Schools to Report Students at risk of Radicalisation

The news that the NSW government has approached schools requiring them to report students who are at risk of being radicalised to the police is indeed retrograde news. This comes only weeks after Numan Haider, a teenager in Melbourne who knew he was under surveillance and was already under a radical influence, reacted in such an extreme manner to the involvement of police that he was shot dead.

Law enforcement is not the first authority to turn to when kids are in trouble. Counsellors, advisors, specialists in the area of concern are the right people to involve and provide intervention - whether it be learning difficulties, antisocial behaviour, involvement with crime and so on. 

Pride and Arrogance amongst Muslims

As ignorance increases amongst the Muslim community, so does pride and arrogance, representing the character of Satan in refusing to recognize the position of mankind’s father – Adam. Family pride and honour, tribal loyalty, anger and its follow-up revenge at perceived insults – all of these attitudes and behaviors that the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w moved against in his own community.

 Muhammad s.a.w., as with all God’s messengers, was sent to bring justice. “We sent aforetime our messengers with clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance, that men may stand forth in Justice.” (Al Hadeed 57:25)

Honour killings are part of this same trend – that a family, group or tribe has not been rejected by a decision made by one of them. There have been many great scholars and leaders who went against the desires of their community – and made great contributions as a result.

 There is no justification in Islam, in Christianity, in Judaism, or in any of the revealed religions for tribal, family or group ‘honour’ against the rights of the individual. The law is as revealed and is just, and must be maintained with justice.

 Unfortunately those who are ignorant about their religion like to use their religion to justify injustice – to their own disgrace.

When did defending innocents become radical?

Every night I listen to the increasing death toll of children and civilians in a brutal, now sectarian civil war. I think of my friends who are desperately trying to get their families out of Syria, and of Bob Carr's comment about the unusual aspect of 33% of Syrian homes being razed by the government forces.

I know how far I will go in order to protect my children - and I am not a radical. I feel the pain of my friends whose extended families flee for their lives or are callously butchered.

The Rohingya tragedy
Here is some information that was sent to me by Kuranda Seyit from Fair

- truly an appalling situation that needs our immediate attention, internationally.
No-where to go….
By Kuranda Seyit

The Rohingyas are an Indo-Arayan people based in Arakan (today referred to as Rakhine state in Myanmar) and their history dates back to the 8th century CE. Over the centuries Persian, Arab and Turkish sea traders came to the area, bringing with them Islam. This land was given the name Arakan, which is a Persian word.  Likewise the Rakhine people have been in the region since the 8th century, however they are a Sino-Tibetan people and follow Buddhism.
The Rakhine and Rohingya lived side by side in peace.  It was not until the Burmese invaded in 1789,

Hold of terrorism is weakening

The Muslim community has been subjected to a combination of debilitating mind games for most of the last century. Still struggling from the after-effects of colonialism, they have been oppressed by dictators installed by the retreating colonialists, and disempowered by their sweet talk of nationalism. Conspiracy theories have added to their impotency, leading to a mindless, hopeless and mutually destructive tendency to violent revenge. With their scholars imprisoned and replaced by Western educated bureaucrats, their religious schools filled with the least capable of learners and funded by bedouin theology, the ignorant have become leaders, contributing through unaccountable underground networks and the harsh yelling of Friday sermons to a combined sense of emasculation. Hence the easy recourse to terrorism.
But the hold of terrorism is weakening.
There has been no benefit to any group from the mindless terror of suicide bombs, market bombs and the eradication of alternative views. Over the past few decades millions of families - mostly Muslim - have suffered devastating injury, crippling fear, and the irreparable loss of loved ones.

A wonderful day for Eid

Today, fully replenished from another wonderful dinner the night before with new London friends, I set off bright and early for the advertised Kingsbury Park One Eid celebration in the park.