A major child sexual abuse scandal involving a huge Islamic business network in Malaysia emerged after authorities rescued hundreds of children from orphanages linked to the conglomerate.
Malaysia: 572 children under age 18 rescued as Islamic group is investigated for sexual assault of children https://t.co/2EIzOWjAcq
— Helen Ann (@HelenAnn16) September 25, 2024
The scandal broke out after the Royal Malaysia Police launched Operation Global on September 11th in response to a police report, where it targeted and raided orphanages associated with Global Ikhwan Services and Business or GISB Holdings, a huge Islamic business network group in Malaysia, in states such as Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.
During the raid, police rescued 201 boys and 201 girls between ages one and 17. Preliminary police investigations found the victims were children of GISB employees who were sent to the orphanages shortly after being born. The victims were allegedly sodomized by their guardians and later taught to sexually abuse their peers. One hundred seventy-one adults, including Islamic religious teachers or ustazs, were also arrested during Operation Global.
Similar crimes,
same suspects,
Yet no one dares to say so— 3Bhuvan (@pmaliens) September 12, 2024
The operation triggered more raids across the country against GISB-linked charity homes and orphanages. On September 23rd, Royal Malaysia police announced they rescued 187 more children, including 59 under the age of 5. 156 more suspects have also been arrested for investigation. Police believe the children were also subjected to other forms of abuse, such as being denied medical treatment and burned with hot metal spoons as punishment.
GISB initially denied the sexual abuse allegations, claiming that the welfare homes raided by Malaysian authorities were not owned by the conglomerate. Later on, Nasiruddin Mohamad Ali, the group’s CEO, said that there might be cases of sodomy in GISB-owned orphanages but still denied any wrongdoing. Nasiruddin and several members of the conglomerate’s advisory board were arrested and detained.
It was also discovered through the Islamic business group network’s corporate video on its website that it had 1,656 families, and 425 of them were polygamous. While polygamy is legal in Malaysia for Muslims, special permission from each state’s Sharia court is required.
The unraveling of child abuse in welfare homes linked to the GISB severely affected its businesses across Malaysia, with a survey by the country’s state-owned news agency Bernama found that GISB-linked premises were shuttered across five states.
GISB, which promotes an Islamic way of life, runs businesses such as bakeries, laundromats, pharmacies, catering, events management, consultancy services, and tours. The group operates businesses not just in Malaysia but in other countries as well, such as Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, France, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
its a cult, nothing to do with islam.
— Zati (@ZatiSura) September 13, 2024
The group also runs restaurants in major global cities such as London, Paris, Istanbul, Dubai, and Mecca. It has been linked to the now-defunct Islamic sect Al Aqram, which the Malaysian government deemed heretic and banned in 1994, and the group has been described as the sect’s latest attempt to rebrand its business ventures.
While GISB acknowledged its ties with Al-Aqram, founded by Ashaari Mohammad in 1968, it now describes itself as an Islamic conglomerate that runs businesses based on Islamic practices.
Although the child sex abuse scandal involving orphanages under its name sparked shock and outrage across Malaysia, this is not the first time the group was embroiled in a scandal. The firm made headlines and angered rights groups in 2011 when it established the “Obedient Wives Club,” an international Islamic religious organization that aims to teach women how to be like “good sex workers” to keep their husbands from leaving.
