Singapore mosque attacks plot
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The Singapore mosque attacks plot was a plan by a far right extremist to attack two Singaporean mosques on the anniversary of the
Christchurch mosque shootings On 15 March 2019, two consecutive mass shootings occurred in a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. The attacks, carried out by a lone gunman who entered both mosques during Friday prayer, began at the Al Noor Mosque ...
. 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 Internal Security Act may refer to: * Internal Security Act 1960, former Malaysian law *Internal Security Act (Singapore) * McCarran Internal Security Act, a United States federal law *Suppression of Communism Act, 1950, a South African law, rename ...
(ISA). The perpetrator reportedly expressed anti-Muslim views and was inspired by the actions of the Christchurch mosque shooter
Brenton Tarrant On 15 March 2019, two consecutive mass shootings occurred in a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. The attacks, carried out by a lone gunman who entered both mosques during Friday prayer, began at the Al Noor Mosque ...
. The youth is the youngest person and the first
far-right extremist Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...
to be detained under the ISA.


Background


The suspect

According to the Internal Security Department (ISD), the suspect was a 16-year old
Protestant Christian Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
of Indian ancestry who was motivated by
Islamophobia Islamophobia is the fear of, hatred of, or prejudice against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general, especially when seen as a geopolitical force or a source of terrorism. The scope and precise definition of the term ''Islamophobia'' ...
and fascinated with violence. After watching several
ISIL An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...
propaganda videos including one showing the execution of Ethiopian Christians, the suspect came to believe that ISIL represented
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
and that Islam called on its followers to kill non-Muslims. The suspect was also influenced by the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooter
Brenton Tarrant On 15 March 2019, two consecutive mass shootings occurred in a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. The attacks, carried out by a lone gunman who entered both mosques during Friday prayer, began at the Al Noor Mosque ...
, 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 The Linwood Islamic Centre is a Sunni Islam mosque in Linwood, New Zealand, Linwood, Christchurch, New Zealand. The mosque opened in early 2018 on the grounds of the former Christchurch Bahai Centre and the building had most recently been the Li ...
in
Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...
. Following the Nice stabbing on 29 October 2020, he became convinced that an attack by Muslims on Christians was imminent.


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 Woodlands may back refer to: * Woodland, a low-density forest Geography Australia * Woodlands, New South Wales * Woodlands, Ashgrove, Queensland, a heritage-listed house associated with John Henry Pepper * Woodlands, Marburg, Queensland, a her ...
due to its proximity to the Assyafaah Mosque in
Sembawang Sembawang is a planning area and residential town located in the North Region of Singapore. Sembawang planning area is bordered by Simpang to the east, Mandai to the south, Yishun to the southeast, Woodlands to the west and the Straits of Jo ...
. 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. 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 Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
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 Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (S&W) is an American firearm manufacturer headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Smith & Wesson was founded by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson as the "Smith & Wesson Revolver Company" in 1856 ...
machete on Carousell but was not able to purchase it prior to his arrest. 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 Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...
. The suspect expressed hope that his actions would challenge those who believed that
Islamic extremism Islamic extremism, Islamist extremism, or radical Islam, is used in reference to extremist beliefs and behaviors which are associated with the Islamic religion. These are controversial terms with varying definitions, ranging from academic unde ...
was right. He also praised Tarrant as a "saint" and described the Christchurch attacks as a "justifiable killing of Muslims."


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 Internal Security Act may refer to: * Internal Security Act 1960, former Malaysian law *Internal Security Act (Singapore) * McCarran Internal Security Act, a United States federal law *Suppression of Communism Act, 1950, a South African law, rename ...
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. 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 Singapore Police Force (SPF) is the national and principal law enforcement agency responsible for the prevention of crime and law enforcement in the Republic of Singapore. It is the country's lead agency against organised crime; human, weapo ...
. 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. In late January 2021, Singaporean Minister for Law and
Minister for Home Affairs An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
K. Shanmugam Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam ( ta, காசிவிஸ்வநாதன் சண்முகம்; born 26 March 1959), better known as K. Shanmugam, is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who has been serving as Minister for Law since 2008 ...
ruled out prosecuting the suspect in a court of law, arguing that the court proceedings would inflame communal tensions. He also said that Muslims arrested for potential terrorism offenses under the ISA were also not charged in court. 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.


Media coverage and reactions

Singaporean authorities first disclosed the case to the news media and public on 27 January 2021. Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam also discussed details of the mosque attacks plot and investigation during a press conference. In addition, the Singapore mosque attacks plot was covered by several international media including
Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
,
ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
,
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
, ''
The Courier-Mail ''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, ...
'', ''
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'', ''
The New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation of all newspapers ...
'', and the ''
South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remained ...
''. 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 The Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), also known as the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (IRCS), is a statutory board of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth of the Government of Singapore. As a majlis, its role is to look afte ...
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 Rohan Gunaratna (born 1961) is a Sri Lankan born political analyst specializing in international terrorism. He is the Director General of thInstitute of National Security Studies Professor Gunaratna has over 30 years of academic, policy, and op ...
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. The
National Council of Churches of Singapore The National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) is an ecumenical fellowship of Churches and Christian organisations in Singapore. This duty was initially carried out by the Malayan Christian Council which was then succeeded by the Council of ...
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. In addition, several Singaporean Christian bodies including the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, the
Methodist Church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...
, 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.


References

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