By Noor Huda Ismail

How can a nation celebrate its progress and connectivity and face a rising threat from within its young population? In Singapore, a city-state known for its public security and educational excellence, the menace of youth radicalization is taking place through online channels. This was illustrated by a recent case involving a self-radicalized 17-year-old, arrested under its Internal Security Act just weeks before he could execute a planned terror attack. How do online platforms turn seemingly ordinary youth into supporters of extremist ideologies?  Singapore, a global hub of progress, connectivity, and education, faces a challenge: youth radicalization through online platforms. A recent report by Singapore's Internal Security Department (ISD) highlighted the increasing vulnerability of young people to extremist ideologies. A 17-year-old self-radicalised Singaporean student was arrested just weeks before he could carry out a planned terror attack in the public housing heartlands. Described in a press release by the ISD on 18 October as a "staunch" supporter of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the student had intended to use a kitchen knife or a pair of scissors from his home as a weapon. Despite not having a deeply religious background, he became captivated by ISIS propaganda, ultimately pledging allegiance to the group and expressing a willingness to die for its cause. To be clear, however, pointing fingers at religion, in this case Islam, as the root cause of radicalisation is to bark up the wrong tree. With over two billion adherents worldwide, Islam has made significant contributions to civilization, including advancements in science, art, and philosophy. Those who become radicalised often have a shallow  understanding of Islamic teachings and are misled by distorted and fragmented online sources. Radicalisation involves fundamentally psychological mechanisms, not just religious ones. Under the right conditions, it can affect anyone, regardless of background. For example, the Israel-Palestine conflict shows how a sense of injustice, loss, and identity crisis can drive radicalisation on both sides, with young Palestinians and Israelis alike adopting extremist views out of frustration or fear. Similarly, groups like Hezbollah and countries like Iran exploit historical and geopolitical grievances to draw people into extremist ideologies. The real issue is the misuse of digital platforms, which amplify these distorted narratives and intensify radical views.   

Singapore: RSIS S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, NTU Singapore, 2024. 4p.