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Brunei
Closes Door To Fleeing Malaysian Extremists
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Brunei
is situated between the Philippines and Malaysia |
By
Kazi Mahmood
IOL
Southeast Asia correspondent
JAKARTA,
Feb. 10 (IslamOnline) - Brunei authorities have decided to cut escape routes for
alleged deviationist cults and extremists on the run from Malaysia, Singapore
and Indonesia, news reports coming from Bandar Seri Bagwan said on Sunday.
The
tiny Muslim sultanate has a strict record of intolerance towards deviationist
Muslim groups and welcomes the move by its neighbors to handle terrorism and
other extremist groups.
Singapore
and Malaysia have made a series of arrests in recent weeks targeting militants
with alleged links to terrorist organizations such as the Al-Qaeda of Osama bin
Laden.
In
a new development Saturday, Malaysia decided to banish the former leader of an
outlawed Muslim sect to the financial center Labuan, which is one of the closest
Malaysian islands to Brunei.
The
move was meant to separate Asaari Muhammad, the leader of the Al-Arqam group
from those who favor the revival of the once thriving movement which was banned
in 1994 for spreading unorthodox religious teachings.
Asaari
was ordered by Malaysian Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to be confined at
Labuan commencing February 5, a report in Utusan Malaysia said.
Asaari
was arrested under the infamous Internal Security Act (ISA) in the mid 1990s,
accused of propagating deviant Muslim ideas that corrupt the minds of his
followers.
Thousands
of Malaysian and Thai Muslims were followers of Asaari’s movement. The
Al-Arqam was a powerful Muslim movement, generating a few hundred million
dollars every year.
The
transfer of Asaari, released from the ISA after one year in solitary
confinement, to Labuan follows his recent detention under the restricted
residence ordinance.
All
over Malaysia, former members of the once powerful organization were now limited
to conducting business, but the police are watching their activities closely.
Al-Arqam
thrived in predominantly rural areas of Malaysia prior to the detention of
Asaari and his other 15 top members nine years ago. All of them were released
after they appeared on national television and claimed to have renounced the
sect's teachings. However, Asaari was placed under house arrest.
The
movement reportedly owned supermarkets, factories and other businesses and
claimed to have 100,000 members during its glory days. The movement was also
influential in Brunei where they conducted business and had a substantial number
of followers.
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