Malaysian expert warns of youth’s IS-linked trend

Illustrative image (Source: Internet)

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – About 80 percent of Islamic State (IS) terror group followers, identified from 2013 to 2015, are aged 40 and below. 

Dr Ahmad EL Muhammady, Islamic Studies and Political Science lecturer at the International Islamic University Malaysia, said this group included social media users who were easily influenced by IS propaganda. 

He also said that youngsters were exposed to a lot of information via social media and do not know how to differentiate right and wrong, thus not being aware that a simple action, such as purchasing an item for a friend can harm their countries, while the friend is an IS member and the item is used to make explosives. 

He added youths involved in IS are the disadvantaged in society, which give the militant group the opportunity to recruit them. 

According to the Malaysian Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division principal assistant Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, police have arrested 257 IS-linked people from April 2013 to October 30 this year and most of them have been imprisoned.-VNA