Serious The radicalization of Malaysian and Singapore Muslims

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Police smash IS terror cell in Malaysia with arrest of four

http://www.nst.com.my/news/2017/01/206759/police-smash-terror-cell-malaysia-arrest-four
23 January 2017 @ 8:05 PM

KUALA LUMPUR: The Special Branch’s Counter-Terrorism Division have smashed an Islamic State (IS) terrorist cell in Malaysia, with the arrest of four people. The four were arrested in a series of raids between Jan 13 and 19 in Kuala Lumpur and Sabah. The suspects, including a woman, were aged between 27 and 31. Announcing this today, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the arrests meant that police had effectively destroyed a new IS cell which had planned to turn Sabah into a transit station for Southeast Asia and South Asia terrorists to join a Philippines-based IS group led by Dr Mahmud Ahmad and Isnilon Hapilon. Dr Mahmud was a former Universiti Malaya lecturer who had joined IS militants based in the southern Philippines. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the cell, led by Dr Mahmud, had combined with an Abu Sayyaf group headed by Isnilon, which had pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakar Al Baghdadi. “Apart from Dr Mahmud, two other Malaysians, Amin Bacho (a member of the Darul Islam Sabah militant group) and Joraimee Awang had also joined the cell which operated out of Marawi City, Mindanao, Phillipines,” he said in a statement. The first arrest, involving a 31-year-old Filipino, was made in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on Jan 13. The man, who works as a watch seller, had received instructions from Dr Mahmud to recruit and arrange the infiltration of new IS members from Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Rohingya to the southern Philippines. From there, these operatives would form part of the IS terror group in Marawi City, Mindanao. The second suspect, meanwhile, is a 27-year-old Malaysian woman, who was arrested together in Kota Kinabalu with the Filipino man. The woman, who hails from Selangor had been recruited earlier this month through social media. She later confessed that she and the Filipino man had planned to marry. Police said the woman had departed from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Jan 13 to meet the Filipino in Kota Kinabalu, after which they had planned to fly to Sandakan before entering southern Philippines. The third and fourth suspects, both Bangladeshis aged 27 and 28, worked as salesman, and were arrested last Thursday in Kuala Lumpur. They were suspected of having ties to Bangladesh IS militants and were planning to join Dr Mahmud’s terror cell. 2582 reads Police arrested four suspects over alleged involvement in Islamic State activities. Pix courtesy of police. Some of the suspected were arrested in Kuala Lumpur and Sabah. Pix courtesy of police. A Malaysian woman was among those arrested. Pix courtesy of police. The raids were conducted between Jan 13 and Jan 19. Pix courtesy of police. Related stories RTD staff hacked to death in Pontian Widower murdered by parang-wielding robber in Pontian home MACC given ample room to act against the corrupt - DPM Nine-year-old girl among three nabbed for pushing drugs at Sandakan flats Kidnapping gang nabbed following abduction of Rawang company manager Shootout with Shah Alam police ends in death of "Geng Mamak" member Chase, shootout with JB police end in death of two suspected foreign criminals [VIDEO] JB police detain maid over alleged brutal stabbing of employer Sarawak police on hunt for FB user over "slanderous" Abang Johari post See politicians as legislators, not welfare officers, says Ideas' Wan Saiful Sports (Tennis) Serena beats Venus to set new Slams record MELBOURNE: Serena Williams rewrote history Saturday to surpass Steffi Graf and capture a record 23rd Grand Slam title as well as the world number one ranking by beating her sister Venus in the Australian Open final. 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Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2017/01/206759/police-smash-terror-cell-malaysia-arrest-four

