Preventing extremism begins in our homes

Lau Nai-keung notes that domestic helpers often become radicalized by bad or unthinking treatment at work

Extremism is on the rise around the world. The attack in Barcelona is the latest major terrorist strike in recent years. These horrible tragedies took place mostly in Europe but they also happened to the rest of the world - notably the bombings at the Kampung Melayu bus terminal in Jakarta on May 24 that killed three police officers and injured 11.

Interestingly enough, people in our city seem to think that we are immune to this globalized risk despite signs telling them otherwise.

In late July, the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) released a report titled: "The Radicalization of Indonesian Women Workers in Hong Kong", in which it reported that at least 43 of the more than 150,000 Indonesian domestic workers in Hong Kong had been lured by ISIS recruiters and radicalized.

We are probably unaware of this but Hong Kong is not so innocent when it comes to terrorist activities undertaken by ISIS. To say the least, Indonesian domestic workers in our city have contributed to ISIS by financing male jihadists they met online and formed intimate relationships with, as well as by connecting the same jihadists to global extremist networks.

Indonesian domestic workers are financially better off than many of their male compatriots at home. They also have better access to the internet and other modern information technology - thanks to high-quality Wi-Fi their Hong Kong employers have at home. We see them as underprivileged but they are considered resourceful in the eyes of ISIS members.

Ika Puspitasari, a former Hong Kong domestic helper, was arrested in central Java in December last year for plotting a suicide attack in Bali. She told the police that after helping finance her husband's terrorist plans for a time, she had wanted to play a more active role.

As of June, four Indonesian women from Hong Kong had joined ISIS in Syria, around 16 had returned to Indonesia and mostly married jihadists, and eight had been deported from their host countries or Turkey while trying to cross to Syria, according to the IPAC report.

In a sense their Hong Kong employers sponsored these activities. They have blood on their hands. That's not to say that we should not employ Indonesian domestic helpers but we certainly should make sure we do not play a part in radicalizing these young women.

IPAC's research found these radicalized workers started out as nominal or non-devout Muslims and then underwent a rapid religious transformation while living abroad.

For some, the difficulties of a migrant's life - principally dislocation and isolation - inspire a spiritual rebirth. They experience a double form of alienation, from both home and religion. Some said they had felt humiliated, for example, cooking pork for non-Muslim employers. "Could you imagine having to touch pork while wearing a niqab?" one of the IPAC researchers asked, referring to the full-face veil.

Other non-religious abuses also contribute to the alienation. Here I have in mind the case of Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, where the young Indonesian woman was physically abused for six months. A study by Mission for Migrant Workers, released earlier this year, suggested three in 10 helpers have to sleep in store rooms, kitchens and even toilets.

In this context, no doubt for some domestic workers joining ISIS is a form of emancipation. People are often drawn to the afterlife because of dissatisfactions they have in this life. It is these conditions that de-radicalization efforts must address.

As employers, and as members of the community where these migrant workers are hosted, we should do something more than honoring the contractual relationship. The IPAC suggests programs could be put in place to involve radical domestic workers in, for example, businesses selling Muslim garments and Islamic herbal medicine, goods in high demand among migrants in the city.

These are all very good ideas, but first we should be more humane. We should try to understand our domestic workers as individuals, as real persons. Go home and ask your helper why she is here and what her ambition is. Engage her in a real conversation. Find out how you may be able to help.

Most importantly, don't ask a Muslim to cook pork.

(HK Edition 08/29/2017 page8)