The road to redemption: How two radicalised youths in Singapore shed violence and extremism

VIEWING” AGAIN AND AGAIN” Images

Hamzah claimed that his actions were against his nature and that he frequently watched videos of gruesome murders to cold himself.

” I remember repeatedly watching videos of persons burning alive … and in the fight area, shooting men… I forced myself just to watch it so that I’m mentally prepared.”

Because I’m not accustomed to this kind of way, I felt a little horrified. However, I simply force myself.

When Daniel continued to support the Islamic State despite being under investigation by the Internal Security Department( ISD) and receiving spiritual counseling, he missed an earlier opportunity to alter the course o his life.

After defacing a photo of President Halimah Yacob and requesting that the Islamic State kill her in 2017, the then-15-year-old was the subject of an investigation. He continued to support the violent organization and was ultimately imprisoned in 2020.

” I thought it was a study of my devotion and loyalty to ISIS ( Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) especially when I was investigated for the first time ,” he said.

Recovery is an art, not a science, according to Ustaz Rijal, who also told CNA that success can be measured. There is no set account, and each situation is distinct.

The primary thing they have in common, as far as I can tell, is that they want to contribute to the church. They think that doing this is what the church requires of them and what they are required to do as Muslims, he said.

His job is to get these radicalized people back from the brink of murder and lead them away from extremism, as well as that of the psychologists, mentors and situation workers in the recovery process.

TWO Various TRAVELS

Mr. Salim Mohamed Nasir was struck by a sense of experience when he first met Hamzah in an ISD hold option.

The 62-year-old teacher remarked,” I felt like I could relate to him, like he could be my son. It’s just that my Son( took) this path, and then( he ) took the other path. So, to me, the selection of pathways is very, very important.

Following the discovery and capture of a Jemaah Islamiyah ( JI ) terrorist cell in Singapore, Mr. Salim has volunteered with the RRG since its inception in 2003. & nbsp,

ISD collaborates with the RRG and Inter-Agency Aftercare Group, both charity organizations, in the restoration and reintegration of people who have been detained or given limitations purchases.

Hamzah did not have someone to help him choose the right direction when he became radicalized, according to Mr. Salim. Bright and charming by character, he began advising Hamzah in 2015.

He claimed that these people have erred because of circumstances in which they believed they were correct but were not.

When Hamzah was a child, his family was” as rigid” about religion. He attended three hours of spiritual instruction at a institution each day after primary school, but these stopped once he began secondary school.

His family remembered him as a happy and loving child who took care of his three younger sisters and was well-liked by his classmates when she spoke to CNA.

However, his radicalization took hold once he was exposed to extremist and harsh content.

When he told his mother about his plans to join the Islamic State in Syria, she was the only one who truly understood what was going on. She tried to discourage him and advised him to concentrate on his studies and finding employment after being shocked and disappointed, but this was ignored. & nbsp,

Hamzah was immediately skeptical of the Islamic State’s justification for violence and deaths because he had grown up learning that Islam promotes harmony and non-violence.

However, radicalized preachers’ sermons convinced him otherwise, and he began to feel a strong personal pull toward the insurgents. Hearing about the deaths or torture of some Muslims equally” played with my emotions ,” Hamzah claimed.