How YouTube drew two youths into extremism

SINGAPORE – As an 18-year-old, Khalid’s (not his real name) search for religious identity brought him to platforms like YouTube, where he was drawn to the sermons of charismatic, fundamentalist preachers such as Anwar Al-Awlaki and Feiz Mohammad.

A polytechnic student who suddenly had his own laptop and “unlimited internet access”, he consumed copious amounts of jihadist propaganda online and even made contact with Al-Awlaki, a radical American-born cleric linked to Al-Qaeda.

Recounting his radicalisation journey in an interview with The Straits Times, Khalid said the Gaza war in 2008 and 2009 cemented his belief that Muslims had to take up arms to defend other oppressed Muslims, and that he would be rewarded in the afterlife if he was martyred.

One day, he was contacted on YouTube by an Al-Qaeda recruiter, who said he could facilitate the youth’s travel to Afghanistan.

“I believe he (found me) from all the militant videos I was liking and commenting on, which showed my support of militants in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Khalid, now in his mid-30s.

He turned down the recruiter, with a promise to reconnect once he had completed his national service. In April 2010, Khalid was arrested by the Internal Security Department (ISD) while undergoing section leader training in Pasir Laba Camp.

With the rising trend of youth radicalisation here, ISD said online platforms have been pivotal in facilitating the process.

As they are digital natives, youth are more susceptible to being exposed to and engaging with extremist materials online, said the department.

Their developing sense of identity and cognitive skills, such as a lack of critical thinking and information evaluation skills, also make them more vulnerable to extremist influences, it added.

The radicalisation journey for Hamzah, who was 18 when he was detained by ISD in 2015, bore striking similarities to Khalid’s case.

In 2011, keen to learn more about Islam, the teenager went online and found the teachings of Al-Awlaki and Zakir Naik, the latter an Indian-Muslim preacher who has been banned in several countries.

Driven by a desire to belong, he also became drawn to ISIS after watching a documentary that depicted people living happily under the terror group’s so-called Islamic caliphate.

“They were together as brothers fighting for Islam, and I thought I was missing that kind of sense of brotherhood,” he said.

As he watched videos by radical preachers, Hamzah said the YouTube algorithm would recommend him more such content, to the point where he was watching up to six hours of such propaganda every day.

He became a staunch ISIS supporter and began gathering information on travelling to Syria to carry out armed jihad as part of the group. Hamzah planned to use his school’s bursary money to fly to Turkey, then cross the border into Syria to join an ISIS training camp. He was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in May 2015.

Missed warning signs

Looking back, both former detainees said there were warning signs, but these were not picked up by their family members.

Hamzah recounted trying to convince his friends and family that what ISIS was doing was legitimate. He also raised the issue of armed jihad with his family, including his mother, “just to see what’s the reaction”.

“She said (true) jihad is taking care of your mother… I think she took it lightly, that I’m not that serious,” he said.

Khalid’s mother said her son also mentioned wanting to participate in armed jihad, but she thought he was joking.

“Because everything else in his behaviour seemed normal, it did not occur to me then that he would seriously consider going overseas,” she said.

ISD said the majority of youth it investigated for potential radicalisation had exhibited early warning signs to their family and friends, such as by expressing support for terrorist groups and the use of violence.

Family members and friends are thus best placed to notice suspicious changes in behaviour, and should quickly report the matter to the authorities so the youth can receive timely intervention while society is kept safe, it added.

“Those assessed to be in the early stages of radicalisation or at risk of radicalisation might not be dealt with under the ISA but through other intervention measures, such as counselling,” said the department.

“Only those found to pose a serious or imminent security threat will be issued with an order of detention or a restriction order (RO) under the ISA.”

Khalid, who was released on an RO in April 2020, urged young people who come across radical videos online to speak to their families and to discuss religious matters with accredited religious teachers here.

Now a father of a young boy, he said: “I will enrol my son only in legitimate schools of Islamic knowledge in Singapore, and make sure he is focused on his studies and future.”

Hamzah, whose RO lapsed in August 2021 and who is now a marketing executive, urged people to speak up if they see a sudden behavioural change in their friend or family member.

“It’s better to actually take action – step in, and even report to the authorities,” he said. “Because even though I was arrested, for me it was a second chance.”

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