Tafaquhh Fiddin Programme
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Malaysia
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Name
Tafaquhh Fiddin Programme |
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Target audience
All Islamist detainees |
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Organisation
Malaysian government |
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Objectives
Deradicalise individuals |
Description
The Tafaqquh Fiddin programme, implemented by the Malaysian government, aimed the participation of all Islamist detainees. However, only the ones who do well in the initial sessions are enrolled in a more demanding deradicalisation programme.
This programme offers one of the few ways that the inmates can get out of prison. Despite the fact that Malaysia has not disclosed much information about its efforts to rehabilitate its extremists, it is known that this government-run effort is built around a religious dialogue led by clerics who instruct inmates on Islamic jurisprudence and their responsibilities as Malaysian citizens.
The Tafaqquh Fiddin programme consists of:
The Tafaqquh Fiddin programme, implemented by the Malaysian government, aimed the participation of all Islamist detainees. However, only the ones who do well in the initial sessions are enrolled in a more demanding deradicalisation programme.
This programme offers one of the few ways that the inmates can get out of prison. Despite the fact that Malaysia has not disclosed much information about its efforts to rehabilitate its extremists, it is known that this government-run effort is built around a religious dialogue led by clerics who instruct inmates on Islamic jurisprudence and their responsibilities as Malaysian citizens.
The Tafaqquh Fiddin programme consists of:
- A monthly religious meeting targeting all Islamist inmates;
- But only those who do well in these sessions are enrolled in a more demanding deradicalisation programme, which meets for four to seven days;
- The intervention is based on:
- Group lectures;
- Individual counselling sessions with one or multiple clerics;
- Physical “discipline” (beatings) of inmates who do not comply with the state sponsored Islamic teachings against militant jihad.
- As part of these discussions, government representatives try to convince the detainees that Malaysia is already an Islamic state and that the government shares the radicals’ goal of fully implementing Sharia law;
- The government grants some assistance to detainees’ families; There is also a dialogue programme for the inmates’ wives so that they can consider Islamic issues related to the detention of their spouses;
- The Department of Islamic Development, which runs the deradicalisation programme, conducts biannual visits to the houses of freed ex-militants to evaluate their behaviour and beliefs.