The "war" on terror

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The "war" on terror

Wednesday, 07 July 2010

Muhammad Shamin

Lately, the Berita Harian, Singapore's only Malay newspaper controlled by the Government has been giving extensive coverage to Singapore’s “war on terrorism”. Last month alone, three articles in just one week were given front page coverage on the matter.

Now we know why. The Government announced today that it had detained 20-year-old National Serviceman Muhammad Fadil who it says is a “deeply radicalised” Muslim. Given the fact that the PAP uses the Internal Security Act (ISA) to silence its critics and suppress democracy, what are we to believe in this “war”?

There is no denying that groups who use violence as a method to achieve their objectives exist. However, these articles, coming at a time when the election fever is being felt are seen as tactics to divert attention especially of the Malay community away from the real issues affecting them.

People are saddled with the ever increasing high cost of living, shrinking wages and loss of jobs due to the uncontrolled influx of foreign workers.

Being the sole Malay newspaper, Berita Harian monopolizes the Malay-reading market. This gives the government mouthpiece the complete control to manipulate and channel Malay perception and thinking to achieve its desired objective.

Against this background, it is obvious that the issue on terrorism is played to PAP’s advantage. The avalanche of articles is to justify PAP's heavy-handed methods in using the dreaded ISA and in broader context the denial of basic human rights.

A psychological war

The War on Terror is a label used indiscriminately. Brand someone or a group terrorist, extremist or radical and persecute and eliminate them by unleashing the most effective tool in the arsenal of the State. This process is done through draconian laws such as the ISA, a legacy inherited from the British colonial Singapore.

By repeating the message on terror in newspapers, PAP is able to instil fear in the minds of the gullible and thus take the moral high ground as the saviour of the people. It is all so easy for them to act in the name of war on terror to arrest anyone and justify their actions.

Singapore’s internal enemies

Throughout the world, many countries have their own internal enemies. For example, Turkey has a Kurdish problem and is fighting a Kurdish insurgency. Thailand has its problem with its Muslims in the South and the Philippines in facing a similar problem has to deal with an ongoing communist elements as well.

Ever since Singapore's separation from Malaysia, there have always been Malay individuals or group who have been a thorn in PAP’s side, in particular that of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's. These Malays also happen to be Muslims. Mr Lee Kuan Yew had famously said:

Well, we make them say the national pledge and sing the national anthem but suppose we have a famine, will your Malay neighbour give you the last few grains of rice or will she share it with her family or fellow Muslim or vice versa?

In 1987, in a reply to an opposition Member of Parliament's remark that Malays should not be discriminated, Mr Lee Hsien Loong who was then Minister for Defence said:

If there is a conflict, if the SAF is called upon to defend the homeland, we don’t want to put any of our soldiers in a difficult position where his emotions for the nation may come in conflict with his emotion for his religion, because these are two very strong fundamentals, and if they are not compatible, then they will be two very strong destructive forces in opposite directions.

War on terror

It is rather difficult to separate religious fundamentalism and outright extremism. These are play of words and it is so easy to demonise a group through the misconceptions created out of these words. Often the word “terrorist” is used liberally on people who display a form of rejection towards the status quo. Who is a radical, who is extremist and who is terrorist? It seems that anyone who displays a tendency to be religious or zealous is branded as one and condemned.

The root cause of the problem needs to be addressed rather than trying to cure the symptoms, if any. Extremism and terrorism are the result of discrimination and disproportionate treatment given by the ones in power. When dignity and pride of a people are trampled upon, such views will inevitably come to the surface. Even a cat will know how to fight back when its tail has been stepped on.

Embrace differences

Only acceptance of differences, social inclusion and solidarity will overcome our problem. Through democracy and dialogue, extremist elements are weeded out through reason. It is only through a free and pluralistic media, free and fair elections and an independent judiciary will justice prevail and reason upheld.

Religion is a private matter and interference in religious life is unacceptable for a government claiming to be secular. Even if there exists a party in the form of Christian Democrats or Islamist, it is the electorate that will decide for itself who it wants in power.

Today, Indonesia is secular even though the abundance of religious parties engaged in electoral politics.

At this juncture, a well-known poem by Pastor Martin Niemoller, who protested against Hitler's policy of purging of targeted groups, comes to my mind.

THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

THEN THEY CAME for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up.

Our common enemies are racial supremacists, racial bigotry, racist, racism and racial discrimination. These are threats to our social fabric. We should always be aware of such tendencies, especially when they are echoed by influential people. The racial riots of the 1960’s should serve as a constant reminder for all of us.

Let's work towards a harmonious Singaporean Singapore, the goal set by the leaders of Singapore when the island became independent on 9 Aug 65.

Muhammad Shamin is a member of the Young Democrats.

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Comments (9)

Wed 07 Jul 2010 7:49 PM | seebeng - How many under ISA?

In our neighbouring countires Malaysia and Indonesia, "muslim extremists" are arrested and charged in open court. But in Singapore these so-called social unfits are locked up under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA).

What is worse, Singaporeans are told only today that this 20-yearold NSman was arrested on 4 April for his extremist views.

