Taking care of your parents better blessing than 'jihad', judge tells convicts

KUALA LUMPUR: A High Court judge, who sentenced two accused to eight years for their involvement with the Islamic State (IS), said taking care of their aged parents was a better blessing than fighting in any country.
High Court judge Datuk Paduka Azman Abdullah told Mohd Ridwan Mohd Musa, who is the eldest son in his family that his responsibility towards his family is bigger than "jihad". He said taking care of parents has more "pahala" (blessings).
In the same court, Azman, who also jailed Zulfadhli Jafri for the same offence, told him that he can go to "heaven" if he can take care or give money to his own parents instead of going to any country to fight any war.
Mohd Ridwan, 30, and Zulfadhli, 25, were charged separately for intending to go to Syria.
They left Malaysia from the Padang Besar Immigration Complex about 2.46pm on Oct 23, 2016.
Azman ordered both the accused to serve their sentence from the date of their arrest, Oct 30, 2016.
Mohd Ridwan and Zulfadhli arrived in Instanbul on Oct 29, 2016 at about 1.05am (local time) and they were arrested at the airport.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Azlina Rasdi said the court to consider the nature and seriousness of the offence and their intention to join IS.
In another case, an Indonesian tailor, was jailed eight years for supporting the IS by making a pledge through a telegram group.
Rino Kaswara Kasmar, 34, admitted to making the pledge through telegram application "AnsharulKhilaafah of Filibin-Indonesia" by using the name "Rijal Mujahideen Minangkabau", at Pekan Slim River, between11.36pm and 11.39pm on May 2, 2017.
Rino was jailed another eight years for promoting membership into the IS and Mujahidin Indonesia Timor (MIT) through the same social group, between May 2, 2017 and June 12, 2017.
Rino was sentenced to three years by High Court Datuk Paduka Azman Abdullah on a third charge of possessing 83 pictures in his handphone at 12.45 pm, on the same day.
However, Azman ordered the jail sentences to run concurrently from the date of arrest, June 12, 2017.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mustaffa P.Kunyalam said the offence is serious and he sought for a sentence, which would serve as lesson to him and others.