IT is inconceivable that young girls with a future and prospects would throw it all away and get involved in dangerous liaisons with Islamic State terrorists in Syria.
How these young educated girls from developing nations could fall for these killers is perplexing. What drives them to join forces with IS terrorists?
The January edition of Reader’s Digest had an eye-opening investigative feature titled “Romancing The Terrorist”, from the book In the Skin Of A Jihadist.
It chronicled the messages between a French journalist who posed online as a young woman interested in the IS movement and an IS jihadist.
The conversation was dominated by the jihadist inviting the woman to join IS to Syria.
According to the jihadist, women were supposed to get married when they turned 14 in Syria.
The jihadist drew up an elaborate plan to lure the woman to the so-called paradise in Syria. The jihadist is depicted as convincing and romantic.
Two years ago, a 14-year-old Malaysian girl, suspected of trying to join IS was nabbed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport before she could board a Cairo-bound flight to marry a 22-year-old Malaysian student.
Both planned to go to Istanbul before going to Syria. The report shocked Malaysians.
The media reports that many have been arrested since February 2013 for allegedly being linked to IS activities, such as planning to join the group as well as recruiting and conducting militant training to go to Syria to fight for IS.
The trend of Malaysians joining IS continues despite the arrests.
What is alarming is that there are civil servants, professionals, armed forces personnel and medical students involved with IS.
IS is an extremist group that advocates killing, raping, beheading and committing atrocities against humans in the name of religion.
Our prime minister has reiterated that Malaysia rejected IS extremism and condemned the violence committed in the name of Islam.
It is, therefore, bewildering that there are Malaysians who believe that committing atrocities in the name of IS is an act of faith and that death brings martyrdom. Where did we go wrong? Who indoctrinated deviant and misguided teachings in these boys and girls?
Hopefully, Malaysians will reject extremism, religious and racial bigots and take the path of moderation.
Samuel Yesuiah, Seremban, Negri Sembilan