Struggle For Islamic State (IS) Is Political Ideology - Experts

By Siti Salwa Shaari KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 (Bernama) -- Claims of jihad with the so-called Islamic State militant group in the Middle East, specifically Syria, should be stopped because the objective of the 'war' was more to build up the ideology of the militant group. Dean of the College of Law, Government and International Studies, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM, a Malaysian public university), Associate Professor Dr Ahmad Marthada Mohamed said the IS was inclined to gaining independence for its country from rulers who had no direction. "The differing ideologies led to feelings of being oppressed and created a desire to form a nation which reflects the policies and ideologies of the group," he told Bernama here Monday. Ahmad Marthada said it was important that a person has an understanding of the group's ideology before joining. He added that the name of the group itself, using the word 'Islam' would be a magnet to draw the attention of more Muslims to join. "Muslims are easily attracted to the word 'Islam' whereas to the non-Muslims, the militant group claims that its struggle is to fight oppression and attain basic rights. "The concept is not fixed but changes often, depending on the subject that is being approached. Which is why it has to be fully studied before it can be considered 'jihad'," he said. On Oct 15, Home Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the police had identified 39 Malaysians, including a woman, who was involved with the militant groups such as the Islamic State. There are three militant groups in Syria believed to have Malaysian members - the Islamic State, Jabhat Al Nusra and Ajnad Al Sham - and they usually use Quranic verses and the word 'jihad' to attract the target group. Ahmad Marthada said the religious authorities should disseminate information on the objectives, ideology and beliefs of these groups or organisations like them to avoid Muslims in this country becoming confused. He added that even if the IS succeeded in having its own government, it would face difficulty getting recognition from the international community as well as 100 per cent support of the people of its country. "The extreme action of the group, such as cruel killings which are against the teachings of Islam, has resulted in the group losing support of Muslim nations including Malaysia, as well as the Arab countries," he said. According to Universiti Putra Malaysia's (UPM or University of Putra, Malaysia) head of the department of Government and Civilisation Studies in the Faculty of Human Ecology, Dr Ahmad Tarmizi Talib, those who joined the IS have been influenced by groups who are used by other parties for political purposes. Meanwhile, religious speaker Assc Professor Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said it was not right for individuals to join a group to 'jihad' under uncertain conditions about what was happening there. The ex-mufti (Islamic scholar) said it was better if that struggle was left to the residents of that country as they would understand the geo-political situation better, based on their own experiences. "Those people (citizens of other countries) go there just for jihad? Or are Muslims fighting among themselves to help create a group that has its own agenda?" he asked. "The IS 'struggle' is still unclear in the basics, including its objectives," Mohd Asri added. He suggested that the government conduct a humanitarian mission so that Malaysians could channel their empathy while the mission could be a way to jihad as the meaning of the word was wide and not confined to using weapons. "Medicating people is also jihad. If you really want to jihad, do it without weapons but by taking medicine or food to the right places," he said. Mohd Asri added that those who want to 'jihad' should emulate Muslim warrior Salahuddin Al-Ayubi who also treated the Christian forces who were wounded in battle. --BERNAMA