I told you so. The PM, the Ministers and the gomen are influenced by Islamist jihadi ideology, especially Saudi Arabian Wahabism / Salafism which is pro ISIS.

I have mentioned that recently I attended a conference on Contemporary Islam at the Institute of South East Asian Studies or ISEAS at the Nanyang Technical University in Singapore. 

I was pleased to meet a few Malaysians who are working at the ISEAS as researchers and academics. Some are on permanent basis while others are visiting fellows.

One of  the Malaysians I met was Prof Dr Ahmad Fauzi bin Abdul Hamid, Professor of Political Science at the Universiti Sains Malaysia or USM who is a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Yusof Ishak Institute which is also part of ISEAS.  

Prof Ahmad Fauzi was trained as a political scientist and political economist at the universities of Oxford, Leeds and Newcastle, UK.  His research focuses on political Islam in Southeast Asia.  Dr Fauzi publishes regularly in academic journals including at the ISEAS. He is what I would term an educated man.

 Prof . Dr Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid

His latest article (dated yesterday 16 May 2016) is titled  'ISIS in Southeast Asia: Internalized Wahhabism is a Major Factor', ISEAS Yusof Ishak Perspective, No 24, 16 May 2016.

You can download the full article  athttps://www.iseas.edu.sg/images/pdf/ISEAS_Perspective_2016_24.pdf

 

First of all let me give you the OutSyed The Box gist. Then some extracts from Prof Ahmad Fauzi.

My understanding is that in a very academic fashion (with references and research for everything he says, please check it out) Dr Fauzi is simply saying that extremist jihadi ideology, especially the violent Wahhabi / Salafi strains (which he says also fathered the ISIS) has infected the Malaysian government machinery up to the highest levels including the Cabinet Ministers and the Prime Minister.

Now here are some main points.

• Singapore | 16 May 2016
• ISIS in Southeast Asia: Internalized Wahhabism is a Major Factor 
• Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• declaration of (ISIS) caliphate in Southeast Asia
• grave threat to pluralistic landscape of SEA societies
• Surveys worryingly indicate rise in extremist tendencies among Muslims
• internalization of Wahhabi Salafism major factor
• low level of concern about extremism among Malaysian Muslims 
• worrying institutionalization of radical Islam 

• Countering Salafization rendered difficult by the fact that influential Muslim personalities  and elements within Muslim-majority states have themselves embraced aspects of  Wahhabism.

• Between Wahhabism and ISIS, which is but its violent manifestation, lies a short and slippery slope.

ISIS has eclipsed other global Islamist violence. 

ISIS believes its feats will trigger the advent of Imam al-Mahdi

ISIS has Malay-speaking chapters Katibah Nusantara and rival Katibah Masyaariq 

in Indonesia, the jails are medium of terrorist indoctrination

prison not deterred  Abu Bakar Basyir from swearing allegiance to ISIS 

in jail Abu Bakar met Aman Abdurrahman, Indonesia’s chief ISIS ideologue 

impending proclamation of ISIS caliphate in Southeast Asia

SOUTHEAST ASIAN MUSLIMS’  RISING  EXTREMIST  TILT

• growing appeal of Islamist extremism in SEA 
• reflected in surveys by USA-based Pew Research Centre
• low level of concern over Islamist extremism among M'sian Muslims 
• indicates institutionalization of radical Islam in general landscape

• Pew’s  Spring 2015 Global Attitudes Survey
• only 26% of M'sian Muslims worried about Islamist extremism
• about ISIS - only 48% of M'sian Muslims worried

• 11% M'sian Muslims favourable view of ISIS 
• Indon Muslims only 4%.
• 63% Indon Muslims worry about Muslim extremist groups 
• only 8% M'sian Muslims worried
• 31% M'sian Muslims worried about Christian extremists (haa haa)
  
• 62% M'sian Muslims expecting Imam Mahdi  in their life time
• 23% Indonesian Muslims believe the same

religious extremism shifted in more rigid direction in Malaysia 

an extremist attitude of yesteryears may now not be seen as being radical enough to warrant serious attention from the authorities.

significant portions of M'sian Muslims approve violence against enemies of Islam

• role of  M'sian state (the Government) in politicizing Islam 
• setting stage for Islamist extremism into mainstream public discourse 
• M'sia’s ethnocentric Islamic discourse obsessed with Ketuanan Melayu 
• now given new brand Ketuanan Islam 
• aimed at creating a Malay/Islamic state
• radicalization of M'sian Islam threatens character of democratic nation state

uncharacteristic turn towards Islamist extremism of late. 

cause for worry for intra-Muslim and inter-faith relations in the region

a bastion of harmonious plural societies. 

