xvi Introduction implement rehabilitation programmes. This includes Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Iraq, Afghanistan, Oman, Morocco, Ni

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "xvi Introduction implement rehabilitation programmes. This includes Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Iraq, Afghanistan, Oman, Morocco, Ni"

Phoebe Parrish
5 years ago
Views:

1 The concept of terrorist rehabilitation starts from the belief that one is not born a terrorist. A person will go through a process of indoctrination before he is ready to commit violence. During the indoctrination process, one is led to believe that violence and acts of aggression in the name of religion are permissible. The ideology that is imbibed in his mind needs to be extricated through a process known as rehabilitation. This is especially important when extreme ideology is deeply rooted in the mind of the detainees. Adopting a capture or kill strategy alone is detrimental to the cause of winning hearts and minds. Rehabilitation aims to win over the detainees. Winning hearts and minds is the vision of rehabilitation and to any counter-extremist strategy. In parallel with governments strengthening their law enforcement, military, and intelligence capabilities to meet the growing global threat of terrorism and extremism, there is a grave need to develop the religious and ideological capabilities. The fight against religiously or ideologically motivated terrorism requires a strategic and long-term approach. This includes countering the ideas and doctrines that drives individuals into terrorism. Today s approach of countering violent extremism includes the art of rehabilitation, reintegration and reconciliation. In recent years, terrorist rehabilitation has been globally recognised as one of the most effective methods of countering violent extremism and bringing those apprehended in terrorism-related activities back to the right path. As early as 2003, countries such as Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Yemen have begun to explore the idea of terrorist rehabilitation. Egypt has adopted a revisionist approach within the detainees before September 11, Today, many countries have realised the importance of rehabilitating terrorists and hence implemented or attempted to xv

2 xvi Introduction implement rehabilitation programmes. This includes Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Iraq, Afghanistan, Oman, Morocco, Nigeria and several others. For violent extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda, Islamic State, Boko Haram and Jemaah Islamiyyah, rehabilitation holds an important significance as it aims to correct their misinterpretation of Islam. It must first be appreciated that the ideology of such groups is closely tied to the misunderstanding of Islamic concepts. If dismissed, this ideology could attract more to its misinterpretation. Secondly, such extreme groups harbor upon feelings of prolonged anger and hatred. The rehabilitation process helps to deal with the psychological make-up of the detainees. There are different levels and degrees of extremism. Rehabilitation needs to address the complexity of these different levels of radicalisation and extremism. It is important to identify and customise rehabilitation efforts based on the degree of radicalisation. Essentially, rehabilitation revolves around the concept that the human mind has equal potential to learn and relearn. Essentially, we need to bear in mind that counter-extremism strategies including rehabilitation will not bear fruit immediately. It is a long-term process. Success is determined by the set of benchmarks determined for a specific programme. Central to rehabilitation as a winning hearts and minds approach against extremism is sincerity and compassion. The human effort and touch prevail in gaining the confidence of those who are undergoing rehabilitation. Foundational developmental training programmes need to be structured to provide counsellors the ability to equip themselves with a proper set of skills and adequacy in performing terrorist rehabilitation programmes. There is a need to prepare comprehensive research to understand the theological foundation of the target individuals and groups. A theological refutation needs to be formulated to equip religious counsellors with adequate tools to refute ideological misinterpretation. Different strategies to meet the different needs of the terrorists, hard core supporters, sympathisers and the general public are needed for an effective rehabilitation programme. These are some of the ideas and strategies that are important to be considered before a rehabilitation programme is implemented. In recent years, there is an increase in the demand and interest to study the approach of terrorist rehabilitation especially from the countries that have successfully implemented the programme. Singapore is among the first group

