What does Malaysia’s Sunni-Shiah “paradox” mean for anti-terror efforts?

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Malaysia’s Sunni-Shiah “paradox” means anti-terror efforts must confront sectarian demonisation alongside condemnation of ISIS
Malaysia’s Sunni-Shiah “paradox” is the contradiction where local teachings can portray Shiites as evil or even describe their blood as “halal”, while killings by ISIS are simultaneously condemned. The columnist argues that this kind of demonising narrative functions as “seeds” that can grow into “militant thinking”, helping create conditions in which people may be drawn to terrorist groups. In that framing, anti-terror work cannot rely only on quoting verses about peace or saying ISIS is not Islamic, because the same environment can still permit persecution and discrimination of Shiites.
The contradiction the columnist points to in Malaysian teaching
The columnist describes Malaysia as teaching that Shiites are evil, and goes further to say they are portrayed in ways that make their blood “halal”. At the same time, Malaysians condemn the killings carried out by ISIS. This is presented as a “paradox” because the society is rejecting one form of violence while allowing a related form of dehumanisation to persist.
Why the columnist links sectarian narratives to militant thinking
The argument is that radicalism can spread not only through bloodshed but also through “diffused fundamentalism”, meaning everyday or accepted forms of religiously framed hostility. The columnist says the demonisation of Shiites is like “seeds” that can eventually grow into “militant thinking”, even if the Sunni-Shiah divide in Malaysia has not reached “mass murder”. The piece also states that Malaysians have already left the country to join a terrorist group such as ISIS.
What the columnist says is insufficient: peace verses without addressing discrimination
The columnist explicitly argues that it is not enough to cite Quran verses about peace and say there is no support for ISIS while still supporting persecution and discrimination of Shiites. In the columnist’s view, that approach does not resolve the underlying problem because ISIS-identifying militants still present themselves as Muslims. The message is that denying ISIS’s religious identity does not make the recruitment and ideology problem disappear.
What “counter-narrative” is meant to do in anti-terror efforts
The piece calls for building a “counter-narrative” as part of fighting violent ideology, rather than treating ISIS as something external to the community. It also highlights that radicalisation can be fuelled by fundamentalist interpretations of Islam, with groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda following such interpretations. The columnist adds that effective counter-radicalism starts with acknowledging the existence of the problem, and cites a view that ISIS is “a cancer from within,” implying the narrative battle must address internal sectarian hostility as well.

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What does Malaysia’s Sunni-Shiah “paradox” mean for anti-terror efforts?

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