ISD Adjusts Rehabilitation Approach As More Youth Acquire Terrorist Ideology

SINGAPORE: The authorities’ approach to rehabilitating radicalized people has had to adjust as more young people have embraced the terrorist ideology.

The profile of treaties under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for terrorism-related activities has changed significantly since the first arrests of Jemaah Islamiah (JI), the Department of Homeland Security (ISD) said on Wednesday (February 3) .

Before the first case of self-radicalization was detected in 2007, the two youngest people treated under the ISA for JI-related involvement were 20 and 21, ISD said.

Since 2015, Singapore has cared for seven radicalized young people between the ages of 16 and 19.

Last week it was announced that a 16-year-old Singaporean boy was detained by the ISA after making detailed plans to attack two mosques on the anniversary of the Christchurch attacks in New Zealand.

READ: 16-year-old Singapore detained under ISA after planning to attack Muslims in 2 mosques

Within the rehabilitation approach, while priority continues to be given to addressing ideological misconceptions that lead to radicalism, attention is also being paid to “non-ideological factors”, particularly for young people.

These include their sense of belonging and identity, critical thinking skills to help identify radical rhetoric, and mental resilience to cope with stress, ISD said.

Efforts are also being made to enable young detainees to continue their education whenever possible.

“This was assessed as critical to keeping these young people motivated and focused,” the ISD said, adding that it works with their families, schools and other stakeholders to create an environment conducive to facilitating their studies.

Additionally, a mentoring program was introduced in 2016, in which a mentor would look at the rehabilitation needs of a young man after his release to ensure that he stayed focused on “prosocial goals.” This is to provide additional social support to mitigate your risk of re-engaging in terrorism-related activities, ISD said.

READ: Singaporean Teen Who Planned Mosque Attacks Will Get Lawyer, Attend Hearing Under ISA: Shanmugam

Giving an update on the seven youths treated under ISA since 2015, the agency said one has been released on a restraining order (RO), while the restraining orders for two others have lapsed.

A person with a restraining order cannot change their place of residence, employment or travel outside of Singapore without ISD approval.

It also requires approval for activities such as addressing public meetings or being a member of any organization or group.

ISD added that of the 129 Singaporeans who had ISA warrants issued against them for conduct related to terrorism since 2002, 88 were detained while 41 received restraining orders.

Of the 88 detainees, 68 have been released, and most of those detained are making progress in their rehabilitation.

“For those who have been released from detention or directly with RO, most of them are in paid employment, while the youngest continue their studies,” said the ISD.

“They have good social support and remain resistant to radical influences,” he added.

The ISD noted that these individuals are also subject to “a rigorous monitoring regime” that allows early intervention if they show signs of reverting to a radical ideology or re-engaging in terrorism-related activities.

“We are aware that there is no foolproof system, and efforts are being made to continually refine and adapt our approach to rehabilitation with the evolving environment,” the ISD said.

YOUTH SUCCESS STORIES

On Wednesday, the agency highlighted several success stories in its work with young people, such as two that performed well in their Institute of Technical Education (ITE) studies while in restraining orders.

Both are now in polytechnics and their restraining orders have ceased to have effect. One of them won an award for being the best in his ITE course, ISD said, while the other plans to earn a degree after earning his diploma.

ISD highlighted the case of Daniel (not his real name), who was 15 years old when he was first investigated in September 2017, after posting disfigured photos of President Halimah Yacob on social media and calling the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to behead her.

Investigations at the time found that Daniel had been radicalized by pro-ISIS propaganda on social media channels and groups, ISD said.

Given his age and the assessment that he did not pose an imminent threat, he was not initially treated under the ISA, but instead received counseling.

Despite these efforts, Daniel continued to “firmly support” ISIS, even after the terrorist group’s caliphate fell in Syria and Iraq in 2019, ISD said, adding that he was later arrested and detained under the ISA in January of the year. past.

READ: Parents can help steer youth away from online radicalization

The ISD described the arrest as a “wake-up call” for Daniel, who had just finished High School 3 when he was arrested.

