves are welcomed, ACG founding member Abdul Halim Kader felt the process of countering the misuse of religious concepts online has to start offline, at home and in class.
"We could look at reintroducing some form of religious education for secondary school students so they are clear about what is okay and what is not," said Mr Abdul Halim, who is also president of community group Taman Bacaan.
He also suggested that Muis could hand out leaflets on the danger of radical ideology to Muslim households and set up a hotline for parents worried about the online habits of their young to call.
One thing leaders said they were grateful for in Singapore was that those outside the Muslim community understood the challenges they faced and that radical teachings are not part of Islam but a distortion of the faith.
Christian and Buddhist religious leaders told The Straits Times that they stood in support of their Muslim counterparts.
"We have openly come out and said before that these radicals do not represent what Islam is about, and we know this, having built bridges with the Muslim community," said Reverend Kang Ho Soon, a pastor at Trinity Methodist Church and member of the Inter- Religious Organisation.
All Singaporeans have a responsibility to inform the authorities if anyone tries to radicalise them, no matter the religion being exploited, said Venerable Seck Kwang Phing, president of the Singapore Buddhist Federation.
"A terrorist act has nothing to do with religion. Such acts go against the teachings of all religions."
"A terrorist act has nothing to do with religion. Such acts go against the teachings of all religions."
JUST IN: Two Singaporeans, aged 19 and 17, have been arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA). One of them was planning terror attacks in Singapore. http://str.sg/UQr
Posted by The Straits Times on Wednesday, May 27, 2015
JUST IN: 2 self-radicalised Singaporean youths arrested, detained under Internal Security Act. One of them, 19, intended to carry out "violent attacks" in Singapore if he couldn't join #ISIS, said MHA.
Posted by Channel NewsAsia Singapore on Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Radicalisation of teens a worry
The Straits Times, 28 May 2015
The Straits Times, 28 May 2015
RECENT cases of teenagers who become radicalised online have drawn concern among security officials in the region and beyond.
In February this year, principal assistant director Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay of Malaysia's Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division warned that the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was trying to lure girls as young as 14 and 15 into becoming militant brides.
His remarks came as police detained a 14-year-old girl from Muar, Johor, who had been in contact with militants in Syria, before she could board a flight to Cairo that month. She was to marry a 22-year-old student and had tried to travel without her family's consent, The Star reported.
But others managed to leave for Syria undetected. They included university student Syamimi Faiqah, 20, who left last October and was reported to have been planning to marry a Malaysian fighter, a former member of a rock band.
In Britain, close school friends Amira Abase, 15, Shamima Begum, 15, and Kadiza Sultana, 16, were reported missing by their families in February and were later seen on closed-circuit television in Istanbul just before they left for Syria.
They are believed to have married ISIS fighters.
Here are recent cases of young people radicalised by ISIS who were detained in their countries:
Where: Austria
When: May 26, 2015
A 14-year-old Austrian boy who downloaded bomb-making plans to his PlayStation video game console was convicted of terrorism and sentenced to a two-year jail term.
The teen was accused of trying to bomb a Vienna train station and had allegedly been in contact with ISIS recruiters as well as Al-Qaeda supporters.
He had planned to carry out the attack before travelling to Syria to join ISIS, but was arrested last October.
Where: Canada
When: May 19, 2015
The Canadian authorities announced that 10 would-be militants were arrested over the weekend of May 16 and 17 at a Montreal airport as they were waiting to board a flight to Turkey. There, the teenagers planned to cross the border to neighbouring Syria, where they hoped to join ISIS. The youngest members of the group were only 15 years old, while their friends were no older than 18.
Where: Australia
When: April 18, 2015
Australian police arrested five teenagers in Melbourne linked to an alleged attack plan inspired by ISIS.
One of them, Sevdet Besim, 18, was charged with conspiring to commit a terrorist act on Anzac Day, a national day of remembrance that falls on April 25 and commemorates fallen Australian and New Zealand troops.
A 14-year-old boy in Britain was also arrested on the same day in connection with the planned attack.
Where: South Africa
When: April 5, 2015
A 15-year-old South African girl was pulled from a flight moments before leaving the country to join ISIS. Like the Canadian teenagers arrested in Montreal, the unnamed girl was also headed for Turkey, from where she allegedly planned to cross into Syria.
Three JI members released from detention
By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 28 May 2015
By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 28 May 2015
THREE Jemaah Islamiah (JI) members were released from detention last year after being assessed to determine that they no longer pose a security threat that requires preventive detention, the Ministry of Home Affairs said yesterday.
They were identified as Sahrudin Mohd Sapian, Mohamed Rafee Abdul Rahman and Mohamed Rashid Zainal Abidin.
Sahrudin and Rafee were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in February 2012.
At the time, Sahrudin was described as a pioneer member of the Singapore JI network, and Rafee as having provided logistical support for the regional JI network.
Both were found to have undergone terrorist training in Afghanistan in 2000. After being detained for about two years, Sahrudin and Rafee were released from detention and placed on Restriction Orders (ROs) in February last year.
ROs regulate an individual's movements, and require him to seek approval when changing jobs, for instance.
The third released JI member, Rashid, who had undergone terrorist training in the southern Philippines, was detained in May 2006.
The third released JI member, Rashid, who had undergone terrorist training in the southern Philippines, was detained in May 2006.
He was one of the five men involved in a failed 2002 plot to crash a plane into Changi Airport. He was released from detention and placed on RO in May last year.
Separately, ROs against five individuals were allowed to lapse between last June and April this year.
Of the five, four were JI members: Ab Wahab Ahmad, Syed Ibrahim, Ibrahim Mohd Noor and Jahpar Osman. The fifth was a self-radicalised individual, Muhammad Thahir Shaik Dawood.
All five men have been cooperative and responsive to rehabilitation efforts, the ministry said.
There are currently 10 persons in detention under the ISA, and another 19 people on ROs.
Separately, ROs against five individuals were allowed to lapse between last June and April this year.
Of the five, four were JI members: Ab Wahab Ahmad, Syed Ibrahim, Ibrahim Mohd Noor and Jahpar Osman. The fifth was a self-radicalised individual, Muhammad Thahir Shaik Dawood.
All five men have been cooperative and responsive to rehabilitation efforts, the ministry said.
There are currently 10 persons in detention under the ISA, and another 19 people on ROs.