The question of what motivates “a young Malay boy” living in peaceful Singapore to seek to wage jihad in Syria and Iraq was posed during a ISIS and Islam-themed forum at the National University of Singapore (NUS) today (Feb 16), where participants discussed the allure of Islamic State (ISIS) to Muslims worldwide.

The question was posed by former Nominated Member of Parliament Zulkifli Baharudin to panellists at the Tembusu Forum, organised by NUS’ Tembusu College. The panellists were Dr Mohamed Ali, an assistant professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Dr Jolene Jerard, an RSIS research fellow, and Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir from the Office of the Mufti, Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS).