Singapore mosque attacks plot

Last updated

Singapore mosque attacks plot
Part of Counter-terrorism in Singapore and right-wing terrorism
Masjid Yusof Ishak.jpg
Yusof Ishak Mosque in 2017, one of the mosques that were planned targets
Location Yusof Ishak Mosque in Woodlands and Assyafaah Mosque in Sembawang (planned)
DatePlanned to be executed on 15 March 2021;3 years ago (15 March 2021), foiled in November 2020;3 years ago (November 2020)
Target Muslim worshippers
Attack type
Failed terrorist plot, right-wing terrorism, stabbing, hate crime
Weapon Smith & Wesson Machete
Deaths0
Injured0
PerpetratorUnnamed 16-year-old male
Motive

The Singapore mosque attacks plot was a plan by a far-right extremist to commit two Islamophobic terrorist attacks at two Singaporean mosques on March 15, 2021, the 2-year anniversary of the Christchurch mosque shootings. The plot was uncovered in late November 2020 by the Internal Security Department, who arrested a 16-year-old Indian Protestant youth under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Contents

The perpetrator reportedly expressed anti-Islamic views and was inspired by the actions of the Christchurch mosque shooter Brenton Tarrant. The suspect is the youngest person and the first far-right extremist to be detained under the ISA. [1] [2]

Background

The suspect

According to the Internal Security Department (ISD), the suspect was a 16-year old Protestant Christian of Indian ancestry who was motivated by Islamophobia and fascinated with violence. [3] After watching several ISIL propaganda videos including one showing the execution of Ethiopian Christians, the suspect came to believe that ISIL represented Islam and that Islam called on its followers to kill non-Muslims. [4] [2] [1]

The suspect was also influenced by the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooter Brenton Tarrant, having read his manifesto "The Great Replacement" and watched a livestream video of the terror attacks on the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch. Following the Nice stabbing on 29 October 2020, he became convinced that an attack by Muslims on Christians was imminent. [4] [2] [1]

Planning and manifestos

Following the 2020 Nice stabbing, the suspect began making detailed plans to attack two mosques on 15 March 2021, the second anniversary of the Christchurch mosque shootings. After initially considering the An-nur Mosque, the suspect selected the Yusof Ishak Mosque in Woodlands due to its proximity to the Assyafaah Mosque in Sembawang. According to the ISD, the suspect conducted online research and reconnaissance using Google Maps and Street View on both mosques to prepare for the attacks. Despite not having a driving license, he intended to obtain a car for driving between the two targets. [4] [2] [1]

Following Tarrant's example, the suspect bought a tactical vest from internet auction website Carousell in November 2020, which he intended to strap a mobile device for livestreaming his attacks. He also tried to purchase a gun via the messaging platform Telegram but abandoned it after suspecting a scam. The suspect also admitted that his plans to obtain firearms were thwarted by Singapore's strong gun control laws. The suspect also explored building a Triacetone Triperoxide bomb but abandoned it due to logistical and personal safety concerns. Finally, the suspect settled on a Smith & Wesson machete on Carousell but was not able to purchase it prior to his arrest. [4] [2] [1]

The suspect also prepared two documents which he intended to disseminate prior to his attacks. The first document was a message to the people of France in response to the 2020 Nice stabbing which advocated conflict against Muslims. The second document was an uncompleted manifesto outlining his hatred for Islam and rejection of pacifism. The suspect expressed hope that his actions would challenge those who believed that Islamic extremism was right. He also praised Tarrant (the perpetrator of the Christchurch attacks) as a "saint" and described the Christchurch attacks as a "justifiable killing of Muslims." [4] [2] [1]

Arrest, investigation, and detention

In November 2020, the Internal Security Department received intelligence about a Singapore-based individual who wanted to attack Muslims in Singapore. The suspect was arrested under the Internal Security Act on 26 November and subsequently issued with a detention order on 23 December after being deemed to pose an "imminent security threat." The youth was the youngest person and first far-right extremist to be detained under the ISA. Due to his young age, the teenager's mother was present during the interview and he was allowed visits during the 30-day investigation period. [2]

