“The BBC contacted the mosque to speak to the imam, who refused to give an interview but said he completely denied the allegations.” Oh, well, then it’s OK. After all, with hundreds of Muslims from Britain now waging jihad in Syria and Iraq, it is absolutely inconceivable that any imams in any mosques encouraged them, right? We know that they’re all “moderate,” and that only greasy Islamophobes, happily banned from the country, would dare suggest otherwise, right?
“Father: Teenager fighting in Syria was ‘radicalised by imam,'” BBC, June 24, 2014 (thanks to Thomas Pellow):
The father of a British teenager who travelled to Syria to join jihadists believes his son was radicalised by an imam at a UK mosque.
Rahim Kalantar told the BBC his son Ali, 18, travelled to Syria with two friends from Coventry in March and believed he was now fighting with Isis.
He said he was sent “down this road” by an imam – who denied the allegations.
Up to 500 Britons are thought to have travelled to the Middle East to fight in the conflict, officials say.
Mr Kalantar – speaking to BBC Two’s Newsnight, in collaboration with the BBC’s Afghan Service and Newsday – said he worries about his son Ali “every minute” and that his grief is “limitless”.
He said he believed Ali – who was planning to study computer science at university – had been radicalised during classes at a mosque after evening prayer.
“He [the imam] encouraged them and sent them down this road,” he said.
The BBC contacted the mosque to speak to the imam, who refused to give an interview but said he completely denied the allegations.
Ali is believed to have travelled to Syria with Rashed Amani, also 18, who had been studying business at Coventry University.
Rashed’s father, Khabir, said family members had travelled to the Turkish-Syrian border in the hope of finding the boys, but came back “empty-handed” after searching for more than two weeks.
He said he did not know what had happened to his son, who he fears has joined Isis – the militant-led group that has made rapid advances through Iraq in recent weeks.
“Maybe somebody worked with him, I don’t know. Maybe somebody brainwashed him because he was not like that,” he said.
The third teenager, Moh Ismael, is also believed to be in Syria with his friends. He is understood to have posted a message on Twitter saying he was with Isis.
It comes after Britons – including Reyaad Khan and Nasser Muthana from Cardiff – featured in an apparent recruitment video for jihadists in Iraq and Syria.
The video was posted online on Friday by accounts with links to Isis.
Social mediaThe BBC has learned a third Briton in the video is from Aberdeen. The man, named locally as Raqib, grew up in Scotland but was originally from Bangladesh.
Lord Carlile, a former independent reviewer of terrorism laws, told the BBC that the Muslim community was best placed to stop jihadists recruiting in the UK.
The Liberal Democrat peer also said the UK needed to reintroduce tougher measures to stop terrorism.
It comes after former MI6 director, Richard Barrett, said security services would not be able to track all Britons who return to the UK after fighting in Syria.
He said the number of those posing a threat would be small but unpredictable.
The Metropolitan Police has insisted it has the tools to monitor British jihadists returning from that country….
Lord Carlile said the “most important partners” in preventing young Muslims from being radicalised were the “Muslim communities themselves”.
“Mothers, wives, sisters do not want their husbands, brothers, sons to become valid jihadists and run the risk of being killed in a civil war,” he told the programme….
Good luck with that. Eventually people like Lord Carlile are going to realize that in many cases the mothers, wives, and sisters of these jihadis were cheering them on as they left for jihad.
Angemon says
“He said he believed Ali – who was planning to study computer science at university – had been radicalised during classes at a mosque after evening prayer.
“He [the imam] encouraged them and sent them down this road,” he said.”
How’s that “outreach” working out so far?
“Rashed’s father, Khabir, said family members had travelled to the Turkish-Syrian border in the hope of finding the boys, but came back “empty-handed” after searching for more than two weeks.”
Family, eh? If only there was some sort of official state authorities they could have taken their case to… Some sort of authority who received payment in return for services like investigating missing people, or crimes…
“Lord Carlile said the “most important partners” in preventing young Muslims from being radicalised were the “Muslim communities themselves”.”
The same muslim communities that don’t tell authorities who among them is showing signs of becoming “radicalized”? Good luck with that.
dumbledoresarmy says
Memo to the British authorities: just surprise-search the bl**dy mosques and every associated Islamic “cleric”‘s premises, already.
