As more and more young Muslims from Australia are joining the Islamic State, and crude pro-Islamic State graffiti appeared on one school, Australian authorities are hoping that teachers will tip them off about “radicalized students” — with no curiosity about where this “radicalization” is coming from. It must be from the Internet, doncha know.
“Federal police probe into Western Sydney school where ISIS graffiti was sprayed: AFP issues nationwide terror warning to teachers,” by Taylor Auerbach and Ben McClellan, The Daily Telegraph, November 1, 2014:
FEDERAL police have asked staff at East Hills Boys High School to monitor their students amid fears terrorism recruiters are targeting youngsters.
The AFP is also calling on teachers across the country to tip off national security officials over any radicalised students they encounter.
Their concerns come amid revelations a group of teachers at East Hills Boys approached the principal with fears for their safety after extremist graffiti — including the slogan “ISIS R coming” — was sprayed across a school building.
The Saturday Telegraph understands four teachers expressed concerns in the wake of the pro-IS slogans being painted at the school — where Sydney teenager Fayez studied before leaving the country to join jihadists in the Middle East.
Abdullah Elmira, 17, told his family he was going fishing and flew overseas to join the conflict in Syria and Iraq.
He has since returned to Australia after his desperate father intercepted him in Turkey. The AFP are confident he no longer holds extremist views.
Oh, good. How did they determine that?
AFP officers have visited the school, and others in Western Sydney, and asked senior staff to monitor students for extremist tendencies or terrorist leanings.
“The AFP is concerned recruiters are targeting younger persons. The AFP and its partners are spending significant time in schools and the community to counter extremist narratives,” a spokesman said.
“The best defence against radicalisation is through well-informed and well equipped families, communities and institutions.
This assumes that these young people are being “radicalized” by elements outside their homes and religious communities. That is an unproven assumption. Also, it begs the question yet again: why is the Islamic instruction these people receive at home and at the local mosque, if it is really so different from the version of Islam that the Islamic State recruiters push, not able to withstand the challenge from those recruiters?