AUGUST 22 ― Indiscriminate murder, public beheadings and systematic starvation are all features of the Islamic State’s (formerly known as ISIS) campaign to resurrect a medieval-style caliphate across large swathes of Syria and Iraq. Between January and July this year, the UN reports that an estimated 5,500 civilians have been killed and a further 11,665 wounded. Videos circulating the Internet show civilians and soldiers beheaded even after being forcibly converted to Islam, with children as young as seven photographed holding the remains of these severed heads. Where is the mass outcry against the systematic kidnapping, torture and rape of Iraqi Yazidi women? Where are the co-ordinated marches against the large number of children being recruited by ISIS as soldiers? Why are there no popular calls for an end to the genocide being waged by these Sunni Muslim militants? Thousands of Malaysian Muslims have taken to the streets to call for an end to the slaughter of innocent people in Palestine, with groups like Perkasa openly torching Israeli and US flags. Yet there has been nothing like the same level of outrage over the senseless savagery of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. This is pure hypocrisy and double standards from Malaysian Muslims. The silence from both our leaders and the public speaks volumes. It makes one suspect that the anger toward Israel is rooted more in anti-Semitism than in any real concern over the plight of the Palestinians. Because if we truly were concerned about human rights abuses against fellow Muslims, the protests against ISIS would be just as loud and visible, if not more so. Malaysians should be all the more concerned because the ISIS threat is a homegrown one. Last May, Ahmad Tarmimi Maliki had the dubious honour of being celebrated by ISIS as Malaysia’s first suicide bomber. The 26-year-old, who received militant training in Port Dickson, rammed an SUV filled with explosives into SWAT headquarters, killing 25 Iraqi soldiers. But he is not alone. Ayub Khan, the senior counter-terrorism division official at Bukit Aman, has revealed that 19 Malaysian jihadists with links to ISIS have confessed to plotting to overthrow the government in Putrajaya through armed warfare. They were also in the midst of planning attacks on several pubs and the Carlsberg brewery in Shah Alam. Over 30 Malaysians are known to have left Malaysia to fight for ISIS. This number is even higher in neighbouring countries like Indonesia, where authorities estimate between 50 to 500 Indonesians have fled to take up arms for ISIS. The three-year Syrian war has attracted even more foreign fighters than the Afghan war. One possible reason is a prophecy, popular among global jihadists, about the final battle before Judgment Day. “There are hadith, or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, that predict an apocalyptic war of good vs. evil, and according to one hadith, it would start in Syria,” said Solahudin, a Jakarta-based terrorism expert. In June, Prime Minister Najib Razak stirred up controversy when he said that Umno members should emulate militants in the Middle East, who he described as fearless in fighting for their cause. At a dinner to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Umno’s Cheras branch, he remarked: “Whether we agree or not is another matter, the group ISIL with the strength of just 1,300 people, can defeat an Iraqi army of 30,000 soldiers, until four, five generals with three, four stars run for their lives, jump out the window at night.” To clarify: I don’t believe for a second that Najib is an ISIS supporter. But his rambling and clumsy choice of words demonstrates a severe lack of understanding of the threat ISIS poses to Muslims in the Middle East, and by extension, Muslims worldwide. To express admiration, under any circumstances, for the actions of one of the most deadly terrorist groups in recent history is an unforgivable act from a man who should be roundly condemning the violence. One of the major criticisms often levelled against moderate Muslims is their refusal to speak out against terrorism. I am wary of peddling this lie, because it isn’t actually true. In the UK, for example, a large number of leading Muslim organisations have issued vocal condemnations of ISIS and its followers. In a July 7 statement, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called ISIS actions “un-Islamic and morally repugnant.” CAIR noted that the groups “human rights abuses on the ground are well-documented” and called on other Muslim community leaders to speak out against the violence. The Muslim Council of Great Britains Shuja Shafi also said: “Violence has no place in religion, violence has no religion. It is prohibited for people to present themselves for destruction.” But the situation is different in Malaysia, where none of our leading figures, bar former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, have come out publicly against ISIS. Malaysia is fundamentally a peaceful and inclusive country, but let’s not kid ourselves: the threat of religious extremism is on the rise. A Pew Research Centre report from 2010 shows that close to 40 per cent of Malaysian Muslims believe violence can be justified in order to defend Islam. Coupled with recent incidences like the “Allah” controversy and the “enemies of Islam” rhetoric continually employed by ethno and religious centric groups like Perkasa, this statistic suddenly seems far more frightening. Malaysia is fundamentally a peaceful and inclusive country ― for now. But there needs to be a clampdown on religious extremism and hate speech, and that includes comments by local hate groups like ISMA declaring that the Chinese are “intruders” in Malaysia. The government must play a far more proactive role in the war against religious extremism, both locally and abroad. This includes providing aid to the victims of the war in the Middle East, but also reaffirming their commitment to ending extremism in their own backyard. One step would be to take a cue from Indonesia and ban ISIS in its entirety, making any support for the organisation illegal. The time is now for Muslims in Malaysia to demonstrate, through both their words and actions, that Islam really is a religion of peace. Our pluralistic society – founded on the acceptance of different religions and beliefs ― is under threat by those who claim to be acting in the name of Islam. We should be condemning, with the utmost urgency, those who commit these atrocities in the name of religion. To be a credible actor in the global peace effort, Malaysian Muslims must reject violence and extremism, in all forms. We must make it clear that these terrorists do not speak for us ― not now and not ever. - See more at: themalaymailonline/opinion/yasmin-disney/article/malaysian-muslims-must-come-out-strongly-against-isis#sthash.LsfgIgBl.dpuf
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 20:11:16 +0000
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