• mainstreaming of Islamist radical fringe undeniably cause for concern
• ideological conditioning supported by state consciously or inadvertently
• opens door for acceptance of pro-Islamist orientations by the masses

WAHHABISM AS A FACTOR IN SEA's ISIS CONUNDRUM

• growth of extremist tendencies
• institutionalization of Islamism in body politic
• important not to bark up wrong tree
• problem lies with Islamism rather than Islam 
• Islamists have politicized Islam 
• matters of faith are overwhelmed by politico-legal considerations 

to accomplish erecting an Islamic state (dawlah Islamiyyah)

political Islamist regards sharia state as be-all and end-all

• linkages with Egypt’s Ikhwan al-Muslimun (MB: Muslim Brotherhood)
• marrying thoughts of Sayyid Qutb with theology of ibn Abdel al-Wahhab
  ideological combination produced violence-legitimating salafi-jihadism
• represented par excellence in Abdullah Azzam of Al-Qaeda / Afghan war 
• merger between Qutbism, Wahhabism, salafi-jihadism in SEA epitomized by JI

unholy alliance - Wahhabi co-optation of Salafism

Under patronage of Saudi and powered by petrodollars

Saudi dissemination of Wahhabism in the guise of Salafism since 1970s

Rabitah al-‘Alam Islami (MWL: Muslim World League), World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) conduits for exporting Wahhabism

transmission process in SEA well documented

penetrate structures of Muslim states, ruling parties, charity associations, NGOs, Islamist movements and educational networks

• Sauds under tremendous pressure to  prove steadfastness to Wahhabi ideals
• Hence emergence of ISIS, whose target is re-enact first Saudi state (1744-1818) 
• even if necessitates armed conquest, enslavement, decimation of populations

A DIFFICULT ROAD AHEAD
 

• Four decades of Salafization altered Islam in SEA
• Wahhabism in Islamization programmes supported by politicians
• Islamist activism in SEA general acceptance of Wahhabi-inclined authors
• Sayyid Qutb, Abul A’la Maududi, ibn Abd al-Wahhab, ibn Baz, al-Albani, Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, Saleh al-Fawzan

Their increasingly defining mainstream Islam in SEA 

In M'sia hardly exists countervailing force against Wahhabi-Salafi onslaught

Dep Min. in PM's Dept, Asyaf Wajdi Dusuki, defended Wahhabism in Parliament 

Such a view in sync with Hadi Awang an alumnus of University of Madinah

Such conflicting signals do not help in govt’s purported crusade against ISIS

• Saudi religious establishment sharing similar Wahhabi-Salafi roots
• Najib declared M'sia/Saudi  relations reached unprecedentedly high levels
• symbolized by Saudi willingness to let Najib off the hook wrt RM2.6 b

Najib appealed to fatwa of Saudi Dr. Sulaiman Saloomi on illegality of deposing govt.

• no accident Najib praising ISIS fighters in 2014
• Such remarks speak volumes about religious orientation of ulama advising Najib

My conclusion : Folks, it is going to be a waste of our time complaining to the gomen, the police, to Dato Ayub Khan etc about religious extremism. The gomen is the source of the problem. 

• The gomen is not doing its job (pretending only)
• The gomen is closing one eye (or both eyes)
• The gomen is using salafism / wahhabism  as a political tool

Here is my personal favorite : the gomen is just stupid.  

• Countering Salafization rendered difficult by the fact that influential Muslim personalities  and elements within Muslim-majority states have themselves embraced aspects of  Wahhabism

• Between Wahhabism and ISIS, which is but its violent manifestation, lies a short and slippery slope.

Here is an acid test for Ashraf Wajdi and Dato Ayub Khan (head of counter terrorism at Bukit Aman).

Do you believe in the coming of an Imam Mahdi? (In anyone's lifetime at all).

Please answer honestly.  There is no Imam Mahdi mentioned in the Quran.  

Do you feel that maybe Allah forgot to mention it?

Akhir kalam here is something from the Quran :

"Anyone who disregards the message of the Most Gracious, we appoint a satan to be his constant companion.  Such companions will divert them from the path, yet make them believe that they are guided.  Surah 43:36-37."

They think they are on the right path. But actually satan is guiding them.