During the course of the ISD's investigation, the suspect admitted that he could only foresee two outcomes to his plan: that he was arrested before he could carry out the attacks or that he executed his plan and was killed by the Singapore Police. The suspect also told investigators that he was prepared to die for his cause. The ISD's investigation concluded that the suspect did not try to influence anyone with his "extreme outlook" or recruit others into his attack plot. His immediate family and others within his social circle were unaware of his attack plans and anti-Islamic views. [4] [2] [1]

In late January 2021, Singaporean Minister for Law and Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam ruled out prosecuting the suspect in a court of law, arguing that the court proceedings would inflame communal tensions. [2] He also said that Muslims arrested for potential terrorism offenses under the ISA were also not charged in court. [2] Based on the current rehabilitative approach towards Islamist terrorism suspects detained under the ISA, Shanmugan and the ISD indicated that the suspect would undergo holistic programme consisting of religious, psychological and social rehabilitation including counselling to address his propensity violence and extremist views. [2]

In January 2024, the youth was released from detention after spending almost three years in detention. [5]

Media coverage and reactions

Singaporean authorities first disclosed the case to the news media and public on 27 January 2021. [4] [2] [1] Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam also discussed details of the mosque attacks plot and investigation during a press conference. [2] In addition, the Singapore mosque attacks plot was covered by several international media including Al Jazeera, ABC News, BBC News, The Courier-Mail , The Hindu , The New Zealand Herald , and the South China Morning Post . [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Following media coverage of the mosque attacks plot, staff at the targeted Assyafaah Mosque and Yusof Ishak Mosque tightened patrols. Though worshippers continued to visit mosques on Thursday, many were hesitant to bring their children. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore issued a statement that the case highlighted the threat of online radicalization, and condemned acts of terror and violence "which have no place in any religion." Security studies Professor Rohan Gunaratna stated that Singaporean Muslims trusted the Singapore Government to protect them from threats and warned that governments needed to deal with the growing threat of terrorism on cyberspace. [13]

The National Council of Churches of Singapore condemned the actions of the suspect as unrepresentative of the Christian faith and teachings and also affirmed their commitment to peaceful relations with the Singaporean Muslim community. [13] [14] In addition, several Singaporean Christian bodies including the Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the Alliance of Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches of Singapore (APCCS), and the Heart of God Church (HOGC) issued statements condemning violence and extremism and expressing solidarity with the Muslim community. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finsbury Park Mosque</span> Mosque in north London, England

The Finsbury Park Mosque, also known as the North London Central Mosque, is a five-storey mosque located next to Finsbury Park station close to Arsenal Football Club's Emirates Stadium, in the London Borough of Islington. Finsbury Park Mosque is registered as a charity in England, serving the local community in Islington and the surrounding boroughs of North London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore embassies attack plot</span> Failed 2001 Jemaah Islamiyah terror plot

The Singapore embassies attack plot was a plan in 2001 by Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) to bomb the diplomatic missions and attack personnel of the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Israel based in Singapore. There were also several other targets. The plot was uncovered in December 2001 and as many as 15 people were arrested in Singapore within a month. Further investigation and intelligence prompted the detention of another 26 persons from 2002 to 2005. As of 2006, 37 of them were still being detained without trial, under the Internal Security Act. Four had been released on restriction orders.

Yazid Sufaat, also known as Yazud bin Sufaat or Yazid Shufaat, is a Malaysian member of the extremist Islamist terrorist organisation Jemaah Islamiyah from shortly after its foundation in 1993 until his arrest by Malaysian authorities in December 2001. His speciality had been to develop anthrax as a weapon of bio-terrorism on behalf of the terror group al-Qaeda. Released in 2008, he was again detained on terrorist charges in Malaysia in 2013.

Counter-terrorism in Singapore is a series of detection and prevention measures to minimize the damage caused by terrorism. These measures involve the participation of all levels of society, including defence, internal security, border and infrastructure security, civil defense, and gives special focus on areas such as medical readiness and psychological preparedness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internal Security Department (Singapore)</span> Intelligence Agency in Singapore

The Internal Security Department (ISD) is the domestic intelligence, counter-espionage and security agency of Singapore under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It is tasked to confront and address security threats ranging from subversion or sedition, spying or espionage, foreign influence, domestic or international terrorism, political or religious extremism, and fraud against the state.

