Terrorist Rehabilitation

Transcription

1 Terrorist Rehabilitation A New Frontier in Counter-terrorism

2 Imperial College Press Insurgency and Terrorism Series ISSN: Series Editor: Rohan Gunaratna (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore) Published Vol. 1 Vol. 2 Vol. 3 Vol. 4 Vol. 5 Vol. 6 Vol. 7 Vol. 8 Countering Extremism: Building Social Resilience through Community Engagement edited by R. Gunaratna, J. Jerard and S. M. Nasir The Father of Jihad: 'Abd Allah Azzam's Jihad Ideas and Implications to National Security by Muhammad Haniff Hassan Explaining Islamist Insurgencies: The Case of al-jammah al-islamiyyah and the Radicalisation of the Poso Conflict, by Muhammad Tito Karnavian Wars from Within: Understanding and Managing Insurgent Movements by Albrecht Schnabel and Rohan Gunaratna Cultural Security: Evaluating the Power of Culture in International Affairs by Erik Nemeth Whither Southeast Asia Terrorism? by Arabinda Acharya Terrorist Rehabilitation: A New Frontier in Counter-terrorism by Rohan Gunaratna and Mohamed Bin Ali Resilience and Resolve: Communities against Terrorism by Jolene Jerard and Salim Mohamed Nasir (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore) Forthcoming The Roots of Religious Extremism: Understanding the Salafi Doctrine of Al-Wala' Wal Bara' by Mohamed Bin Ali (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)

3 Insurgency & Terrorism Series Volume 7 Terrorist Rehabilitation A New Frontier in Counter-terrorism Rohan Gunaratna Mohamed Bin Ali S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore ICP Imperial College Press

4 Published by Imperial College Press 57 Shelton Street Covent Garden London WC2H 9HE Distributed by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. 5 Toh Tuck Link, Singapore USA office: 27 Warren Street, Suite , Hackensack, NJ UK office: 57 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9HE Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Gunaratna, Rohan, 1961 Terrorist rehabilitation : a new frontier in counter-terrorism / Rohan Gunaratna (S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang, Technological University, Singapore), Mohamed Bin Ali (S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang, Technological University, Singapore). pages cm. -- (Imperial College Press insurgency and terrorism series ; 7) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Terrorists--Rehabilitation. 2. Terrorism--Prevention. I. Bin Ali, Mohamed. II. Title. HV6431.G '18--dc British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Copyright 2015 by Imperial College Press All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without written permission from the Publisher. For photocopying of material in this volume, please pay a copying fee through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. In this case permission to photocopy is not required from the publisher. In-house Editor: Rajni Gamage Typeset by Stallion Press enquiries@stallionpress.com Printed in Singapore

5 Acknowledgements We wish to thank Ustaz Ali Haji Mohamed and Ustaz Mohammad Hasbi Hassan, Co-Chairmen of the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) and all members of the RRG who have built a multi-faceted terrorist rehabilitation programme in Singapore. We also express our gratitude to Ambassador Barry Desker, former Dean of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) for his steadfast support, and to Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, current Executive Deputy Chairman of RSIS for his continued vision. Without the excellent partnership of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of Singapore, especially the former Permanent Secretary of MHA, Mr Benny Lim and other leaders of the Ministry, the cooperation between the government, academia, educational institutions, religious institutions and the community organisations would not have been possible. Their vision and hard work reached a pinnacle when Singapore hosted two international conferences to bring key national, regional and international stakeholders together. These conferences were the International Conference on Terrorist Rehabilitation (ICTR) held in February 2009 and the International Conference on Terrorist Rehabilitation and Community Engagement (ICRR) held in March The ICRR was organised in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of the RRG. There are many who worked behind the scenes to make terrorist rehabilitation and community engagement an imperative in Singapore and we look forward to support the existing and emerging counter-radicalisation and deradicalisation programme worldwide. The staff of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) at RSIS has worked in Asia, Africa and the v

6 vi Acknowledgements Middle East with RRG clerics and other staff to build terrorist rehabilitation and community engagement capacity. In this regard we wish to extend our appreciation to the Centre s analysts, in particular Rebecca Lunnon, for their contributions to the terrorist rehabilitation and community engagement cause in their role as counter-terrorism researchers. As the terrorist threat evolves, the RSIS and RRG partnership remains committed in assisting to build a global rehabilitation and community engagement platform and capabilities.