3 xvii of countries to implement terrorist rehabilitation for the Al-Qaeda-linked organisation, Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) detainees after September 11, In Singapore, the government adopts a comprehensive terrorist approach to include religious, psychological and social components. In April 2003, a group of Singaporean Muslim scholars voluntarily formed the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) with the intention of providing religious guidance to the JI detainees through counselling and educating the community against extremism. The RRG is headed by two prominent Islmaic scholars: Ustaz Ali Haji Mohamed, Chairman of Khadijah Mosque Management Board and Ustaz Mohamad Hasbi, President of the Association of Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers of Singapore. In the effort to promote the idea of rehabilitation, sharing of experiences and bringing the notion of terrorist rehabilitation to a higher level, the RRG co-organised two conferences with the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), a specialist centre at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. The first one was the International Conference on Terrorist Rehabilitation in February 2009 and the second, the International Conference on Terrorist Rehabilitation and Community Resilience in March Many of the chapters in the book are based on the papers presented on terrorist rehabilitation by several prominent scholars and speakers in these two conferences. This book aims to provide an understanding of the importance of the approach and strategy of terrorist rehabilitation. This book comprises of two parts. Part One highlights several case studies of terrorist rehabilitation, which include Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Part Two discusses some of the religious concepts that have been manipulated and used by violent Islamists. Distortion of religious concepts such as jihad (struggle or fighting) and al-wala wal Bara (loyalty and disavowal) and takfir (accusing others of infidelity) are discussed in this part of the book. Chapter One traces the genesis, genealogy and likely future of terrorist rehabilitation. After discussing the resurgence of threat, the chapter discusses the need to invest in the ideological battle. In addition to sharpening the traditional operational tools to detect and disrupt terrorist attacks in the planning and preparation phases, governments should invest in building two capabilities worldwide. First, upstream community engagement to raise public awareness of the dangers of extremism affecting their people, especially youth. Second, downstream rehabilitation to bring back deviants

4 xviii Introduction from the extreme to the mainstream. By mapping the origins and development of rehabilitation, Chapter One seeks to help practitioners and scholars draw insights to inform and guide existing and emerging programmes. Chapter Two speaks about the experience of terrorist rehabilitation in Saudi Arabia. Against the backdrop of the spike in the number of terror attacks in Saudi Arabia 2003, the Saudi government recognised the serious need to neutralise the threat of terrorism. This led to the birth of the Saudi programme, which was aimed at countering radicalisation and rehabilitating those detained for terrorist activities. It is comprised of three components Prevention, Rehabilitation and After-care (PRAC). The prevention component targets the public, especially the young and vulnerable, through public seminars and workshops to highlight the dangers of terrorist rhetoric and prevent it from taking root in Saudi society. As for the rehabilitation aspect, it is made up of four subcommittees that look into the religious counselling of detainees, detainees psychological well-being, level of security risk the detainees pose and production of materials to counter radical ideas. Even after release, the Saudi government continues to provide support and monitor the detainees progress through its after-care programme. The after-care programme involves ulama, the Saudi government, family members and even released detainees tribal affiliations. Chapter Three outlines Singapore s collective approach in rehabilitating terrorists and engaging the masses. After discussing the context of Singapore s multi-pronged approach, we discuss the role of the government, the ulema (Muslim religious scholars), the community and the academics in challenging transnational terrorist ideology today. The impetus for Singapore s terrorist rehabilitation programme was the enduring global, regional and local threat posed by Al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), two of the most active terrorist groups in Southeast Asia. Unknown to governments in Southeast Asia, both Al-Qaeda and its associate group, the JI, were active since Although the stated aim of JI is the establishment of an Islamic state (Daulah Islamiyah) in Indonesia, Malaysia, the southern Philippines, Singapore and Brunei, it followed Al-Qaeda s trajectory of targeting Western and Christian targets. Influenced and supported by Al-Qaeda, JI spearheaded most of the significant terrorist attacks in the region from August 2000 onwards. Singaporean leaders understood quite early on that they had the structures in place to fight the threat of terrorism but not the threat of ideological extremism. They knew that Singapore s Muslim community was under threat of radicalisation by the vicious ideology imbibed by violent