“While in detention, ISD worked with his school and three volunteers from the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), who are also MOE-trained teachers, to ensure that Daniel’s education could continue. The teachers instructed and guided him in his self-studies, ”the agency said.

The RRG is a group of 46 volunteer Islamic academics and teachers who provide religious advice to detainees under the ISA and carry out outreach activities against extremist ideas.

Arrangements were made for Daniel’s mentoring to continue via video conferencing during last year’s COVID-19 “breaker” period, he noted.

Daniel’s academic performance improved and he earned four distinctions in the five subjects he took during his GCE N-Level exams last year.

“When he shared the news of his exam results with his parents during his regular family visits, he told them that he had always felt like a disappointment to them in the past, but now he felt they could be proud of him. He also said that his excellent results would not have been possible if he had not been arrested, ”said the ISD.

READ: The Big Read: Open to Extremist Points of View, Young People Want Diverse Voices and Honest Conversations, But at What Cost?

RRG secretariat member Muhammad Mubarak Habib Mohamed said Daniel was impressed with the efforts that the authorities had made regarding his educational progress.

“He told me … he was very surprised that the Singapore government, despite the plans it had and the comments it had made about Mrs Halimah, the president, still put in the resources to ensure that she got a good education “said Dr. Mubarak.

The ISD also noted that Daniel, who previously did not understand basic Islamic principles, was receptive to religious counseling and had “begun the process of rejecting radical ideology,” while a psychologist worked to address issues such as emotional and self-esteem issues. which had contributed to his vulnerability to radicalism.

“The involvement and support of Daniel’s parents have been critical to the good progress he has made so far in his rehabilitation. They visit him regularly every week and see his detention as an opportunity for him to focus on his studies and improve his outlook on life, ”the ISD said.

“Daniel has also been assigned a mentor, a RRG volunteer, to help him stay focused on his rehabilitation and guide him in developing prosocial skills,” he added.

However, rehabilitation efforts only work if the individual is open to change, ISD said.

“While we have highlighted the most successful rehabilitation cases so far, there are others for whom rehabilitation has not progressed,” he said.

“They are offered the same facilities, but they have chosen not to cooperate with those interested in rehabilitation and continue to see them as the ‘enemy.’

RRG READY TO PROVIDE EXPERIENCE TO OTHER RELIGIOUS GROUPS

In response to questions from the media, ISD said it had previously detected two cases of recidivism among people placed in RO, who had been influenced by radical propaganda associated with the conflict in Syria.

They were detained a second time and have been released again in RO after going through rehab.

In Daniel’s case, ISD noted that he has yet to go through reintegration into society after his rehabilitation process while in detention.

“But the path he has chosen, and it is his choice to be receptive to those who try to help him and take ownership of his future, is promising, if he is able to persevere and not deviate from it, especially after his release from detention,” said.

RRG secretariat member Salim Mohamed Nasir, who leads the group’s school outreach efforts, told reporters Wednesday that he had been told by members of other faiths that the RRG’s efforts were an example to address extremism motivated by religion, and said the group is ready to provide its expertise. to other religious groups if necessary.

“We will be able to share our experiences from day one with JI to self-radicalized individuals and how we approach different individuals or different groups to address these types of issues,” he said.

For the 16-year-old who plotted to attack two mosques, ISD said it is working with the National Council of Churches to identify a suitable Christian counselor. The boy is a Protestant Christian of Indian ethnicity.

Although the teenager had been influenced by far-right ideologies, inspired by Christchurch attacker Brenton Tarrant, ISD said violent Islamist extremism remains the dominant terrorist threat here.

“Aside from the case of the 16-year-old, so far we have not seen any signs that far-right extremism has gained significant traction in Singapore,” ISD said.

“However, if the threat environment evolves to the point where far-right extremism is assessed to resonate the most here, the Government is confident that we can count on the relevant faith and community organizations to take a step forward from the In the same way that RRG and ACG (Inter-Agency Aftercare Group) have done in the past, to work with the Government in a society-wide effort to address the threat to Singapore and Singaporeans, “he said.