NOVEMBER 22 — Introduction

Recently IGP Tan Sri Mohamed Fuzi Harun stated that seven terrorists were arrested in Sabah and all of them are members of the Abu Sayyaf group (ASG) which vigorously involved in kidnapping for ransom. One of the terrorists is known to have decapitation the hostages.

In addition, Sabah CPO Datuk Omar Mammah also pointed out that the members of ASG trying to hide in Sabah and in meantime other terrorist groups also pose security threat by using Sabah as a hiding place. The statements made by both the IGP and CPO indicated that terrorist groups like ASG, Al Qaeda, Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and ISIS already have support base in this country.

Additionally, a research firm has identified that an emergent number of Malaysians are supporting and be tolerance for terrorist activities in the name of religion.

How these terrorist groups are able to penetrate and influence the locals in this country? Do the supporters and sympathisers of these groups are willing to risk their safety and freedom by providing safe houses for these terrorists?

What had motivated them to support these terrorists whose intention to destroy this nation? Who has instigated them to act against Malaysia? What are the root causes which have influenced them to act in such a manner?

A few days ago, shortly after the Asean-US Summit, US Vice President Mike Pence agreed with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s narrative on terrorism that the root causes of terrorism need to be identified and resolved which will eliminate the threats posed by the terrorist groups globally.

Last September at the 73rd UN general Assembly, Dr Mahathir had stressed that terrorism could be resolved if the international community especially the West recognise Palestine as a sovereign state and preventing the Israel regime from murdering Palestinians.

By recognising Jerusalem as a capital of Israel by US President Donald Trump and its allies worsen the current efforts done by the international community to resolve this issue amiably.

Apart from that the fulfillments of the key agreements according to the Oslo Accords by the Israel and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) will be a paramount solution by recognising an independent state of Palestine and right of the Palestinians to self-determination which were in accordance with the UN’s Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.

Most of the Salafi Jihadism based terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda, ISIS, JI, Boko Haram, Hizbul Mujahideen, Al-Ashtar Brigades (AAB), Jama’at Nusrat al_Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and other similar groups are depicting the issue of Palestine as their main propaganda tool to recruit the potential terrorists.

These so-called terrorists are sympathising with the suffering of Palestinians initially and later with the indoctrination of hate preachers they become hardcore terrorists.

An Australian newspaper, Herald Sun recently reported that Amir Milson, a model once voted as the Malaysia’s Bachelor of the year was killed in Syria after he joined ISIS. As a young ordinary man who has world at his feet, Amir has died as a jihadist.

Where was he radicalised? Who were his acquaintances before he was radicalised? Did he attend a particular madrassah/surau/mosque? What has make him to transform himself as a jihadist? Did he attend any hate preaches’ sermons or talks?

I suspect Amir was brainwashed in the name of religion by his handlers who are posed as genuine religious teachers and preachers. These handlers/terrorists are disguised themselves as teachers and preachers. But actually they are hate preachers who willing destroy a nation to espouse their ideology.

They can be a serious threat to our national security if we as Malaysians are unwilling to recognise and ignore them because of the sensitivity. For hate preachers the rule of law is dubious and extraneous. They are indoctrinated with false ideology which was misinterpreted from religious text.

The current security dilemma confront by Malaysia is very much similar with the situation in United Kingdom now. Before the London bombing in 2005, the UK security forces through their network of intelligence received some information regarding with terrorist threats but failed to take the warning seriously.

The perception is changed utterly after the bombings in London. Later the investigation reports have indicated that the terrorists who are involved with such attacks have been indoctrinated the ideology of Salafism by the hate preachers.

These hate preachers who are wanted by Jordan and Egypt were given political asylum by UK and later they become the ideological masters for the present and future home grown terrorists in UK.

United Kingdom

The contemporary paradigm of global terrorist attacks is well linked with the hate preachers. The recent London and Manchester attacks are connected with the hate preachers in UK. The role of the hate preachers is to instigate their supporters and followers especially the young people and the converts to get involved with terrorist related activities.

Generally, these hate preachers disguised themselves as the innocent or genuine preachers but their motives will be unknown to their acquaintances. These preachers will filter and choose the listeners or followers by picking up the people who have committed a lot of “sins.”

They will not always have involved with attacks directly but rather as the inspirational figures to motivate and urge terrorists to commit the act.

The current UK security debacle is started many years ago. The influx of foreign radical hate preachers who are allowed to stay and continue their “noble” activities in UK is the primary cause of the current problem. The people who sanctioned these hate preachers to be in UK probably never anticipated such atrocities which took placed in London or in Manchester.

Most of them are policymakers who have no knowledge on security matters. In addition, they decide such delicate matters on the basis of human rights which is wrong approach to take on. These radical hate preachers can destroy a nation with help of people within.

Omar Bakri Muhammad and Mustafa Kamel Mustafa also known as Abu Hamza had been convicted for radicalising British born young persons and the new converts. Further, they play a crucial role to groom another local radical hate preacher, Anjem Choudary who is a former solicitor to continue their cause in UK.

Further, with the help of Omar, Anjem founded al-Muhajiroun. This organization was banned under the UK Terrorism Act 2000 because of its terrorist related activities. The Woolwich attacker Michael Adebolajo and Khuram Butt, the London Bridge terrorist, are associated with al-Muhajiroun.