5 xix extremist groups. As these threat groups were active outside Singapore and were not within the reach of Singapore, the government had to create programmes to reach out to vulnerable segments of the Muslim population. Furthermore, a very small number of Singaporean Muslims that had either joined terrorist groups or planned terrorist attacks were detained. They could not be held indefinitely. Singapore had to develop strategies to meet the contemporary challenge of ideological extremism that was radicalising and had radicalised a segment of its community. To reach out to the community, Singapore s Ministry of Home Affairs developed a robust Community Engagement Programme (CEP). To rehabilitate terrorists in custody, the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), a group of Muslim clerics in Singapore, developed a multifaceted rehabilitation programme. These two programmes are unique to Singapore s context of terrorist rehabilitation. Nonetheless, Singapore s deradicalisation initiatives offer insight into existing and aspiring programmes. Chapter Four presents the Indonesian experience in terrorist rehabilitation. In this chapter, the writer shares the difference between the approach of rehabilitation and deradicalisation. A significant part of Indonesia s counter-terrorism strategy involves winning hearts and minds by countering terrorist ideologies. For Indonesia dealing with how to release terrorists or radicals after they have served their sentences, deradicalisation and rehabilitation, as poorly defined as these terms are even in more authoritative of articles on the issue, they are often the only viable solutions. The Indonesian approach focuses on both short- and long-term strategies. Short-term initiatives focusing on arresting and trying those involved in terrorism have had great success. There are, however, problems that must be addressed in the near future, most importantly the absence of a legal basis for the national programmes as well as insufficient government funding. Shortterm solutions have been complimented by longer-term strategies including deradicalisation programmes in prisons as well as NGO initiatives aimed at countering extremist ideologies and addressing key grievances within society that could help facilitate terrorism. These strategies are also not without issue. More specifically, for the deradicalisation programmes, the absence of a criteria for success, of any formal assessment of its achievements, and of informed debate and discussion of where to draw the line between crime prevention and justice are serious shortcomings. Two major obstacles for NGOs and civil society organisations are lack of funding and a general perception within government that they are a hindrance in countering terrorism. What remains to be seen, and only time will tell, is what effect

6 xx Introduction Indonesian s long-term initiatives (deradicalisation programmes, interfaith dialogue and NGO/civil society activities) have on making Indonesia less conducive to terrorism and radicalism. Chapter Five discuss the Sri Lankan rehabilitation programme. A multifaceted programme, Sri Lanka rehabilitated and reintegrated to society over 12,000 fighters. The case study of the rehabilitation of the members of the Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is unique as it is a non-muslim terrorist group. The first step in the national reconciliation process was the resettlement of the displaced civilians and the rehabilitation of former LTTE cadres. While most surrendered, others were captured. Rather than prosecuting the terrorists, the government developed a legal framework and worked with both Sri Lankan and international partners to build a state-of-the-art rehabilitation programme. Professors Arie Kruglanski and Michele Gelfand from the University of Maryland had access and systematically interviewed the LTTE cadres. 1 To date, the Sri Lankan programme is the most comprehensive. The end of the conflict provided these misguided men and women golden opportunities to study and transform into productive citizens. In addition to the government and the private sector hiring them, they engage in self employment. Some even entered higher education. In many ways, these rehabilitation centres became learning institutions, producing men and women with a fresh outlook. Among the reintegrated cadres, recidivism is negligible. However, they need to be engaged as the LTTE international network is determined to revive the conflict. After the successful rehabilitation and reintegration of the LTTE cadres, instead of closing down the programme, some of the rehabilitation centres are used to rehabilitate drug addicts. Chapter Six discusses the approach to delegitimise the Al-Qaeda jihad narrative. Jihad is arguably one of the most misunderstood Islamic concepts in the Muslim and Western world and has become synonymous with the act of killing or fighting against non-muslims. This paper hopes to clarify these misconceptions by providing a detailed analysis of jihad. Drawing on the work of Shaykh-ul-Islam, Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri s (2010) Fatwa on Terrorism and Suicide Bombings, it will explain Al-Qaeda s hijacking of this word, which has no theological background or grounding within 1 Arie Kruglanski and Michele Gelfand, Learning from Sri Lanka, The National Interest, 19 September 2012, accessed 25 February 2015, commentary/learning-sri-lanka-7485.