7 About the Contributors Dr Abdul Rahman Al Hadlaq is Security Advisor and General Director of the Ideological Security Directorate at the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Interior. He obtained his PhD from the United States, majoring in Political Science (Political Violence among Islamic Groups). He taught many courses on Politics, Terrorism and Radicalisation. Dr Al Hadlaq also participated in and supervised different studies on terrorism and rehabilitation. He has organised and supervised many of Saudi Arabia s deradicalisation programmes, including those for men returning from imprisonment at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and other programmes to counter radical ideology. Dr Douglas Stone is Senior Advisor to the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI). He is a retired Major General from the US Marine Corps (USMC). He graduated from the US Naval Academy, served on Active Duty for six years and joined the reserve component beginning his civilian career at Hewlett Package as a design engineer. He ultimately became the data terminals division Operations Manager and was later recruited to ROLM Corporation where he was the Division General Manager. He was the CEO of three successful startups engaged in software and communications product and service offerings. Alternating tours of Active Duty in the USMC, Dr Stone also served as the Senior VP of Business Development for Qwest Communications and SVP of Business Development for SAIC. Dr Stone is widely viewed as the pioneer of the software as service in his creation of Qwest s Cyber Solutions Corporation where he was President. Today, he is the President s Special Advisor to the UN on counter-terrorism and has led a pioneering and UN member nation signature document. Dr Stone earned his doctorate from the University of Southern California in Political Science. Dr Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, constitutional lawyer, is President of the Supreme Council of Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI), Lahore, Pakistan. Dr Hassan obtained his law degree from the Pakistan College vii

8 viii About the Contributors of Law in May 2003, double Master s degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the College of Shariah Sciences (COSIS), Pakistan in 2002, MSc in Management from Sir John Cass Business School in 2005 and PhD at Arab League University, Cairo in November Dr Irfan Idris, Director for Deradicalisation at Natioal Anti-Terrorism Agency (BNPT), Indonesia is also a lecturer at the School of Shariah and Law, State Islamic University (UIN) Alauddin in Makassar, South Sulawesi. He received his PhD from the School of Shariah, Syarif Hidayatullah UIN in Jakarta. He was a participant at the Anti-Terror Executive Meeting in Washington, DC (June 2011) and Conference on Tackling the Threat of Violent Extremism in London (July 2011). He was a visiting post-doctoral fellow in Germany, Netherlands, France and Italy (2009). Malkanthi Hettiarachchi is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist. She has a BA (Hons) Psychology from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka; MSc (Mental health) from Kings College, University of London; and MSc (clinical Psychology) from the RMIT University, Melbourne. She has worked extensively in community, inpatient and forensic settings (prison and detention and rehabilitation centers) in Sri Lanka, the UK and Australia. She is a doctoral candidate at the Centre for Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism (PICT) at the University of Macquaire, Sydney, Australia. She has experience in designing implementing rehabilitation programmes within secure and community settings; treatment of a range of mental health problems; and psychiatric assessment and profiling; and has led the specialist team that assessed 9,900 terrorist detainees in Sri Lanka. To assist build rehabilitation and reintegration capabilities, Malkanthi Hettiarachchi has worked in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. She is a trainer for INTERPOL, UNICRI and other organisations. Dr Mohamed Bin Ali is Assistant Professor at Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. His areas of research include Islamic jurisprudence, Islamist ideology, religious extremism, inter-religious relations and rehabilitation of Muslim extremists. Well-versed in Arabic language and Islamic knowledge, Dr Mohamed obtained his Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Islamic jurisprudence from Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt in 2002, Masters of Science (MSc) in International Relations at RSIS, NTU in 2007 and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Arab and Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter,

9 About the Contributors ix UK in Prior to that, he studied Islam and Arabic language at Aljunied Islamic School in Singapore from Dr Mohamed also graduated with a Specialist Diploma in Counseling Psychology from Academy of Certified Counselors, Singapore in Since 2003, Dr Mohamed has been involved in the rehabilitation programme of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) detainees in Singapore. He is the Vice-Chairman and a counsellor of the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), a group of voluntary Muslim clerics who provide religious counselling to the JI detainees. Dr Mohamed has made numerous presentations locally and abroad, conducted courses and published widely on Islamic issues and issues of religious extremism and terrorist rehabilitation. He has also conducted field trips in many countries including Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines. Dr Mohamed is also actively involved in community-related works. Currently, he is a member of the Syariah Appeal Board of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) and a member of the Khadijah Mosque Management Board. Dr Mohamed is a former President of the Singaporean Students Welfare Assembly in Cairo, former member of the Council for Asian Terrorism Research and counsellor at the Singapore Prison Department. He has also delivered lectures and sermons in many mosques in Singapore. Ustaz Mohamed Feisal Mohamed Hassan is an Associate/Research Fellow at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. His research interests lie in terrorist rehabilitation, counter-ideology and community engagement. He graduated from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) with an Honours Degree in Philosophy and also holds a Master of Science in International Relations from RSIS, NTU. He is a member of the Religious Rehabilitation Group Secretariat and a religious rehabilitation counsellor. Dr Muchlis M Hanafi is Director Research for Quranic Studies at the agency for Islamic Research and Development of Indonesia s Ministry of Religious Affairs and sits on the expert council of the Centre for Quranic Studies (PSQ) in Indonesia. He teaches at several institutions of higher learning such as UIN (State Islamic University) Syarif Hidayatullah in Jakarta, Institute Ilmu Al-Quran (IIQ) and Perguruan Tinggi Ilmu Al- Quran (PTIQ). He completed his studies in Exegesis and Science of Al- Quran at Al-Azhar University in Cairo. He obtained a Master s degree in