Use overwhelming force, and take sniffer dogs, the kind that can pick up explosives, illegal drugs, blood, dead bodies…Take the dog squad. Take the riot squad.
*Assume* you are going to find false floors/ walls/ ceilings/ hidden safes/ hidden rooms/ concealed sub-basements. And take along forensic accountants and IT experts to go through every bit of electronic/ communications equipment you find, with a fine-tooth comb.
Search every known mosque in Britain, from attic to basement; turn them inside out and upside down and see what kind of ugly stuff falls out of their pockets.
You find *anything* untoward…then the mosque gets shut down, never to reopen, and the imam / sheikh/ mullah in charge gets the third degree from MI5. And the boot.
Richie says
The measures you list are common sense, but I think the media and politicians in the UK are either in total denial or blinded by their leftist politics- besides, sniffer dogs would never be allowed in mosques, as it would offend Muslims, and that would disrupt community cohesion
Angemon says
I don’t think they’re blind or in total denial. I think that they’re stubborn arrogant narcissists. You prove them that they’re wrong and they react by attacking you and doing the same thing over and over because there’s no way they can ever be wrong so they’ll prove that they’re right or die trying.
Charli Main says
Mosque, another name for a Muslim filled snake pit.
Chrisleo says
Dumbledoresarmy, I’d love that to happen, but it never will, not in this country, our political leaders don’t have the stomach to offend Islam to that extent, its a total wet dream as far as I’m concerned. Carry out surprise raids on Mosques and Islamic centres, then wait for the backlash from the Muslim population, call in the troops arrest every rioting Islamist and throw the lot out on the next fleet of planes to the Islamic State. You’d eradicate Muslim extremism overnight, solve the Muslim terrorism problems and those that remained, would be cowed into behaving properly in their host country, or they’d be on a plane too. It’ll never happen though, but a nice thought.
Cicero says
I fear it is too late for the United Kingdom to be rid of the troublesome presence of the ideology of peace and it’s adherents due to -:
1. Due to a lax immigration policy the ruling elite has allowed numerous numbers of the community to settle throughout the UK
2. Now here they are using. The well known weapon of demographic warfare to enlarge their presence in the UK
3. Their knumbers are expandingo and thriving as a result of the excellent health care and free education and welfare benefits which encourage them to have large families of. 5-8 children per family
4. they are encouraged to claim public spaces tp advertise. And proclaim their presence eg niqabs,burkas, shalwar kamiz clothing, huge beards , praying as a large group in public square such as the City onFridays, local. Councils allowing the proliferation of madrasahs ( known coyly as supplementary schools): local authorities inviting Muslim speakers to make public presentations for their non- Muslim employees. Such speakers promote a sanitised and selective version of Islam. To the gullible staff. NOTE however that such a courtesy is not given to other faiths in their Borough eg the councils are not inviting. Speakers from other faiths to give such seminars and they are not employing three line whips to ensure their staff presence as they do when there is a presentation. On Islam.
Cicero says
the only way to combat Islam’ s growing stranglehold on the UK. Nation. Is for everyone of us to learn about Islam and it’s inconsistencies : to develop our skills of challenge and debate regarding lthe religion of peace : to use these skills to raise awareness of the Dhimmi population: to correct the misinformation about Islam : to ask. Questions which will begin to shake. The foundation of its beliefs among its adherents.
I believe this website deserves a higher level of comments fro its readers and supporters as to how to tackle the rise of Islamic supremacism in increasingly dhimmified Britain. this is my humble contribution
Elise says
So many Muslims, especially from Indonesia, lack parenting skills as well as life skills to teach their children. Without proper guidance and critical thinking skills, their kids are lost in countries that respect freedom and ordered liberty. They lack the decision making skills as well as self discipline and integrity. Many of these people come from countries or communities where every decision in their life is made by their government or religious leader. They don’t know how to think or behave without the fears instilled by their religion.
Rav D says
De-list islam as a religion, and instead assign it as a poltical party. Then the benovelence assumed with all religions will no longer automatically be assumed and islam will have to stand on its own, judged by its own actions and scruitanised for its teachings.