7 xxi classical Islamic law. Al-Qaeda s misinterpretation of Quranic verses, particularly verses 4:89 and 9:73 relating to jihad bi al-qital, just warfare, will be discussed and the strict conditions that must be necessarily followed before and during any warfare. The Islamic legal concepts of the abode of peace and abode of war will also be outlined and how these too have been misused to provide justifications for terrorist attacks on non-muslim lands. Legal authority is also a crucial element of Islamic jurisprudence and this paper will illustrate how no individual or groups of individuals can ever declare war on individuals or other states. Al-Qaeda and other extremist ideologies have sought to exploit social, political and economic problems that have beset the Muslim world, equating martyrdom with suicide bombings as a legitimate form of defence. Shaykh-ul-Islam s fatwa provides a detailed analysis of this highly emotive subject and through its exhaustive compilation of the classical legal Islamic scholars demonstrates that these practices are not only abhorrent to the Islamic faith but have no sound legal basis for their reasoning. Chapter Seven discuss the Islamic concept of al-wala wal Bara (WB). The chapter highlights the different position, style and approach of writing and presenting the Islamic concept of WB by modern Salafi thinkers/writers from the various Salafi orientation. In this regard, the works of Salih Al-Fawzan, Abdul Rahman Abdul Khaliq and Ayman Al-Zawahiri who are of purist, politico and jihadi orientation respectively will be consulted and analysed. The chapter argues and attempt to show that a particular Salafi background and orientation has an effect on the manner modern Salafis present the concept of WB. Purist Salafis would present WB in a more conservative, apolitical and socially-oriented form of it while the jihadis would present it as one that is very hostile to the non-muslims, and that the concept necessitates Muslims to kill the non-muslims. The chapter will also analyse the book of a fourth Salafi figure, Muhammad Saeed Al-Qahtani whose writing on WB, as the paper argues, has all the aqidah (creed), social, political and jihadi elements as comprised in the modern Salafis concept of WB. The paper concludes that while it is not something absolute, the effect of one s adoption of a particular Salafi orientation could result in different dimensions of presenting religious issues and rulings. This reflects the concept of WB in modern Salafism is one that is fluid and multidimensional. Chapter Eight discusses the concept of takfir. Takfir, whichmeansto consider other people or groups as disbelievers and quitting from Islam, is not a new phenomenon in the history of Islam. In the early years of Islam,

8 xxii Introduction precisely after the Shiffin war (37 H/Islamic calendar or 658 M/Gregorian Calendar) in the western bank of Euphrate River, between Caliph Ali bin Abi Thalib s troops and Muawiyah troops, emerged the Khawarij group, which was considered as the first takfir movement in the history of Islam. They considered a Muslim as a disbeliever or apostate when he/she commits a major sin. The 11 September 2001 attacks in New York and Washington are the starting points when the world began to know of Osama bin Laden, not only as the leader of Tanzhîm al-qâ idah (Al-Qaeda) which has been targeted by US in the war against terrorism but also his views and thoughts on which Al-Qaeda bases their movements and actions. Since then, especially since 7 October 2001, when the US attacked Afghanistan, Bin Laden had voiced his views through open letters, speeches and interviews in a number of media within a short period of time. In many of his speeches and open letters, Bin Laden called America and its allies as his main enemies and disbeliever leaders who should be prioritised to wage war against, because they always fight against and attack Muslims. He believed that a way to stop their aggression is by waging jihad. A real war, according to Bin Laden, was between the Islamic world and international crusader troops who collaborated with the Jews Zionists under the leadership of US, UK and Israel. The main perpetrators (of the war) are the Jews, who according to Bin Laden, based on his religious understanding, are an eternal enemy who always wage war until the doomsday. Those who consider (Muslims) that they could live peacefully with Israel have become disbelieving (kufr) towards the teachings of Prophet Muhammad. The conflict has not only started since the creation of Israel state in 1948 but since the two-century crusade war ( ) in which the main target is to rule Palestine and Arab regions, especially Al-Quds (Jerusalem). Chapter Nine concludes with the Rome Memorandum on good practices for rehabilitation and reintegration of violent extremist offenders; and highlights the outcome of a long process tracking terrorist rehabilitation and the beginning of a longer one, and of implementing best practices in regional contexts. In 2011, the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) The Hague launched an international initiative on the rehabilitation and reintegration of violent extremist offenders and the related issue of prison radicalisation. This was to be developed within the framework of the UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) and was the result of an in-depth collaborative effort. Drawing on experiences of several pioneer programme of the last decade, the Rome

9 xxiii Memorandum on Good Practices for Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Violent Extremist Offenders (also known as the Rome Memorandum) seeks to highlight best practices to encourage and guide budding deradicalisation and rehabilitation programmes. Detainee rehabilitation and reintegration, and in-prison radicalisation have become a top priority for the international community for the following reasons: incarceration may radicalise or increase radicalisation, but under the right circumstances it can also have the inverse effect. As most violent extremists will be released at some point, prison should not be an end in itself. Detainees cannot be considered dealt with just by their being locked away. They must be put under the right circumstances that will reduce the recidivism rates and contribute to a holistic counter-terrorism strategy.

Terrorist Rehabilitation

Terrorist Rehabilitation A New Frontier in Counter-terrorism Imperial College Press Insurgency and Terrorism Series ISSN: 2335-6847 Series Editor: Rohan Gunaratna (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)