KUALA LUMPUR: The Special Branch’s Counter-Terrorism Division have smashed an Islamic State (IS) terrorist cell in Malaysia, with the arrest of four people. The four were arrested in a series of raids between Jan 13 and 19 in Kuala Lumpur and Sabah. The suspects, including a woman, were aged between 27 and 31. Announcing this today, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the arrests meant that police had effectively destroyed a new IS cell which had planned to turn Sabah into a transit station for Southeast Asia and South Asia terrorists to join a Philippines-based IS group led by Dr Mahmud Ahmad and Isnilon Hapilon. Dr Mahmud was a former Universiti Malaya lecturer who had joined IS militants based in the southern Philippines. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the cell, led by Dr Mahmud, had combined with an Abu Sayyaf group headed by Isnilon, which had pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakar Al Baghdadi. “Apart from Dr Mahmud, two other Malaysians, Amin Bacho (a member of the Darul Islam Sabah militant group) and Joraimee Awang had also joined the cell which operated out of Marawi City, Mindanao, Phillipines,” he said in a statement. The first arrest, involving a 31-year-old Filipino, was made in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on Jan 13. The man, who works as a watch seller, had received instructions from Dr Mahmud to recruit and arrange the infiltration of new IS members from Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Rohingya to the southern Philippines. From there, these operatives would form part of the IS terror group in Marawi City, Mindanao. The second suspect, meanwhile, is a 27-year-old Malaysian woman, who was arrested together in Kota Kinabalu with the Filipino man. The woman, who hails from Selangor had been recruited earlier this month through social media. She later confessed that she and the Filipino man had planned to marry. Police said the woman had departed from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Jan 13 to meet the Filipino in Kota Kinabalu, after which they had planned to fly to Sandakan before entering southern Philippines. The third and fourth suspects, both Bangladeshis aged 27 and 28, worked as salesman, and were arrested last Thursday in Kuala Lumpur. They were suspected of having ties to Bangladesh IS militants and were planning to join Dr Mahmud’s terror cell. 2582 reads Police arrested four suspects over alleged involvement in Islamic State activities. Pix courtesy of police. Some of the suspected were arrested in Kuala Lumpur and Sabah. Pix courtesy of police. A Malaysian woman was among those arrested. Pix courtesy of police. The raids were conducted between Jan 13 and Jan 19. Pix courtesy of police. Related stories RTD staff hacked to death in Pontian Widower murdered by parang-wielding robber in Pontian home MACC given ample room to act against the corrupt - DPM Nine-year-old girl among three nabbed for pushing drugs at Sandakan flats Kidnapping gang nabbed following abduction of Rawang company manager Shootout with Shah Alam police ends in death of "Geng Mamak" member Chase, shootout with JB police end in death of two suspected foreign criminals [VIDEO] JB police detain maid over alleged brutal stabbing of employer Sarawak police on hunt for FB user over "slanderous" Abang Johari post See politicians as legislators, not welfare officers, says Ideas' Wan Saiful Sports (Tennis) Serena beats Venus to set new Slams record MELBOURNE: Serena Williams rewrote history Saturday to surpass Steffi Graf and capture a record 23rd Grand Slam title as well as the world number one ranking by beating her sister Venus in the Australian Open final. 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Zahid visits godmother in Hutan Melintang for CNY Lonely Chinese New Year for KL homeless More World Poachers poison, mutilate lions in South Africa: police JOHANNESBURG: South African police on Saturday said they had launched an investigation after several lions were found poisoned and beheaded in northern Limpopo province in recent months. France, Germany 'concerned' about Trump decisions: French FM Czech president backs Trump's anti-migrant steps More Business Sime Darby may raise RM27 billion from unit listings KUALA LUMPUR: Sime Darby Bhd could raise more than RM27 billion from the listings of its plantation and property companies while maintaining controlling stakes in them, analysts estimate. Cautious trading for RM against USD next week M'sians to spend 9 per cent more this CNY compared to 2016: UOB Bank More

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2017/01/206759/police-smash-terror-cell-malaysia-arrest-four