10 x About the Contributors 2000 and completed his doctorate summa cum laude in 2006 with first class honours. He authored several books including Moderasi Islam: Menangkal Radikalisme Berbasis Agama (Moderation in Islam: Countering Radicalism) and Kekerasan Alas Nama Aeama: Meluruskan Kesalahpahaman Seputar Konsep Jihad dan Perang Dalam Islam (Violence in the Name of Religion: Correcting Misconceptions of War and Jihad in Islam). Dr Muchlis Hanafi participated in the interfaith dialogues in Doha, Qatar and Madrid, Spain, and the International Islamic Conference for Jialogue. He is also a guest speaker at Takushoku University in Tokyo and Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS). Currently, he holds an appointment by his alma mater as the Secretary-General of the International Association for Al-Azhar Alumni in Indonesia. Muh Taufiqurrohman is a Senior Analyst at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), within the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. Since 2012 he has also been a Senior Researcher at the Abdurrahman Wahid Centre, University of Indonesia. Prior to that, in he was a terrorism researcher for the Centre for Radicalism and Deradicalization Studies, Indonesian Institute for Strategic Studies and American Embassy in Jakarta, and he has contributed regularly to the Jakarta Globe and Jakarta Post on issues relating to terrorism. His areas of research include international security, terrorism and counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency and international affairs. Taufiqurrohman holds an MSc in International Relations from Parahyangan Catholic University, Indonesia (2009) and an MA in Risk and Security from Durham University, UK (2014). In 2014, he co-authored a book chapter with Professor Rohan Gunaratna entitled, Insurgency and Terrorism in ASEAN Region: The Threat and Response, in Globalization, Development and Security in Asia, edited by Zhiqun Zhu and published by World Scientific Publishing Co. In 2011, he wrote a book chapter entitled, Peta Terorisme Indonesia (Indonesian Map of Terrorism), in Terorisme: Tinjauan Psiko Politis, Peran Media, Kemiskinan dan Keamanan Nasional (Terrorism: Survey of Psycho Politics, Role of Media, Poverty and National Security), edited by Suke Warsini Djelantik and published by Yayasan Obor Indonesia. Professor Rohan Gunaratna is a specialist in the field of the global threat environment, with expertise in threat groups in Asia, the Middle

11 About the Contributors xi East and Africa. He is the Head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) in Singapore, one of the world s largest specialist counter-terrorism research and training centres. Professor Gunaratna is also Professor of Security Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, and he is a Senior Fellow at the International Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism in Oklahoma. He is a member of the International Advisory Board of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Israel, and a member of the Steering Committee of the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University. He was also a Senior Fellow at the Fletcher School for Law and Diplomacy and at the Combating Terrorism Centre at the United States Military Academy. In February 2009, he chaired the inaugural International Conference on Terrorist Rehabilitation in Singapore.

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13 Contents Acknowledgements About the Contributors Introduction Part 1 1 Chapter One: Terrorist Rehabilitation: Genesis, Genealogy and Likely Future 3 Rohan Gunaratna Chapter Two: Saudi Efforts in Counter-Radicalisation and Extremist Rehabilitation 21 Dr Abdulrahman al-hadlaq v vii xv Chapter Three: Terrorist Rehabilitation: The Singapore Experience 41 Rohan Gunaratna and Mohamed Feisal Bin Mohamed Hassan Chapter Four: Current State of Indonesia s Deradicalisation and Rehabilitation Programme 71 Irfan Idris and Muh Taufiqurrohman xiii

14 xiv Contents Chapter Five: Sri Lanka s Rehabilitation Programme: The Humanitarian Mission Two 103 Malkanthi Hettiarachchi Part Chapter Six: Delegitimising the Al-Qaeda of Obligatory Jihad: Interpreting the Islamic Concept of Jihad Based on the Fatwa on Terrorism 135 Dr Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri Chapter Seven: Al-Wala wal Bara (Loyalty and Disavowal) in Modern Salafism: Analysing the Positions of Purist, Politico and Jihadi Salafis 153 Dr Mohamed Ali Chapter Eight: Weighing the Arguments of Takfir and Islam Under Attack 193 Dr Muchlis M Hanafi Chapter Nine: The Outcome of a Long Process: Tracking Terrorist Rehabilitation and the Beginning of a Longer One Implementing Best Practices in Regional Contexts 221 Dr Douglas M Stone Index 247

15 Introduction 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

16 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

17 Introduction 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

18 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

19 Introduction 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

20 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.

21 Introduction 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,

22 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

23 Introduction 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.