A dangerous turn of events
The fact that there hasn’t been any denial from the Prime Minister’s Office seems to suggest that he did say those things. There are so many examples he could have given, instead he cited the example of terrorists.
What message will this give to young minds?
Sri A.K Rasa
This is getting very serious, even dangerous. The name of our nation is being dragged down because of the actions of some of our own people.
Yesterday morning I was watching a discussion by middle-eastern experts on the situation in Iraq on Al Jazeera. One of them mentioned the Malaysian suicide bomber who took the lives of 25 Iraqi policemen.
It has made international news. It is not often that Malaysia gets mentioned by the international media but no news is better than negative news. The mystery of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 put us in bad light and now news that Malaysians have become militants and are fighting in Syria and Iraq has caused further damage.
Yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed that several Malaysians – one report quoting our Foreign Ministry said up to 15 – had been killed in the fighting in Syria as of the middle of this month.
Khalid said these Malaysians had been part of the militant group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or Isil.
He said the Malaysian authorities were working closely with the Syrian authorities to verify the identity of others who had been killed in the civil war – meaning some of the dead yet to be identified could be Malaysians, too.
One report said the Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations in New York had said on June 18 that 15 Malaysian nationals who had joined Isil had been killed in Syria.
This is terrible. There is the huge possibility that more Malaysians have been killed there but we do not know of it yet. How many more of our young are going to throw away their lives there?
The Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying: “As a peace-loving country that practices moderation, Malaysia abhors and does not condone any acts of terrorism or extremism by any parties, including its own nationals.
“In this regard, the ministry is working closely with the relevant Malaysian authorities on this matter and has also requested the Syrian authorities to verify the allegations.”
Malaysian authorities, especially the police, have to be on the ball. They have to track down those inciting these youths to fight in Syria or Iraq. The police should give this priority.
The Islamic religious authorities should go on a major drive to stop Muslim youths from being recruited by demagogues and terrorists. They should intensify their education efforts to teach children and youths that Islam propagates peace.
Religious officials and those in authority should realise that youths pay more attention to example rather than advice. So, they have to set the example by showing that they are for peace with everyone and that they do not view people of other Islamic sects or other religions as enemies or as being inferior to them.
The Malaysian youth who is said to have been a suicide bomber, Ahmad Tarmimi Maliki, 26, was a factory worker in Selangor. It is possible that there are more people like him in Selangor who have been, or are being, influenced by extremists. Shouldn’t the Majlis Agama Islam Selangor and the Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor give priority to saving Muslim youths who are being led astray?
And I am still puzzled as to how the prime minister could urge Umno members to emulate the militants of Isil.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was quoted as saying: “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 ran for their lives, jumped out the window at night.”
