KUALA LUMPUR: Radicalism among youth is a threat not only to Malaysia but the world, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.
He said the recent lone wolf attacks in Sydney and Paris were serious and disturbing because they were carried out by young people.
“What’s more painful is the fact these young men and women are often educated and from affluent backgrounds,” said Hishammuddin during his keynote address at the third National Aspiration and Leadership Symposium at the Putra World Trade Centre on Saturday.
He added that the threat posed by the Islamic State (IS) group has shone the spotlight on the global Islamic community (ummah) again.
Hishammuddin said the Malay community is not exempt from this given how crucial Islam is to their identity.
He noted also that it is a sad but undeniable fact that many young Malaysians have gone to Iraq and Syria to fight for IS.
“We cannot bury our head in the sand to this unfortunate trend. Their actions are a stain on the honour of our faith and our community,” he said.
Hishammuddin said he suspects Malaysians joining IS wanted meaning, direction and purpose.
He added that what’s needed to defeat extremism is a comprehensive effort to ensure society’s most venerable members, especially young men, are given alternatives to radicalism.
No comments:
Post a Comment