Latest ISA detentions ‘a wake-up call’ to dangers posed by influencers

SINGAPORE — The latest round of detentions and orders over terrorism-related activities — particularly that of Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff who had helped radicalise two others — is a wake-up call for Singaporeans, with some terrorism experts noting that increasingly, the threat of terror is not only physical, but also ideological.

Those who preach extremist views are as dangerous as the radicals who execute acts of terror, if not more so, said the experts, who also highlighted the need for the community to stay vigilant given the growing success of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria’s (Isis) efforts at online radicalisation.

Referring to the latest round of detentions as an “important wake-up call”, Assistant Professor Mohamed Nawab Mohamed Osman, from Nanyang Technological University’s S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), noted that those who espouse these marginal views tend to dominate the online space.

“Perhaps it’s time for mainstream Muslims to speak out against such people ... there is a need for them to counter such supposed influences. Because if you don’t, it quite clearly can be dangerous for society,” he said.

Compared to those who undertake violence themselves, Dr Nawab said these influencers have the potential to influence many more people to carry out violent attacks.

“What is worse about influencers sometimes is that they might not be as honest or as open about their intentions and could utilise various platforms to (propagate) their ideas,” he added.

In a statement issued on Friday (July 29), the Ministry of Home Affairs revealed that, Zulfikar, 44, had used social media to propagate and spread his radical messages, which influenced at least two other Singaporeans.

Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said the “influencers” who motivate others to go out and kill are “even more dangerous” than those who carry out the acts of killing because they can brainwash a perfectly normal individual and turn him or her into a terrorist.

RSIS Associate Professor Kumar Ramakrishna said these influencers create a psychological climate of extreme intolerance that is a key factor in influencing others to do the actual killing. This phenomenon can also be found in other countries such as radical preachers Anjem Choudary in the United Kingdom and Musa Cerantonio from Australia, he noted.

Vice-chairman of the Religious Rehabilitation Group Mohamed Ali said Singapore faces a bigger challenge from the ideological threat posed by Isis, and many remain unaware that the “threat has become very serious”.

“The strength of Isis lies not only in the territories and their capabilities to mount attacks, but ... in their ability to use the media platform, especially the social media, to indoctrinate, to influence young individuals across the globe,” said Dr Mohamed, who is also an Assistant Professor with RSIS.

While it is impossible to stop online radicalisation from taking place as it has been around for many years, people can still prevent it, he said, adding that the remedy is to have a critical mind and to constantly educate the community.

Noting that the fight against radicalisation is not one that the authorities can do by themselves, RSIS Associate Professor Alan Chong said individuals should be attentive to what happens within their social circles.

“Again, this is not an open call to witch-hunt. But it’s about just keeping your eyes and ears open to people who are suddenly withdrawing from normal social context and starting to take a very different view of the world,” he added.