Tang Fong Har is a Singaporean lawyer who was detained on 20 June 1987 by the Singapore government during Operation Spectrum under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mas Selamat Kastari</span> Singaporean Islamist fugative

Mas Selamat Kastari, a Muslim Indonesian-born Singaporean, was for more than a year Singapore's most-wanted fugitive after escaping from detention on 27 February 2008. The search for him has been described as the largest manhunt ever launched in Singapore. He was eventually recaptured in Skudai, Malaysia, on 1 April 2009, over a year after his escape, and has since been returned to Singapore. His escape was found to be one of the events in Singapore's history that Singaporeans were most aware of, with 95% being aware of it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Right-wing terrorism</span> Terrorism motivated by right-wing and far-right ideologies

Right-wing terrorism, hard right terrorism, extreme right terrorism or far-right terrorism is terrorism that is motivated by a variety of different right-wing and far-right ideologies. It can be motivated by Ultranationalism, neo-Nazism, anti-communism, neo-fascism, ecofascism, ethnonationalism, religious nationalism, anti-immigration, anti-semitism, anti-government sentiment, patriot movements, sovereign citizen beliefs, and occasionally, it can be motivated by opposition to abortion, tax resistance, and homophobia. Modern right-wing terrorism largely emerged in Western Europe in the 1970s, and after the Revolutions of 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, it emerged in Eastern Europe and Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internal Security Act (Singapore)</span> Statute of the Parliament of Singapore

The Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA) of Singapore is a statute that grants the executive power to enforce preventive detention, prevent subversion, suppress organized violence against persons and property, and do other things incidental to the internal security of Singapore. The present Act was originally enacted by the Parliament of Malaysia as the Internal Security Act 1960, and extended to Singapore on 16 September 1963 when Singapore was a state of the Federation of Malaysia.

Indefinite detention is the incarceration of an arrested person by a national government or law enforcement agency for an indefinite amount of time without a trial. The Human Rights Watch considers this practice as violating national and international laws, particularly human rights laws, although it remains in legislation in various liberal democracies.

Islamic extremism in the United States comprises all forms of Islamic extremism occurring within the United States. Islamic extremism is an adherence to fundamentalist interpretations of Islam, potentially including the promotion of violence to achieve political goals. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, Islamic extremism became a prioritized national security concern of the U.S. government and a focus of many subsidiary security and law enforcement entities. Initially, the focus of concern was on foreign Islamic terrorist organizations, particularly al-Qaeda, but in the course of the years since the September 11 terror attacks, the focus has shifted more towards Islamic extremist and jihadist networks within the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quebec City mosque shooting</span> 2017 mass shooting in Quebec, Canada

The Quebec City mosque shooting was an attack by a single gunman on the evening of January 29, 2017, at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City, a mosque in the Sainte-Foy neighbourhood of Quebec City, Canada. Six worshippers were killed and five others seriously injured after evening prayers when the gunman entered the prayer hall shortly before 8:00 pm and opened fire for about two minutes with a 9mm Glock pistol. Approximately 40 people were reported present at the time of the shooting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">True Blue Crew</span> Australian far-right extremist group

The True Blue Crew (TBC) is an Australian far-right extremist group. Members and supporters have been linked to right-wing terrorism and vigilantism, and members have been arrested with weapons and on terrorism-related charges. Experts who have studied the group say it appears to be "committed to violence".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christchurch mosque shootings</span> 2019 terrorist attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand

The Christchurch mosque shootings were two consecutive mass shootings on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand on 15 March 2019. They were committed by Brenton Tarrant who entered both mosques during Friday prayer, firstly at the Al Noor Mosque at 1:40 p.m. and later at the Linwood Islamic Centre at 1:52 p.m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Noor Mosque, Christchurch</span> Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand

The Al Noor Mosque is a Sunni mosque in the Christchurch suburb of Riccarton in New Zealand. It was built between 1983 and 1985 by the Muslim Association of Canterbury, an organisation founded in 1977 that also manages the mosque building. It was the primary target of the Christchurch mosque shootings of 15 March 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings</span> Series of suicide bombings

