SINGAPORE — The Hezbollah, a militant group in Lebanon known for its bloody history of sectarian violence and branded as a terrorist organisation by many countries, shocked the world when it became part of the winning coalition during the Middle Eastern country’s parliamentary elections in 2018.
But there are increasing signs that JI, whose members are estimated to number between 6,000 and 10,000 today, could evolve into a “hybrid” variant of Islamist extremism that will be hard to eradicate. In response to TODAY’s queries, Singapore’s Internal Security Department said JI remains resilient and adaptable, even as it beats a tactical retreat.
In any case, with investigations still ongoing, the opening of a political front for JI poses interesting questions about the future of the banned organisation, said Associate Professor Kumar Ramakrishna, who heads the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies .REGIONAL CRACKDOWN
He paused the violence that the militant group had become known for to reduce the attention on the group, and the JI at the time became known as the “Neo-JI” due to its changing tack. Associate Professor Andrew Tan, from the Department of Security Studies and Criminology at Macquarie University in Australia, said the sudden and messy United States withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 — which paved the way for the return of the Taliban, another Islamist fundamentalist group — was, in fact, a shot in the arm for JI and its supporters.
Basuki had been accused of blasphemy against Islam in a speech in 2016 and lost the gubernatorial election the next year, and was also sentenced to two years’ jail. In that context, the establishment of a political party that is actually JI in disguise is the natural next step for the terrorist group.
The ISD spokesperson said JI’s comeback “will directly raise the threat of an attack against Singapore and our interests”, as Singapore is still viewed as a prized target by the JI. Wijayanto was arrested in 2019 by the Indonesian police, which have continued to nab JI members who are involved in other non-military fronts, such as financing and religious outreach.
Nevertheless, it stressed the importance for people to take “concrete steps” to flag out suspicious persons and activities, and extremist online content to the authorities.
They think they are the new Sinn Féin? A caliphate across SE Asia is what they really want.