It makes one wonder how many are there languishing in jail under the dreaded ISA?

Wed 07 Jul 2010 8:21 PM | Brendan - Don't play the terror card

Dear Shamin,

While I not doubt your intentions on the abuse of ISA by the PAP to detain opposition , we must also be aware that we live in an age where terrorism is imminent. Many democratic countries have been practicing detention of suspected radicals.

In the spirit of democracy, you are not doing your party any good by playing along these lines.

Brendan

Wed 07 Jul 2010 8:43 PM | tencents

Well, at least their children and wives would not be shamed by their relatives, friends and classmates that their brothers, fathers, uncles are terrorists. People tend to forget that one was released.

Wed 07 Jul 2010 9:31 PM | vipersonic - Reality Check

@Seebeng - Malaysia practices the ISA law as well, which is led by the Malaysian Special Branch(MSB).

@Brendan - Detention without trial is a most terrible injustice that can be committed against any human being.

Back then when communism was imminent, the PAP had used the dreaded ISA law to detain more than a hundred of his political opponents, accusing them of being communists. Till this day, there is still no evidence that any of them were. History repeated itself in the 1970s and the 1980s, with the PAP now branding those they see as a threat as Armed Marxists, while in actual fact they were nothing more than Social workers from the Roman Catholic Church.

Remember, NOBODY knows if the National Serviceman arrested under ISA is really a "deeply radicalised Muslim", simply because an open and fair trial was not conducted and we have not had the chance of hearing his side of the story.

In the spirit of democracy, justice, and of liberty, it is our duty to prevent such injustice from ever happening again.

Wed 07 Jul 2010 10:59 PM | seebeng - PAP abusing ISA

It's the PAP that is "playing along the terror" card. In the past it used the ISA on people having different views and labelled them as communists, Marxists, but now "terrorism" is in vogue.

Why can't the PAP charge these people in open court just as the case in Malaysia and Indonesia? In a democracy, there is no place for draconian laws like the ISA. In authoritarian Singapore, ISA is being abused by the PAP to perpetuate its anti-people rule.

Thu 08 Jul 2010 4:34 AM | rahulmehta87

It is interesting to compare the situation with India, which is where I am from.

Current Indian legislation does not allow indefinite detention under any circumstances. The charges against a person who has been detained by the police must be produced within 24 hours of the arrest.

Even so, there is widespread debate on existing legislation and its harmful affects for civil liberties. For example, the police can use any intercepted phone calls as evidence. This has led to concerns over violation of the right to privacy, and has sparked vigorous debate.

Also, the term "terrorist" is defined vaguely in Indian legislation. The lack of official immunity to those involved in operations directed towards combating terrorism has also been criticized.

Even so, Indian laws are not even nearly as draconian as the ISA of Singapore. In fact, when a previous government introduced legislation that allowed suspected terrorists to be put in jail for upto 180 days without the charges being produced in a court, a change in government promptly led to a repeal of the legislation which had been misused a few times by the government.

Thu 08 Jul 2010 9:00 AM | seebeng - Reality Check 2

@vipersonic - Malaysia practices the ISA law as well, which is led by the Malaysian Special Branch(MSB).

At this very moment in Malaysia, there are three Malay youths facing charges in open court for arsan attack of a church.

Furthermore, even the ruling party there is in the process of reviewing the dreaded ISA. This is what we want to see in Singapore. We don't want a 20-yearold NSman arrested under ISA and simply locked up indefinitely because the government says he is "deeply radicalised” Muslim.

Thu 08 Jul 2010 10:19 AM | Tan Tai Wei

Arising from the doubts expressed as to the real need to use ISA in these instances, an important lesson to be learnt is this.

If it were true that government had in the past been too "trigger happy" using the ISA, even abusing it just in order to silence opponents, as it is presently being suspected of doing in the detention of Teo and Vincent, even of Lim Chin Siong and others, then the proverbial advice not to "call wolf" unnecessarily applies.

It could be that a real threat of "terror" now exists calling for the proper use of the ISA. But then the doubts as regards past use of the Act now predispose people to call it another bluff.

It's like the advice not to take antibiotics too much. When the real need for them arises, they could lose their effect.

Thu 08 Jul 2010 10:19 PM | Brendan

@vipersonic - Reality Check

"Remember, NOBODY knows if the National Serviceman arrested under ISA is really a "deeply radicalised Muslim", simply because an open and fair trial was not conducted and we have not had the chance of hearing his side of the story."

My friend, terrorism is a SERIOUS BUSINESS.

Do you remember the time when Mas Selemat escaped, how everyone supected he was secretly killed under detention when in actual fact he fled accross the causeway?

Given so much at stake for the PAP, do you think they will risk fabricating a charge against him when in fact they want to silence the opposing voices?

What if the US/UK ask for his extridation and there is no such EDVIDENCE against him?

While I am not going to say you are wrong, I think it is highly unlikely this is the case.

If so, only time will tell.

In any case, there is alot of ammunition you can use against the PAP and they are growing hugely unpopular.