KUALA LUMPUR: The Special Branch’s Counter-Terrorism Division have smashed an Islamic State (IS) terrorist cell in Malaysia, with the arrest of four people. The four were arrested in a series of raids between Jan 13 and 19 in Kuala Lumpur and Sabah. The suspects, including a woman, were aged between 27 and 31. Announcing this today, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the arrests meant that police had effectively destroyed a new IS cell which had planned to turn Sabah into a transit station for Southeast Asia and South Asia terrorists to join a Philippines-based IS group led by Dr Mahmud Ahmad and Isnilon Hapilon. Dr Mahmud was a former Universiti Malaya lecturer who had joined IS militants based in the southern Philippines. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the cell, led by Dr Mahmud, had combined with an Abu Sayyaf group headed by Isnilon, which had pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakar Al Baghdadi. “Apart from Dr Mahmud, two other Malaysians, Amin Bacho (a member of the Darul Islam Sabah militant group) and Joraimee Awang had also joined the cell which operated out of Marawi City, Mindanao, Phillipines,” he said in a statement. The first arrest, involving a 31-year-old Filipino, was made in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on Jan 13. The man, who works as a watch seller, had received instructions from Dr Mahmud to recruit and arrange the infiltration of new IS members from Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Rohingya to the southern Philippines. From there, these operatives would form part of the IS terror group in Marawi City, Mindanao. The second suspect, meanwhile, is a 27-year-old Malaysian woman, who was arrested together in Kota Kinabalu with the Filipino man. The woman, who hails from Selangor had been recruited earlier this month through social media. She later confessed that she and the Filipino man had planned to marry. Police said the woman had departed from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Jan 13 to meet the Filipino in Kota Kinabalu, after which they had planned to fly to Sandakan before entering southern Philippines. The third and fourth suspects, both Bangladeshis aged 27 and 28, worked as salesman, and were arrested last Thursday in Kuala Lumpur. They were suspected of having ties to Bangladesh IS militants and were planning to join Dr Mahmud’s terror cell.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Special Branch’s Counter-Terrorism Division have smashed an Islamic State (IS) terrorist cell in Malaysia, with the arrest of four people. The four were arrested in a series of raids between Jan 13 and 19 in Kuala Lumpur and Sabah. The suspects, including a woman, were aged between 27 and 31. Announcing this today, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the arrests meant that police had effectively destroyed a new IS cell which had planned to turn Sabah into a transit station for Southeast Asia and South Asia terrorists to join a Philippines-based IS group led by Dr Mahmud Ahmad and Isnilon Hapilon. Dr Mahmud was a former Universiti Malaya lecturer who had joined IS militants based in the southern Philippines. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the cell, led by Dr Mahmud, had combined with an Abu Sayyaf group headed by Isnilon, which had pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakar Al Baghdadi. “Apart from Dr Mahmud, two other Malaysians, Amin Bacho (a member of the Darul Islam Sabah militant group) and Joraimee Awang had also joined the cell which operated out of Marawi City, Mindanao, Phillipines,” he said in a statement. The first arrest, involving a 31-year-old Filipino, was made in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on Jan 13. The man, who works as a watch seller, had received instructions from Dr Mahmud to recruit and arrange the infiltration of new IS members from Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Rohingya to the southern Philippines. From there, these operatives would form part of the IS terror group in Marawi City, Mindanao. The second suspect, meanwhile, is a 27-year-old Malaysian woman, who was arrested together in Kota Kinabalu with the Filipino man. The woman, who hails from Selangor had been recruited earlier this month through social media. She later confessed that she and the Filipino man had planned to marry. Police said the woman had departed from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Jan 13 to meet the Filipino in Kota Kinabalu, after which they had planned to fly to Sandakan before entering southern Philippines. The third and fourth suspects, both Bangladeshis aged 27 and 28, worked as salesman, and were arrested last Thursday in Kuala Lumpur. They were suspected of having ties to Bangladesh IS militants and were planning to join Dr Mahmud’s terror cell.

