Intending to join terrorist group ISIS and even actively planning to head over to Syria with her child (!!) to marry another ISIS supporter, a radicalized Singaporean citizen has become the first woman to be detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
According to a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) statement released today, 22-year-old Syaikhah Izzah Zahrah Al Ansari was detained earlier this month, though a specific date for the arrest was not given. The contract infant care assistant with the PCF (PAP Community Foundation) Sparkletots preschool program, had allegedly been actively posting and sharing pro-ISIS materials online since 2014.
Last we checked, PCF Sparkletots employees aren’t equipped with the skills and know-how to execute heinous terror attacks on the innocent.
Her path towards radicalization started in 2013, when she was exposed to online propaganda related to the extremist group.
“She began to believe that ISIS represented the true spirit of Islam. Her radicalization deepened over time,” wrote the MHA.
“This was exacerbated by a wide network of foreign online contacts which she developed. They included ISIS militants and supporters, some of whom have either been killed in Syria or arrested for terrorism-related activities.”
It’s perhaps odd that Izzah wasn’t reported to the authorities earlier during her path towards self-radicalization. Her family had actually first come to know of her intention to join ISIS in 2015, and even tried to dissuade her on their own. Clearly, they were unsuccessful, and MHA noted the importance of alerting the authorities early when warning signs are present.
“In Izzah’s case, her family members did not bring her to the attention of the authorities when she was younger and could have potentially been turned back from the path of radicalization,” they wrote. “Furthermore, after Izzah was placed under investigation, important evidence was destroyed by a family member relating to her plans to join ISIS, in order to try to minimize her acts.”
According to MHA, Izzah was allegedly prepared to undergo military training and engage in armed combat to defend ISIS. She supported the group’s use of violence to establish a “caliphate” and aspired to live in it, and had been looking to settle down in Syria with an ISIS fighter.
As late as April 2017, she boasted that the Singapore authorities had not detected her.
“The authorities are working hard to keep Singapore safe, but they cannot do it alone,” the MHA said.
“Early reporting could enable the individual who is at risk of becoming radicalized to be given proper guidance and counselling. They could be steered away from the path of radicalization and may not need to be severely dealt with under the law.”
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