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Saturday, August 2, 2014

Face-to-face with a Malaysian jihadi in Syria


SPECIAL REPORT The sporadic roar of air raid sirens and gunfire from tanks in the Hama province of western Syria were distracting. So was the acrid smell of gunpowder mixed with dust that filled the air.

However, the conversation between two Malaysians at a rest stop of the rebels fighting against the Syrian regime continued.

The man who invited me for a chat was Ahmad Salman Abdul Rahim before he was given the nom de guerre (pseudonym) ‘Abo Suleiman’ by his fellow militants when he became a jihadi in Syria.

"I was attracted to the jihad (holy war) in Syria three years ago. I read news (about the civil war) and I thought about doing something for my Muslim brothers," Ahmad Salman, 38, said.

His eloquence was impressive as he spoke about his new life as a rebel fighter, while I sipped my tea, not wanting to interrupt.  
                                          
"I left everything in Malaysia. I sold the properties my parents left for me when I was 17. I divided them among my siblings and took RM35,000 with me.

"I said my last goodbye to my family in Langkawi. I knew I wouldn’t be able to go back to Malaysia anymore," he said.

An ‘ignorant’ in his younger life

Ahmad Salman had been living in London for a decade before returning to Malaysia in 2008.

Admitting to being 'jahil' or ignorant during his younger life, he came to believe that fighting for a 'holy war' could bring him closer to Allah.

"Then, I drank, I smoked and I did all the bad things you could imagine," he said.

Ahmad Salman’s journey to Syria took him 62 days through 10 countries before he finally set foot on the war-torn country.

He had earlier tried to seek some help from NGOs back in Malaysia, but failed.

"Crossing the border from Thailand to Burma was initially my plan. I wanted to see the conditions of the suppressed Rohingya, but I couldn't. I was not allowed to cross into Burma by land. So I decided to change my plan and head for Laos instead," Ahmad Salman said.

Then came travel to Vietnam, China, Nepal and India.

"I was trekking for two weeks in the Annapurna Circuit when I was in Nepal. It was necessary for me to get mentally and physically prepared.

“I like Nepal, especially Kathmandu," he said.

Helped by a M’sian in Taj Mahal

Ahmad Salman eventually met a man who got him a ‘fixer’ to help him get into Syria. This was when he was visiting Taj Mahal in India.

"Quite by accident, I met a Malaysian who was a tourist as well, in a washroom. We introduced ourselves. I told him about my plan.

"He said he knew an ustaz in Malaysia who could help me. So we exchanged contact details. He promised to call me later," he said.

After India, Ahmad Salman flew to Oman and later Dubai. He then got a call from the man he met in Taj Mahal.

"He told me to get a flight to Istanbul immediately. Istanbul is an elegant city, but I didn't have much money to spend by then. From Istanbul, I flew to Hatay in the southern province of Turkey.

"There are some Syrians with me at the Turkish-Syrian border, Bab-e Hawa. They gave me a fake Syrian identity card," Ahmad Salman continued.

"Dozens of men in army uniform were standing at the border. My fixer and I panicked. They put a gun to my neck and a knife to my waist.

“I was so worried. ‘Which side are they from? Are they from the army of the Syrian regime or rebels? Should I say I am a Shia or should I say I am a Sunni?’" he said.

Minority Shia Muslims, called Alawite, dominate the Syrian government through the Ba'ath Party for decades. On the other hand, Sunni Muslims who make up 74 percent of the population form the bulk of the rebels.

"They tried to talk to my fixer. We eventually told them my identity and my purpose in Syria. Finally, they put the gun down and said 'habibi' (‘dear’ in Arabic) to me.

“I cried, I knew then that I was with the opposition fighters."

An Al-Qaeda-linked group

As one of the thousands of foreign fighters in Syria, the 38-year-old joined the Ajnadusy Sham - a brigade that is closely aligned to an al-Qaeda group in Syria, the al-Nusra.

However, Ahmad Salman said life in Syria was difficult and had left him with many painful memories of "brothers" losing their lives.

"Today, you head to the frontline with 20 friends, but you may come back with only 18. You can lose them anytime," he sighed.

Ahmad Salman began his 'jihad' in April this year and has been fighting alongside the rebels for over three months.

He is blacklisted by the Malaysian police after his photograph was published in Malay daily Sinar Harian this year.

"I am sad and frustrated with the Malaysian government. They gave my details to the United States anti-terrorism centre. I don't think I will be able to return to Malaysia," he said.

"They may put me in the jail for 30 years. They can do anything to me, but don't ever disturb my family. If they do, I will know what to do," he warned, without elaborating.

Ahmad Salman denied having links to terrorist organisations.

"My aim in Syria is to help the Syrian people. I can't just ignore them and let innocent people be killed by the barbaric regime," he said.

Finding a Malaysian in Syria may be difficult but not impossible as a growing number of Malaysians share Ahmad Salman’s jihad vision.
                                  
His personal blog has attracted more than 4,000 fans and there are Malaysians frequently consulting him about participating in the jihad in Syria.



CHRIS LAU is a freelance journalist.

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