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2017/01/206759/police-smash-terror-cell-malaysia-arrest-four

KUALA LUMPUR: The Special Branch’s Counter-Terrorism Division have smashed an Islamic State (IS) terrorist cell in Malaysia, with the arrest of four people. The four were arrested in a series of raids between Jan 13 and 19 in Kuala Lumpur and Sabah. The suspects, including a woman, were aged between 27 and 31. Announcing this today, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the arrests meant that police had effectively destroyed a new IS cell which had planned to turn Sabah into a transit station for Southeast Asia and South Asia terrorists to join a Philippines-based IS group led by Dr Mahmud Ahmad and Isnilon Hapilon. Dr Mahmud was a former Universiti Malaya lecturer who had joined IS militants based in the southern Philippines. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the cell, led by Dr Mahmud, had combined with an Abu Sayyaf group headed by Isnilon, which had pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakar Al Baghdadi. “Apart from Dr Mahmud, two other Malaysians, Amin Bacho (a member of the Darul Islam Sabah militant group) and Joraimee Awang had also joined the cell which operated out of Marawi City, Mindanao, Phillipines,” he said in a statement. The first arrest, involving a 31-year-old Filipino, was made in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on Jan 13. The man, who works as a watch seller, had received instructions from Dr Mahmud to recruit and arrange the infiltration of new IS members from Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Rohingya to the southern Philippines. From there, these operatives would form part of the IS terror group in Marawi City, Mindanao. The second suspect, meanwhile, is a 27-year-old Malaysian woman, who was arrested together in Kota Kinabalu with the Filipino man. The woman, who hails from Selangor had been recruited earlier this month through social media. She later confessed that she and the Filipino man had planned to marry. Police said the woman had departed from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Jan 13 to meet the Filipino in Kota Kinabalu, after which they had planned to fly to Sandakan before entering southern Philippines. The third and fourth suspects, both Bangladeshis aged 27 and 28, worked as salesman, and were arrested last Thursday in Kuala Lumpur. They were suspected of having ties to Bangladesh IS militants and were planning to join Dr Mahmud’s terror cell.

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2017/01/206759/police-smash-terror-cell-malaysia-arrest-four

KUALA LUMPUR: The Special Branch’s Counter-Terrorism Division have smashed an Islamic State (IS) terrorist cell in Malaysia, with the arrest of four people. The four were arrested in a series of raids between Jan 13 and 19 in Kuala Lumpur and Sabah. The suspects, including a woman, were aged between 27 and 31. Announcing this today, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the arrests meant that police had effectively destroyed a new IS cell which had planned to turn Sabah into a transit station for Southeast Asia and South Asia terrorists to join a Philippines-based IS group led by Dr Mahmud Ahmad and Isnilon Hapilon. Dr Mahmud was a former Universiti Malaya lecturer who had joined IS militants based in the southern Philippines. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the cell, led by Dr Mahmud, had combined with an Abu Sayyaf group headed by Isnilon, which had pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakar Al Baghdadi. “Apart from Dr Mahmud, two other Malaysians, Amin Bacho (a member of the Darul Islam Sabah militant group) and Joraimee Awang had also joined the cell which operated out of Marawi City, Mindanao, Phillipines,” he said in a statement. The first arrest, involving a 31-year-old Filipino, was made in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on Jan 13. The man, who works as a watch seller, had received instructions from Dr Mahmud to recruit and arrange the infiltration of new IS members from Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Rohingya to the southern Philippines. From there, these operatives would form part of the IS terror group in Marawi City, Mindanao. The second suspect, meanwhile, is a 27-year-old Malaysian woman, who was arrested together in Kota Kinabalu with the Filipino man. The woman, who hails from Selangor had been recruited earlier this month through social media. She later confessed that she and the Filipino man had planned to marry. Police said the woman had departed from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Jan 13 to meet the Filipino in Kota Kinabalu, after which they had planned to fly to Sandakan before entering southern Philippines. The third and fourth suspects, both Bangladeshis aged 27 and 28, worked as salesman, and were arrested last Thursday in Kuala Lumpur. They were suspected of having ties to Bangladesh IS militants and were planning to join Dr Mahmud’s terror cell.

