IKSIM Proposes Module To Protect Students From Is Militant Influence

By Muhammad Afiq Mohd Asri and Amirul Mohd Sajadi KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 (Bernama) -- The Institute of Islamic Strategic Research Malaysia (IKSIM) has proposed a special module to protect overseas-bound students from the influence of the so-called IS militant group. It said the course should be made compulsory for students who were pursuing their studies abroad because the IS targetted the younger generation. IKSIM senior fellow Engku Ahmad Fadzil Engku Ali said the module should include true facts on Islam and explain the atrocities perpetrated by the IS. He likened students to 'plain paper', who were susceptible to ideologies such as liberalism, Shiism and Wahabism, whether through social media or other means. "If they are not guided properly, it is possible they could be influenced by extremist ideologies," he said. IKSIM'S proposal was made following several cases of students being influenced by extremist groups. Among them was a 19-year-old Malaysian student in Cairo, Egypt, who was arrested on Nov 30 for his alleged involvement in militant activities when he returned from Syria via Turkey. He was believed to have been recruited to join a terrorist group in Syria in mid-2014 after interacting with a militant via Facebook. Engku Ahmad Fadzil said the implementation of the special module should be led by the higher education ministry, with cooperation from the home ministry. Malaysian Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki supported the proposal. However, he said for a start, the module should be applied within the existing mandatory courses. "The special module should be applied in courses at the national civic bureaus, or by the sponsors of students such as the Public Services Department, MARA (Majlis Amanah Rakyat or Council of Trust for the Bumiputera) or bodies in the public and private sectors," he added. -- BERNAMA