Malaysian Police Raid Islamic Foundation, Rescues 400 Children from Sexual Abuse

Malaysian authorities expanded their investigation into a major Islamic commercial organization on Thursday, September 13. This decision came a day after police rescued over 400 children suspected of being victims of sexual abuse from shelters and educational centers affiliated with the charity sector of this organization. The Selangor Islamic Affairs Department announced that it has begun investigations into the religious education centers associated with this commercial organization and requested the police to hand over the educational materials seized during Wednesday's inspection for further examination of any potential violations 'according to Islamic laws.' In Malaysia, where the majority of the population is Sunni Muslims, secular laws and Islamic Sharia are referenced and implemented in parallel. Government religious departments and institutions are responsible for enforcing laws aimed at combating 'deviant beliefs.' On Wednesday, Malaysian police conducted a coordinated operation across two states, raiding 20 educational and residential sites for children managed by an Islamic commercial entity called 'Global Ikhwan Services and Trade.' In this operation, 171 adults, including Islamic religious teachers known as 'Ustads' in Malaysia, were arrested, and over 400 children aged 1 to 17, comprising 201 boys and 201 girls, were rescued, all of whom had spent considerable time in neglect, abuse, sexual exploitation, and other forms of mistreatment. Senior police official Razardine bin Hussein stated that this operation was in response to complaints regarding neglect, harassment, and sexual abuse of children in these facilities that police had received in recent weeks. The Selangor Islamic Affairs Department stated in a press release on Thursday that two of the locations raided by police are registered with the department as Islamic schools. The department added that the last inspection of these schools was conducted in July, and no violations or misconduct had been observed. The statement noted that investigations in this matter will continue, and appropriate action will be taken against any criminal offenses. A spokesperson for 'Global Ikhwan Services and Trade' stated on Thursday that the Islamic commercial entity will cooperate with the investigations of the responsible authorities. This Islamic commercial entity denied the allegations of child abuse and exploitation, claiming that the charity centers for the care and education of children that police raided are not under its management and that it will file a complaint with the police regarding this matter. Bernama, Malaysia's official news agency, reported that on Thursday, a 19-year-old woman was convicted by judicial authorities in connection with this case for child abuse. Robert Gas, UNICEF's representative in Malaysia, described the allegations of child abuse in these charity facilities as 'shocking and disgusting' and urged the responsible authorities to provide medical and professional psychological support to the victimized children. 'Global Ikhwan Services and Trade,' which has been accused of connections with a banned religious sect in Malaysia, operates in various economic and commercial fields such as supermarkets and laundromats in several other countries, including Indonesia, Singapore, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Australia, France, and Thailand, according to information available on its website. This commercial entity has acknowledged its connection with the Malaysian religious sect 'Al-Arqam,' which was banned by the government in 1994, but now presents itself as an Islamic economic entity, claiming to operate according to Sharia laws and Islamic teachings.