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2017/01/206759/police-smash-terror-cell-malaysia-arrest-four


KUALA LUMPUR: The Special Branch’s Counter-Terrorism Division have smashed an Islamic State (IS) terrorist cell in Malaysia, with the arrest of four people. The four were arrested in a series of raids between Jan 13 and 19 in Kuala Lumpur and Sabah. The suspects, including a woman, were aged between 27 and 31. Announcing this today, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the arrests meant that police had effectively destroyed a new IS cell which had planned to turn Sabah into a transit station for Southeast Asia and South Asia terrorists to join a Philippines-based IS group led by Dr Mahmud Ahmad and Isnilon Hapilon. Dr Mahmud was a former Universiti Malaya lecturer who had joined IS militants based in the southern Philippines. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the cell, led by Dr Mahmud, had combined with an Abu Sayyaf group headed by Isnilon, which had pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakar Al Baghdadi. “Apart from Dr Mahmud, two other Malaysians, Amin Bacho (a member of the Darul Islam Sabah militant group) and Joraimee Awang had also joined the cell which operated out of Marawi City, Mindanao, Phillipines,” he said in a statement. The first arrest, involving a 31-year-old Filipino, was made in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on Jan 13. The man, who works as a watch seller, had received instructions from Dr Mahmud to recruit and arrange the infiltration of new IS members from Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Rohingya to the southern Philippines. From there, these operatives would form part of the IS terror group in Marawi City, Mindanao. The second suspect, meanwhile, is a 27-year-old Malaysian woman, who was arrested together in Kota Kinabalu with the Filipino man. The woman, who hails from Selangor had been recruited earlier this month through social media. She later confessed that she and the Filipino man had planned to marry. Police said the woman had departed from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Jan 13 to meet the Filipino in Kota Kinabalu, after which they had planned to fly to Sandakan before entering southern Philippines. The third and fourth suspects, both Bangladeshis aged 27 and 28, worked as salesman, and were arrested last Thursday in Kuala Lumpur. They were suspected of having ties to Bangladesh IS militants and were planning to join Dr Mahmud’s terror cell.

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2017/01/206759/police-smash-terror-cell-malaysia-arrest-four

 

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[h=1]Malaysia's Muslims grapple with being 'good enough', as conservative voices get strident[/h]

KUALA LUMPUR: Shereen Ezaini wears a hijab when she goes out, observes the five pillars of Islam such as fasting and praying five times a day, and plans one day to go on the Haj. It is, in the 29-year-old's own words, "living life the way a Muslim's life should be".


But somehow, that just is not good enough in the eyes of some fellow Malaysian Muslims.

Remembering her days at university in 2009, the young mother of two said: “I was at a lecture wearing jeans, and I remember my lecturer, she told me that I am not being ‘Muslim enough’. The blouse that I was wearing fell to my knees.”

Looking incredulous, she continued: “I am not ‘Muslim enough’ because I am wearing jeans? Or I am not Muslim enough because I am drinking Starbucks?”

THE FUSS

With a rising tide of moral policing and debate over what is halal (permissible in Islam) and haram (forbidden in Islam) in recent years, Ms Shereen is not the only Muslim in Malaysia who has heard such criticism, or felt somehow pressured by the voices of religious fundamentalism.

In 2015, concerns about growing conservatism made headlines when security guards at some government buildings went overboard in trying to enforce dress codes even on non-Muslim women. That same year, multi-medalled gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Hadi was criticised by religious authorities and conservative netizens because she wore a “revealing” leotard.

In 2016, Auntie Anne’s, a pretzel chain that has been operating in Malaysia for years, had issues with its halal food certification because of - among other technicalities - a menu item named a “pretzel dog”.

