Chitchat Guess the race: Man detained under ISA for supporting ISIS

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man who openly supported the Islamic State militant group and contributed to the radicalisation of other Singaporeans has been arrested and detained under the Internal Security Act.

Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff, 44, was issued with an Order of Detention in July for two years, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Friday (Jul 29).

According to MHA, he became radicalised as early as 2001 after reading jihadi-related material. He was supportive of terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and the Jemaah Islamiyah, and advocated Muslims taking up arms in Afghanistan after the Sep 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US.

After moving to Australia with his family in 2002, Zulfikar joined the hardline Hizbut Tahrir organisation. According to his Facebook page, he is a PhD student at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. He was also influenced by the teachings of radical ideologues like Anwar al-Awlaki, and established and maintained contact with radical preachers in Australia and overseas, like Musa Cerantonio and Anjem Choudary, MHA said.

Prior to his arrest, he made “numerous Facebook postings glorifying and promoting ISIS and their violent actions, while exploiting religion to legitimise the terrorist activities of ISIS”, the ministry said. This included a photograph of Zulfikar with his children mimicking a pose commonly adopted by jihadi fighters, while standing in front of a black flag that is commonly used by jihadi terrorist groups.

“He considered his propagation of radical material as a form of jihad, by way of creating awareness of ISIS and promoting armed jihad,” MHA said.

SPREADING RADICAL IDEOLOGY

In his online postings, Zulfikar called for Muslims to take up arms and wage war in places like the Middle East, Palestinian territories, Myanmar and the Philippines. To motivate Muslims to engage in armed jihad, Zulfikar proposed the creation of a support system for the families of the fighters.

According to MHA, Zulfikar admitted that he wanted his online followers to reject the Western secular democratic system and instead establish an Islamic caliphate in its place, governed by Syariah law.

“He believes that violence should be used to achieve this goal if necessary,” the ministry said, adding that Zulfikar had actively looked into holding training programmes aimed at radicalising young Singaporeans.

While residing in Australia, he set up an online group called Al-Makhazin and other Facebook platforms for Muslims to counter the Western media. He also admitted that a Facebook page called Al-Makhazin Singapore was used by him as a platform to “agitate on Muslim issues in Singapore and attack some Singaporean Muslims who did not share his views”, MHA said.

“His real agenda was in fact to provoke Muslims in Singapore into pushing for the replacement of the democratic system with an Islamic state in Singapore. He said that he hid his ulterior motive from the Singaporean Al-Makhazin Singapore members,” the ministry added.

Amid the threat of terrorism that Singapore faces, Zulfikar’s promotion of violence and the Islamic State poses a security threat, MHA said.

“At times he has tried to hide his real motivations, by putting out moderate sounding views. But in reality, he believes in the use of violence to overthrow the democratic system of government and the imposition of an Islamic caliphate. He continues to support ISIS and wants Singaporeans to do the same,” it said.

“The Government takes a very serious view of efforts to undermine Singapore’s constitutional democracy, and will take firm and decisive action against any person who engages in such activities.”


Older news on this person

The New Paper Pg 2

23 Jan 02

WHAT SHE SAID ABOUT THEIR SOURED FRIENDSHIP:
'Mum didn't approve...'

BY MELVIN SINGH

SHE’s a 17 year old student. And he’s Fateha.com’s 30-year-old chief executive officer, Mr Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff.

They’ve both made police reports that are said to have resulted from their friendship.

A friendship said to have turned sour.

First, the junior college student made a police report against him. She told The New Paper that her mother was allegedly threatened on Jan 6 this year.

The teenager claimed that she and Mr Zulfikar were friends. Her mother wanted them to stop seeing each other. That was when her mother was allegedly threatened.

Four days later, Mr Zulfikar also made a police report. The New Paper understands that he claimed that he was threatened on Jan 9.

A man claiming to be the teenager’s uncle had allegedly threatened him and told him to get out of the country.
Mr Zulfikar said he was friends with the girl.

A police spokesman confirmed that reports have been made by both parties.

He said the police are looking into the matter.

-------------------------------

THE teenage girl said: “We first met when he helped out with my debating team…I thought he was intelligent.”

That was early last year. They then started chatting on the Internet on her 17th birthday, towards the end of last year, the girl told The New Paper.

A friendship developed between the teenager and the 30-year-old married man.

Mr Zulfikar, a sales manager with a food service company, is married to a private school teacher and has four children.

The teen, a classical music fan who plays the guitar and piano, said she admired him for his strong opinion.

She said: “I didn’t always agree with him, but he had a way with words.”

“He was charming, too,” said the petite teen who has shoulder-length hair and a ready smile. The girl said they told each other of their personal problems.

She said of their friendship: “We were there for each other.”
Then things started unravelling.

She said he can be strong minded at times.

The day he allegedly threatened her mum, she said: “When my mum scolded him, he couldn’t take it. He yelled back at her.”
After that, it was a yelling match and “near tears, he promised to protect me”.

Said the teen: “My mother didn’t approve of the friendship… he is a married man.”

Her mum was concerned about being caught up in a messy situation.

Said her mum: “I have every right to protect my daughter.”
Said the girl: “My mum is just doing what’s expected of a mother to protect me…”

“So we stopped seeing each other.”

That was in December, she said. One month later, the police reports were made.

Said the teen: “This is very confusing for my family and me.”
“We are really stressed out over it. All I want to do is to go back to my homework.”

She said she hasn’t been sleeping well recently.

The New Paper called Mr Zulfikar at home and on his handphone but he was not available for comment.

His handphone mailbox was also full.

IN THE NEWS

MR Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff has been in the news because of comments he made about the Government in postings he had on his website, and in an interview with the BBC last Friday.

Malay/Muslim community leaders have questioned his motives in criticising the Government here.

The BBC described Mr Zulfikar, chairman of the 20-member group Fateha.com, as a Muslim leader.

In the interview, he accused the Government of being insensitive towards Muslim feelings.

He cited Singapore’s “alignment” with the US and its support of Israel, as well as the refusal to let Muslim girls in national schools wear the hijab, or Islamic headscarf.

Several Malay/Muslim organisations have taken the group to task, saying that Fateha’s attacks on Singapore’s support for the US war against terrorism were thoughtless, divisive and did Muslim Singaporeans a disservice.

They also said Fateha’s stand on the recent arrests of 15men for terrorism-related activities does not reflect the views of most Muslims here, who support the arrests to protect national security.





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