On 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday, three churches in Sri Lanka and three luxury hotels in the commercial capital, Colombo, were targeted in a series of coordinated ISIS-related terrorist suicide bombings. Later that day, two smaller explosions occurred at a housing complex in Dematagoda and a guest house in Dehiwala. A total of 269 people were killed, including at least 45 foreign nationals, three police officers, and eight suicide bombers. An additional 500 were injured. The church bombings were carried out during Easter services in Negombo, Batticaloa and Colombo; the hotels bombed included the Shangri-La, Cinnamon Grand, Kingsbury and Tropical Inn. According to the State Intelligence Service, a second wave of attacks was planned, but was prevented due to government raids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Thowheeth Jama'ath</span> Sri Lankan Islamist terrorist group

National Thowheeth Jama'ath is a Sri Lankan Islamist jihadist militant group implicated in the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings. It is believed to have ties to the Islamic State (ISIL). President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena banned National Thowheed Jamath on 27 April 2019 and designated it as a terrorist organisation along with Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bærum mosque shooting</span> Failed terrorist attack on a Norwegian mosque

The Bærum mosque shooting or Al-Noor Islamic Centre shooting occurred on 10 August 2019 at the Al-Noor Islamic Centre mosque in Bærum, Norway, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of the capital city Oslo. Philip Manshaus, a 21-year-old Norwegian man, shot and killed his adopted stepsister at their home. He then drove to the mosque and shot his way through the glass door before opening fire, hitting no one. He was subdued by three worshippers after a scuffle and turned over to police. Manshaus was convicted of murder and committing an act of terrorism, and sentenced to 21 years preventative detention - an order which, in Norway, can be extended indefinitely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maghain Aboth Synagogue attack plot</span> 2021 terrorist plot in Singapore

The Maghain Aboth Synagogue attack plot was a plot in February 2021 by 20-year old national serviceman Amirull Ali to stab three members of the Maghain Aboth Synagogue in retaliation for Israel's role in the Israel-Palestine conflict. In addition, Ali had planned to travel to Gaza to join Hamas' military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. The plot was uncovered by the Internal Security Department, which detained Ali under the Internal Security Act.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Lim, Min Zhang (27 January 2021). "16-year old Singaporean detained under ISA for planning terror attacks on two mosques". The Straits Times . Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Mahmud, Aqil Haziq (27 January 2021). "16-year-old Singaporean detained under ISA after planning to attack Muslims at 2 mosques". Channel News Asia . Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  3. "Singapore teen 'planned to attack mosques'". 28 January 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Detention of Singaporean Youth Who Intended to Attack Muslims on the Anniversary of Christchurch Attacks in New Zealand". Ministry of Home Affairs. 27 January 2021. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  5. Iau, Jean (24 January 2024). "Self-radicalised S'porean, 16, who identified as white supremacist, given restriction order under ISA". The Straits Times . Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  6. "Singapore teenager arrested for plotting attack on Muslims". Al Jazeera . 27 January 2021. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  7. Walden, Max (28 January 2021). "Singaporean teenager arrested for allegedly planning Christchurch-inspired machete attack on mosques". ABC News . Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  8. "Singapore boy held for Christchurch-inspired mosque attack plot". BBC News . 28 January 2021. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  9. "Singapore teen 'planned to attack mosques'". The Courier-Mail . 28 January 2021. Archived from the original on 1 April 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  10. "Indian-origin youth in Singapore detained for planning to attack Muslims at two mosques". The Hindu . 27 January 2021. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  11. Cronshaw, Tim (28 January 2021). "Singapore teenager caught planning to imitate Christchurch mosque attacks". The New Zealand Herald . Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  12. "Singapore boy influenced by Christchurch gunman made 'detailed plans' to attack mosques". South China Morning Post . 27 January 2021. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  13. 1 2 Liang, Annabelle (29 January 2021). "Singapore mosques, worshippers react to teen's attack plans". ABC News . Associated Press. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  14. 1 2 Ong, Justin (28 January 2021). "Churches say youth's actions unrepresentative of Christian teachings". The Straits Times . Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.