Thursday, October 12, 2006

Thoughts on New Zealand Anti-Terror Strategies

A tiny minority of young Australian-born Muslims are increasingly being seen as a security threat.

Australian police recently arrested three young Muslim men, joining 15 or so co-religionists, the bulk of them born and brought up in Australia.

The most recent annual report by the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) identifies a strategic change in the approach of terrorist groups such as al Qaeda, a change which happened in 2002.

Dr Paul Buchanan's response on these pages supports the assessment of Australian security expert Clive Williams of the Australian National University. Williams argues that Australian involvement in Iraq and other overseas conflicts has put Australia on the terrorists' radar.

But in fighting terrorism, authorities must understand that Islamic teachings aren't the problem, nor are most Muslims.

Even critics will agree with the SIS's assessment that extremist groups have focused on recruiting "individuals inspired rather than directed who were citizens or permanent residents of the countries in question, and who were not previously regarded as of major security concern".

New Zealand's media have shown sensitivity to the religious sentiments of minorities, and Muslim communities need to take some responsibility. One cannot expect any religious denomination to act as an intelligence or law enforcement agency, but community leaders can limit the attraction of extremism by helping young Muslims get maximum exposure to the broad spectrum of Islamic theology and culture.

Sadly, some migrant Muslim communities treat Islam as a cultural relic. The needs of young people and converts are ignored, giving extremists more recruitment opportunities.

UK Muslim institutions are dominated by first-generation, largely sub-Continental migrants employing non-English speaking imams more interested in sectarian and cultural feuds of little relevance to British Muslims.

Those believed to be responsible for the London attacks were young emotional and ideological refugees from Muslim mosques and institutions uninterested in assisting young people caught swinging between spiritual and cultural poles.

The migration experience is traumatic. Sadly, the greater trauma of children growing up between multiple cultural and religious values and expectations is often ignored.

Many young Muslims feel alien, whether at home or outside, unsure of their identity and more prone to depression and anxiety than their peers who don't experience such cultural confusion. Those at the helm of Muslim institutions must understand that any failure to assist young Muslims manage identity-related crises could pose a security threat for the broader community.

Australia's leading Muslim organisations have not provided a good example. The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils has no youth representatives on its board and is composed almost exclusively of middle-aged men born outside Australia. Its adviser on youth affairs is an imam in his 60s with no English.

Subsequent generations of Australian Muslims find mainstream mosques irrelevant and instead are attracted to youth centres managed by more radical imams who speak fluent English and who gained their ideas studying in Saudi Arabia.

New Zealand's Muslim community doesn't have some of the negative features found in Australia. However, mosque management committees are often controlled by first-generation migrants, with no strategy for inter-generational transfer.

Muslim institutions must ensure Islam doesn't become a piece of cultural baggage left at the airport. If young people and converts are not catered for, most will eventually leave Islam altogether. But some may fall under the spell of extremist theology.

* Irfan Yusuf is a Sydney lawyer who has acted for Muslim bodies and independent schools. First published in the New Zealand Herald on 13 April 2006.

© Irfan Yusuf 2006

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Islam doesn't become a piece of cultural baggage left at the airport..."

Muslims shouldn't be allowed into airports let alone with cultural baggage or socioeconomic baggage or exploding bomb baggage.

We are safer with jews. At every airport muslims should be required to convert to judaism. Then they might be allowed on Air AL the Israeli national airline.

If they won't convert to Judaism they be must crammed into old 747s which can be flown by remote control into the middle of Mecca. Hopefully get some of the ones on the ground as well.

If they want just, as the plane is diving into Mecca they should be allowed to jump out. Who knows Allah might save one. Or perhaps we will just see Allah's mercy.

There are dozens of old 747s all over the world.

There are also lots of obsolete cruise missles. Why arent we tying muslims to cruise missles and flying them up and down the main streets of muslim cities? When they run low on fuel just fly them in the front door of a mosque.

Anonymous said...

anon @ 404, what are you doing up so early? i thought you'd be busy with your drug-induced hang-over after sitting on the lap of your local catholic priest ...

Anonymous said...

"The migration experience is traumatic."

Not as traumatic as the revenge of the white races against the mud people. Australians and Kiwis are mobilising against the hated muslim menace. None of the muslim scum will survive the Final Crusade.

We will hear their blubbering as they are led to their extermination. Their pleadings will only make us prouder of our white race.

We will slit their throats and watch them the same way they torture sheep and goats. But we will not let them die so easily. They will be fed feet first into mincing machines with the carcasses of feral pigs. The pig/muslim mince will then be fed to the crocodiles at the Zoo.

Especially repugnant muslims will not go through the mincer but will be force fed bacon and then be smeared in pig fat and then be torn apart by crocodiles.

Every mosque will contain a mincing machine and a pond of crocodiles. In this way white tourism will benefit.

When all the muslims are dead we will turn the mosques to dust and put synagogues in their place. And then when public opinion rises against the jew they will follow the same path as the muslim scum.