[h=3]Gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Hadi was criticised for wearing a "revealing" leotard at the SEA Games in Singapore.[/h]​

And during the Pokemon Go hype, the mufti of Federal Territories, Zulkifli Mohamad al-Bakri, declared that it was haram for Muslims to play the augmented-reality game. Just this past Valentine’s Day, the National Muslim Youth Association warned women to stay away from using emoticons and too much fragrance.

Ms Shereen sees such events as making a fuss over the “trivial”. “Malay Muslims tend to focus on unnecessary things, for example, the ‘I Want To Touch A Dog’ programme'; so many unimportant issues they are taking very seriously,” she said.

 

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CAUSE FOR CONCERN?

But, couple this trend with the number of Malaysians arrested for suspected terror links, and political campaigning that has turned to Islam to woo and retain the Malay vote, and many worry that moderate-Muslim Malaysia - once a beacon of religious pluralism and tolerance - is shifting inexorably towards a stricter, more fundamentalist Islam.

According to Pew Research Centre’s Global Attitudes survey 2015, 11 per cent of people in Malaysia held favourable views of ISIS, and nearly a quarter were unsure of their views - this despite the Malaysian government declaring ISIS a terrorist organisation.

Is sympathy for a more extreme view of Islam creeping into the mainstream in Malaysia?

“No,” insists GrabCar driver Zeli Amat, during a drive through downtown Kuala Lumpur. The former businessman said he has moved house some “20 times” around Malaysia. “I have lived in so many neighbourhoods. The sentiment on the ground is still good. There is no strong focus on extremist ideologies.”

Mr Zeli, 45, believes Malaysian Muslims are merely becoming more observant of Islam. He himself reconnected with his faith after what he admits was a secular life filled with mistakes. “I can see the Islamic values getting stronger. A lot more people are wearing the hijab, a lot more people are going to the mosque,” he said.

But Mr Asyraf Ismayatim is less prosaic. A Masters student of political science at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), he has been monitoring chatrooms, student forums and blogs. He feels the university culture take on a more “conservative slant” over the years.

“There are hardline comments from foreign-exchange students who reject integration, comments that female students’ clothes are too tight. Even on the IIUM Facebook page, there are some ultra-conservative comments surfacing,” he said.

IIUM lecturer Ahmad El-Muhamady, whose field is political violence and terrorism, says, that more and more, Malaysian Muslims are using “signifiers of Islam” to pass judgement on one another.

“What are the criteria that we can use to say that you are ‘Muslim enough’? It could be your dress code, it could be the interaction between genders, or it could be (that) if you are educated in the UK or the US, you are less Islamic than me because I studied in the Middle East and am more educated in religious matters,” he said.

 

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THE MALAY-MUSLIM IDENTITY STRUGGLE

It’s this struggle with the question of “what is a good Malay-Muslim”, or “what does it mean to be Muslim in Malaysia”, that lies at the heart of Malaysian society today, some observers believe.

Research interviews among young people aged between 18 and 35, conducted by not-for-profit research centre IMAN, reveal that many are grappling with their Malay-Muslim identity.

If you want to identify with being a proud Malay, said IMAN founding member Dina Zaman, “there will be those who say we are lazy and we are this and that”. “The only (other) identity we have is to be Muslim, but we also have issues being Muslim because ‘we are not good enough’,” she added.

Ms Dina, a former journalist and published author, cited the issue of whether Muslims should be wishing Christians a merry Christmas as an example of how edicts, guidelines and fatwas can sometimes be confusing for Muslims.

“The Federal Territories’ mufti said that it is okay to wish Christians, so I forwarded it to my mother, who then forwarded it to her friends,” said Ms Dina. “She said all the aunties were very confused, saying ‘our ustaz (Muslim scholar) says we cannot wish people Merry Christmas’.

