Thread by @ZamYusa

THREAD: #1 Police arrested 8 men including 7 foreigners for alleged connection to an Islamic learning centre in Perlis state allegedly related to a #terrorism group in Yemen and spreading salafi jihadi ideology in Southeast Asia, Malaysia police chief @Fuzi_Harun said today.

#2 Arrests thanks to info from foreign intelligence agencies. The suspects - foreign instructor & students at the Islamic learning centre, are connected to a madrasa in Dammaj, Yemen, founded by Sheikh Muqbil bin Hadi al-Wadi'i, an extreme salafi jihadi ideologue.

#3 The Yemeni madrasa is a staunch believer in salafi jihadi ideology which makes it permissible to kill non-Muslims & Muslims not in line with them, also labels democracy as "toghut", says Malaysian IGP @Fuzi_Harun.

#4 Investigation reveals suspects believe haram for men & women to wear pants & to attend co-ed higher learning institutions, labels Muslims as being out of fold of Islam who do above things, which are bida'ah (sinful innovation). Police seized books by salafi jihadi ideologues.

#5 First arrest involved citizens of a European nation & citizen of a nation in continental America. All are 24-38 y/o & students of the Perlis Islamic learning centre.

#6 Interestingly, one of them is brother in law of a citizen of a neighbouring SE Asian nation who's connected to the Yemen madrasa & has undergone firearms training. Foreign intel says all 6 are related to the #Daesh or other extremist groups in their countries of origin.

#7 Second arrest in Klang valley involved 33 y/o man from Middle East, former instructor at the Perlis centre, teaching without state religious teaching credentials and spreading salafi jihadi teachings among Malaysians. (All pics in thread illustrative only).

#8 Third arrest involved 32 y/o Malaysian trader in southern state Johore, student of the Perlis centre in 2014, who believes democracy is toghut and supports implementation of khalifah system in Malaysia.

#9 All arrests by #counterterrorism division, special branch, @PDRMsia to curb propagation of salafi jihadism, which is catalyst to #terrorism acts by groups like #IslamicState, #AlQaeda, Jemaah Islamiyah, Abu Sayyaf, Boko Haram, etc, said Malaysia police chief @Fuzi_Harun.

#10 This isn't 1st time foreign salafi jihadi elements used Malaysia as hub to spread ideology & recruit members. Same MO used by Abdullah Sungkar & Abu Bakar Bashir, the JI leader who entered Malaysia in 1985 & formed Islamic learning centres in Negeri Sembilan & Johore states.

#11 All suspects are being investigated under Chapter VIA for #terrorism offences, the Penal Code and Security Offences (Special Measures) Act. THREAD ENDS.

CLARIFICATION for tweet #1: It's the learning centre, not the Perlis state, that's allegedly connected to the terror group in Yemen. (Thanks to the self-editor in me 😂).