Anonymous said...

Obviously New Zealand should never have invaded Iraq.

Oh.... Hang on, they didn't.

Must be something else (cough...Islam).

Anonymous said...

According to the New Zealanders new terrorists are citizens or permanent residents of the countries in question, and who were not previously regarded as of major security concern.

All muslims are suspects particulary mentally-ill ones such as Irfan Yusuf. How much is a human life worth? We should go to any expense to save Australian lives. Even the expense of deporting every muslim. They can take their hotted-up cars and kebab shops with them. Anthony Mundine goes as well. And any other member of the aboriginal species stupid enough to convert to Islam. 27th of December every year would be ideal for celebrating a No More Muslim Australia. It's about time the government declared David Hicks to be a citizen of Yemen or some other typical muslim hole.

Nilk said...

Wow, Irfan, you've got some great trolls here.

I'm all for reasoned debate, but your guys here are a bit unhinged.

All you anons, if you want to debate muslim immigration and its effects, why not try statistics and the quran?

Irfan, I'd like to know when infidels in islamic countries will be safe from muslims. That's all.

Why are we expected to allow prayer breakes, time off for Ramadan and no dissing of your prophet?

As a catholic, I find the islamic view of Jesus offensive and blasphemous.

I was and still am angered by the fatwas against the Pope for his remarks (which were not intended for a muslim audience, by the way).

Why is it that when muslims are upset, we are expected to apologise and grovel or else yet if any other segment of society is upset they are expected to get over it?

Anonymous said...

n/l, perhaps you might remember that Catholicism is also a non-European phenomenon. Indian Catholics face threats not from Muslims but from Hindu zealots from a party that until recently ruled India federally.

your concern for Catholics would be laudatory were it not restricted to white extreme-Right Catholics. And I'm sorry, but I will never respect the right of European Catholics to slaughter 6 million Jews!

Nilk said...

I don't know that Hitler and his cabal were catholic. In fact, I'm damned sure they weren't.

They were fascists, and as such did not respect the Christ and his teachings.

Since the jews are the chosen people of God, and they may not be following Jesus (who was, after all, Jewish), that still doesn't mean they should be exterminated.

Why does everyone slag off the catholics anyway? Nobody seems upset about Lutherans or Anglicans or Baptists. I'm sure not all those Germans who watched the trains roll by were catholic.

With regards to Catholic-Indians, if they are not having difficulty with their muslim neighbours, that may be because the neighbours are also having difficulty with the hindu extremists.

Not having done a lot of reading on the matter, I have to confess ignorance there.

Anonymous said...

Baggage....what baggage??

What a load of rubbish from Irfan and Anonymous.

What do you then call it when Australian Jews go back home (to so called Israel) to fight and kill civilians.

Give your head a shake.

Anonymous said...

They really will let just about anybody into law scholl these days. Our "fiend" once again demonstrates the incongruencies of Islam with Australian, nay civilised culture. You fool. All you do is serve to prove our point that people like you don't belong here or in any civilised society. The many hard working Muslims who are just as irate about extremeists in their motherlands as we are must also be ashamed of the likes of you.

Have you noticed how you are in a distinct minority of Irfan supporters? There is a reason for that. Come to think of it, that's kind of how democracy and sephocracy work. The majority is right. The minorities can put up with it or get the hell out.

Anonymous said...

augustus, in what sense is irfan preaching extremism? any evidence? or are you just too busy smoking weed supplied by your uncle jim?

Anonymous said...

anonymous @ 10.07.

Where have I suggested that Irfan is preaching exteremism?

I will say that he is tolerant of it and also an apologist for Muslim crackpots, however, in none of my posts have I suggested that he preaches extemism.

He is however slow to condemn those that do and quick to condemn those that speak out against it.

I don't have an Uncle Jim, nor have I ever smoked weed. Let me know how its going for you though.

Irf said...

Augustus, can you please provide the following:

a. A working definition of 'muslim crackpots'.

b. Examples where you believe I should have condemned such people and why I of all people should have cendemned them anymore than you should have condemned Anglicans and Catholics who protect pedophiles.

c. Examples of what you regard as adequate responses.

Looking forward to your response.

Anonymous said...

Since I graduated I haven't tried to gain admission again, I can't really see the point.

Guess I'll just have to satisfy myself with the money.

Anonymous said...

What do you then call it when Australian Jews go back home (to so called Israel)

What's "so called" Israel supposed to mean?

Are you a "so called" Jihadi? Or just a "so called" dickhead.

Anonymous said...

11.02pm

Australian Jews respond to Israels call of war. They pack their bags, get into the army, and join the zionist regime in its massacre of Arab civilians.

Australian Lebanese, or Syrians, or Iranians are yet to return home to join armies against Israeli civilians.

Absolutely pathetic. That just shows that Australian Jews are by no means loyal to Australia but to Israel. If Israel were to fight Australia, we would have all "Australian Jews" turning guns on their aussie neighbours.

Unloyal Jews or Muslims aren't welcome here.