“The mufti says this, another person says that, what is what, who do we follow? Everybody has their own opinion.”
This state of equivocation and identity confusion is exactly what extremists do best at exploiting, according to Mr Ahmad. As an advisor to Malaysian police’s special rehabilitation programme, he has spent years counselling militant detainees.

The more-than-200 suspects currently detained are proof of the illiberal portion of Malaysian society, “but at the same time, we have the so-called liberal side of society and the moderate side of society”, he said.

“So, as young people who are just coming out from the university, they look at this society and ask, ‘What is going on and which route do I take?’ They are coming to a crossroad.”

At this juncture is where the extremists come in ready with answers - a “specific world view” about how Islam should be practised in daily life, disseminated via digital media.

“(Democracy) has been hijacked by certain groups trying to impose their values upon others. This is the phenomena (where) groups of people might say, ‘I don’t think that you are Muslim enough’,” he said.

 

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ONE YOUTH’S TUSSLE WITH ‘JIHAD’

Hamzah Nazari knows what it is like to grapple with “being a good enough Muslim” - so much so that he once hoped to die in jihad as a martyr.

The 31-year-old former political journalist’s half-Malay, half-English racial heritage meant he found it hard to fit in in his early years at an all-Malay high school.

“As a 13-year-old, it was very confusing. I stuck out like a sore thumb. And in high school, we learnt how Malaysia was colonised by the British,” he said. “I got called anjing penjanjah, which means colonial dog, and I got into a lot of fights.”
Growing up with a very religious father in a conservative Muslim family, Mr Hamzah was seven when his dad told him about the conflict in Palestine and explained jihad to him. “I responded that we should go there and help them and if we die, we go to heaven. I told my mum (about it) and she was not very happy.”

Mr Hamzah spent much of his teenage years apart from his father, and says he would have been a prime target for radicalisation. Not having been taught the meaning behind the teachings of Islam “left space for me to misunderstand a lot of things”.

“When I was a young man in my 20s, I was not a very good person and I was less of a good Muslim then. I was worried about whether or not I would go to heaven,” he said. “So my friends and I were hanging out and discussing how to go to heaven, like this was a real issue for us, looking for a way to die in jihad.”

Mr Hamzah carried that with him until about two years ago, when he was sent to Palestine as a reporter in Gaza. “I believed what I was doing (reporting the news) was a good thing … I had gone there hoping to die, when in actual fact, that is not what jihad means,” he said.

These days, he strives to be a good Muslim by “being a good son, a good brother, employee, a good member of society, being helpful and being peaceful, and being a good example to other people”, he says.
But there are challenges. Mr Hamzah says he can sometimes see why one might be “pulled to one side or the other”. “You have your extremist Muslims or your ‘very conservative Muslims’, so to speak. And you have your very liberal and secular people.

“What they have in common is that they only think that there are only two sides to the conversation. And they believe that there is no middle ground. So what I see is that there is a very large middle ground, but it is very silent.”

That wide grey area, he adds with a smile, is where he finds himself these days.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...rapple-with-being-good-enough-as/3531578.html

 

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MOSQUES: A ‘DON’T QUESTION’ CULTURE?

Writer and human rights activist Marina Mahathir isn’t alone in believing that many Muslims, like Mr Hamzah, lack guidance.

Said Ms Marina: “You know it is really odd, because most Malay Muslims grow up with a lot of so-called religious education. All of us are taught to read the Quran.

“But what does not happen is an understanding of the ethics and principles of Islam. It is very rote. You know all the rituals, the basic lore and all that. But you do not fully understand the ethics of it, and that is the problem.”
Indeed, this reporter’s discussion with Grab driver Mr Zeli appeared to spark certain questions in his mind, because he decided to approach the second imam (worship leader) after performing his Friday prayers at a mosque in Damansara.

What, Mr Zeli asked - among other things - was his sense of the personal problems faced by Muslims in modern Malaysia?

