Syrian govt to continue fighting IS

KUALA LUMPUR: The Syrian government is not losing the war to the so-called Islamic State (IS), despite facing strong resistance from the terror group.

Syria's ambassador to Malaysia, Dr Mhd Tawfiq Abou Ghalon said the government was doing all it could to fight and curb IS power, currently concentrated in the north, from spreading south.

"The government is still in control. If we get support, I believe we can destroy them (IS)," he said in an interview at Wisma Bernama here, Monday.

Besides IS, the Bashar al-Assad regime also faced resistance from anti-government rebels since the beginning of the civil war.

Condemning the horrendous crimes by IS, Mhd Tawfiq said Syria was targeted because it was the cradle of civilisations.

"There is nothing Islamic about the Islamic State. IS was merely created to paint a black picture of Islam, to destroy all Islamic civilisations.

"Everything in Islam is under control. Nobody say you can kill, not under Islamic law," he said, referring to the beheading of victims by IS militants.

Mhd Tawf iq urged governments to act against websites and social media that propagated IS.

"They should monitor these pages and immediately shut them down. I don't know why this is not done.

"IS has been able to manipulate the World Wide Web and the psyche games to lure thousands of young men and women worldwide to join them."

He said many were sympathisers who believed they were f ighting in the name of 'jihad' while others were drawn by promises of money, gifts and a good life.

"These people don't know what they are getting themselves into. They don' t care about Islam and some don't even know who the president of Syria is.

Mhd Tawfiq said the ongoing civil war which is i nto t he fourth year, has taken a toll on ever yone in Syria, includ ing him and his family.

He was traumatised when he could not meet his mother for three years until she died when the infrastructure was destroyed by the war.