From Mosul to Paris, Ramadi to London, Yemen to the United States, Jakarta and most
recently Brussels; the world has not been spared the cruel touch of the Islamic State or
Daesh. Their ability to attract thousands; men and women, young and old, educated
and illiterate from various parts of the world, to join a cause known primarily for its
beheading, suicide bombings and stabbing is a testimony of not only their barbarity
and cruelty but also of their power to attract, persuade, radicalise and recruit. It is
unfortunate that the Southeast Asian region, far removed from the civil war in Syria
and the turmoil in Iraq, has not been spared.