Muhammad Syafiq Alhamdan, a young man in his 20s who has been an imam for two years after reading Islam at university, said his worry was that young Muslims were being corrupted by modernity and globalisation.

Pausing for a long while to reflect on the question, he said: “What is hindering them (from being good Muslims) is their clothes. Girls these days, when they wear the baju kurung, we can see their silhouette from the back. So that is not good. It is sad.”

It is views like this that make Mr Zeli feel a certain disconnect with how his mosque approaches real-world issues, he admitted afterwards.

“The mosque is not being the focal point for people to seek advice. They are not creating a friendly environment. It is still about, ‘Oh, you cannot do this or you cannot do that,’” he said.

Mr Hamzah calls this a culture of “don’t question” which is common in the Muslim community.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...rapple-with-being-good-enough-as/3531578.html

 

[Devil Within]

"Islam does NOT mean peace" Muslim sets the record straight
[video=youtube;9vDXRwIGB0c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vDXRwIGB0c[/video]

 

[duluxe]

[h=1]Cease your antics and repent, FT mufti tells Raja Bomoh[/h]

| March 18, 2017
His rituals go against the teachings of Islam while his videos will make Malaysia a laughing stock, says Zulkifli Mohamad.

PETALING JAYA: The Federal Territories mufti has exhorted the man known as Raja Bomoh Dunia to stop his quasi-religious antics that do not only go against the teachings of Islam but also make the religion and the country a laughing stock in the eyes of the world.
On the FT mufti’s website today, Zulkifli Mohamad told the bomoh to repent and urged him to return to the path of Islam.
This came after Ibrahim Mat Zin, better known as Raja Bomoh, declared early this week that he would protect Malaysia from the nuclear might of North Korea after the two countries fell out over the murder investigation of North Korean Kim Jong Nam.
The performance of the ritual, which Raja Bomoh said would soften the heart of the North Korean leader, was captured on video, and has since gone viral.
In the video, Rajah Bomoh recited prayers attended by his three assistants, armed with coconuts, bamboo, sticks, a carpet and a bowl of seawater.
The FT mufti condemned the ritual as bordering on mysticism and said such practices must be stopped.
“We strictly state that the shamanic practices done by Ibrahim Mat Zin are ‘bid’ah’ that must be stopped,” he said in today’s statement.
“Bid’ah” refers to forbidden innovations introduced after the time of Prophet Muhammad.


“We take this opportunity to urge Datuk Ibrahim Mat Zin to return to the true path of Islam and repent to Allah,” said the mufti.
The mufti also advised Raja Bomoh to consult the official religious bodies such as Jakim before performing acts that were linked to religion.
Raja Bomoh has appeared on numerous occasions in the past to “save the day” with his brand of magic.
In 2014, he announced he was going to Australia to help the search and rescue team find the missing MH370. In a video post, he said his bamboo telescope had revealed to him that the 239 passengers and crew were to be found on three islands in either in Australia or the United States.
The same year, following the death of DAP leader Karpal Singh in a road accident, Rajah Bomoh released a video of himself performing a ritual at the spot on the North-South Expressway where Karpal met his death.
In the video, he claimed the spot was notorious for ghost sightings and fatal accidents.
“On this stretch, people have reported seeing headless humans and apparitions of animals such as elephants, lions and cows.
“There is a need for the North South Expressway and the East Coast Expressway to be neutralised,” he said.
This is also not the first time he has raised the ire of the Malaysian religious authorities, who declared his practices “haram” following his famous appearances at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, where he conducted ceremonies to help locate MH370.
Earlier this week, Perak deputy mufti Zamri Hashim said a fatwa had been issued declaring Raja Bomoh’s rituals as “haram”.

 

[cocobobo]

Muslim this Muslim that. Solution: lets all be muslims so there are no more conflicts. Problem solved. Well... maybe there will be some conflicts. Eg the teachings of sheik sammyboy may not be very mainstream

 

[desmondquek]

The newer religions are often the worst.