Singapore not immune from online extremism
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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 radicalism 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.”
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 in the Middle East has reportedly attracted several thousands of foreigners to join the fighting, giving rise to concerns that it could impact nations in the region.
When asked about the situation, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said last Friday that Singapore was carefully watching it.
With reports of Malaysians and Indonesians joining the fight in Syria, 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.
