A housewife from Singapore was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) after an “escalation” in her radical behaviour. According to reports, she was said to have been radicalised by her husband.
The Internal Security Department (ISD) spoke of the Singaporean woman’s detainment on Wednesday (9 June).
Singaporean Housewife Was Radicalised By Husband
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Ruqayyah Ramli is a former part-time freelance religious teacher aged 34 years. She was previously issued with a restriction order after her husband radicalised her.
Her husband Mohd Firdaus Kamal Intdzam is a Malaysian man who was arrested and repatriated from Singapore in August 2020. He was arrested for supporting the militant group of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
The Malaysian High Court sentenced him to three years’ jail on 15 April for possessing terrorism-related propaganda materials. Ruqayyah was then placed on a restriction order under the ISA.
What Does It Mean To Be Radicalised: Woman Detained Under ISA
ISD says that since then, the housewife displayed an escalation of radical behaviour and involvement in “activities prejudicial to Singapore’s security.”
“Ruqayyah has refused to make any genuine effort to participate in the rehabilitation programme, and remains entrenched in her radical beliefs,” says ISD as per CNA.
ISD adds that the housewife has continued to support the violent actions of ISIS and “believes in the use of violence against the perceived enemies of Islam.”
Ruqayyah has also persisted in communicating online with overseas ISIS supports who are her husband’s associates. It’s also been said that she supported her husband’s intention to join and fight for ISIS in Syria.
The department says she was even willing to accompany her husband to the conflict zone. She planned to take care of the family and assist wounded ISIS fighters.
Due to this, ISD says she’s been detained to prevent her from progressing further down a “violent radical path.”
What Being Detained For Radicalism Can Lead To
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There are other cases of radicalised Singaporeans who had to serve detainment and even went through rehabilitation:
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Back in August 2018, Singaporean Ahmed Hussein Abdul Kadir was detained for also supporting ISIS.
After he was sentenced to 30 months’ jail for his terrorism financing offences, the detention order was cancelled in October 2019. ISD says Hussein continued his rehabilitation during imprisonment and has since made good progress as he no longer poses a security threat.
Hussein has been issued a restriction order after he completed his jail sentence.
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Two other self-radicalised Singaporeans were released from detention last month.
Both Mohamed Faishal Mohd Razali and Kuthubdeen Haja Najumudeen showed good progress in their rehabilitation.
Mohamed was detained in April 2018 for wanting to pursue armed violence in overseas conflicts. He was eventually released under a suspension direction.
Kuthubdeen was a follower of Sri Lankan radical preacher Zahran Hashim who is one of the suicide bombers in the Sri Lanka Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in 2019. He was then released on a restriction order.
After rehabilitation, they have been later assessed to no longer pose a security threat requiring preventive detention.
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