All the current attacks that happened in UK directly or indirectly are connected to these hate preachers. Therefore, another such attack is imminent in UK. In addition, they have created sleeper cells throughout UK and these cells will be operated as a factory which will produce British born terrorists.

Even though in past, the UK security forces arrested and prosecuted successfully these terrorists but the attacks still occurred because of the influence of people like Omar, Abu Hamza and Anjem in UK.

Malaysia

Malaysia is not far from the UK’s security situation. The Malaysia security and intelligence forces have captured the suspected terrorists of ISIS, Al Qaeda and JI.

But in my opinion, the real threat pose by hate preachers and their supporters/sympathisers will be noxious. That’s because their appearance and conduct will encourage ordinary people to donate and much easier for them to recruit the potential terrorists.

Further the self-radicalised terrorists who are influenced by the hate radical preachers in Malaysia can create an austere security threat in near future. The present security dilemma in Malaysia is very much similar to the current situation in UK.

Even though this possibility is discounted now but the potential is still there. In addition, the change of government can be used by these hate preachers to instigate Malaysians in the name of religion by creating a hostile environment to conduct future terrorist attacks.

Since 1960s many radical groups like the Tentera Sabilullah (Holy War Army), the Golongan Rohaniah (Spiritual Group), the Koperasi Angkatan Revolusi Islam Malaysia (Malaysian Islamic Revolutionary Front-KARIM), the Kumpulan Crypto (Crypto Group), the Kumpulan Mohd Nasir Ismail (Mohd Nasir Ismail Group), the Kumpulan Revolusi Islam Ibrahim Libya (Ibrahim Libya Islamic Revolution Group), the Kumpulan Jundullah (Jundullah Group), the Kumpulan Mujahidin Kedah (Kedah Mujahidin Group), the Kumpulan Perjuangan Islam Perak (Perak Islamic Movement Group-KPIP), the Kumpulan Persaudaraan Ilmu dalam Al-Maunah (Brotherhood of AlMa’unah Inner Power), the Kumpulan Militan Malaysia (KMM) and the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) were activated in Malaysia.

Most of these groups were successfully crippled by the PDRM. Except for JI, the other groups lost their influence and support in Malaysia.

All of these groups either started or inspired by the teaching of radical religious teachers and hate preachers. The general goal of these militant groups is to create pure Islamic state and overthrow the government at the time.

JI is the most important terrorist organization in South-east Asia. This group is originated from Indonesia and started by two radical religious clerics, i.e. Abdullah Sungkar and Abu Bakar Ba’asyir. In 1980s both of them migrated to Malaysia because of the harsh treatment of Suharto regime.

They started off in Banting and later expanded their set-up to Kuala Pilah and Ulu Tiram. They conducted religious classes based on Salafi Jihadism ideology to establish Daulah Islamiyyah comprising of Malaysia, Indonesia, Southern Philippines, Singapore and Brunei.

The most infamous Malaysians from this group are Yazid Sufaat, Dr Azhari Hussin and Nordin Mohd Top. The first two terrorists are graduated from USA universities. Their transformation from western educated graduates to hardcore terrorists had perplexed many Malaysians.

Dr Azhari and Nordin Mohd Top heavily involved with terrorist activities in Indonesia like Bali Bombing in 2002. At one point of time both of them become the most wanted terrorists in South-east Asia.

After JI was incapacitated, ISIS become the most dangerous terrorist group in Malaysia. Zid Saharani Mohd, Lothfi Ariffin, Mohd Rafi Udin, Zainuri Kamaruddin and Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi were the important members of ISIS from Malaysia.

All of them are believed to be killed in Syria and Iraq while they are engaging with terrorist activities. Many of these terrorists are from KMM then to JI and finally ended up as the members of ISIS. Therefore, the role played by radical religious teachers and hate preachers to transform them as the hardcore terrorists need to take a serious notice by the intelligence and security forces in Malaysia.

Conclusion

The hate preachers are the source of inspiration to the terrorists globally because they are charismatic. They also have the capability to influence, manipulate and instigate the potential terrorists to launch the attacks by using false interpretations of the religion verses for their own benefit.

To eliminate the threat of these hate preachers, the root causes of terrorism need to be resolved. The Palestine issue need be settled perpetually. That’s because all the hate preachers are using this issue to get support from the general public and some members of public later become supporters/sympathisers/terrorists.

In conclusion, terrorism is not limited only to Muslims. In other faith believers’ terrorism do exist. It is not the fault of the religion or its believers. It is culpability of a small group of people who had misinterpreted the religious texts to gain power and fame.

They called themselves as teachers, clerics and preachers. They are egocentric people. They don’t believe in peace and harmony. They subscribed false ideology based on the misguided interpretations of the religious texts and brainwashed others to commit terrorist acts in the name of the religion.

In most cases, they themselves will not sacrificed for the cause but rather encourage others especially their students and supporters to do so.

Therefore, the security and intelligence agencies in Malaysia have a huge task ahead. They need to work relentlessly to counter any terrorist attacks in Malaysia. Further they also have to identify, monitor and deter these hate preachers from any gains or any stimulus within the Malaysian society.

In addition, the government through its religious agencies need to monitor the activities of these preachers and if they pose any threat to the national unity and security then they need to be reprimanded.

* R. Paneir Selvam is chairman of the Association of Legal and Policy Researcher.

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.