Preventing the radicalisation of our youth

Mi110,it;1 Ajfairs He states here that scare sponsorship of moderate Islam neglects tl1e broader context of Muslim experiences, which is marked b y socio-economic under- privilege and political alienation the Mun1bai attacks and the Boston Mara[hon bomb ings are all examples of you th gone astray when [heir desire to believe is greater than their capacity to judge good from tbe bad.

Ne ,vs that up to I 50 Austt:alians could be fighting in Syria and Iraq for the extreme radical militant group ISIS is indeed concerning for all Australians. The Australian government, law enforcement agencies and, more importantly, tl1e community need to cake steps to prevent forther raclicalisation of our youth.

The Federal Govern m ent has in the past set aside funds, such as up to $700,000 in 2013 for community progran1s, to tackle e.xtremism To an extent it seems to be working but it can be questioned if more can be done.

The challenge not only in volves what needs to be done with those of Australian origin who are currently involved in tl1ese jihadist activities, but tl1ere are a lso concerns of hmv to integrate them with society when they remrn ratl1er tl1an allow furtl1er proliferation of extremism in the coun try.

To combat such .radicalisation both State and Federal governments need to move decisively

An insight in meeting tlus challenge is given by Shahram Akbarzadeh in his 2013 article ' Investing in Mentoring and Educational lniciatives: The Limits of DeRadicalis ation -Programrn.es in Australia,' which appeared in d1e Joumal rf lviwlitJJ

These experiences marginalise Australian Muslims and make iliem vulnerable to extremist ideas. This pattern is most evident an10ng the youth, whose sense of self is stiU in Aux, says Akbarzadeh.

Youtl1 in our communities are still crying to find their place between tl1e country of their parents' b irtl1 and mat of their own upbringing. T he s hare of Indian- born Muslims is 2.1 % according to the 201 1 Census and 5 6% for Pakistani- born :tvluslims.

From the comrnmtit:y point of v iew, it is important tl1at we address tl1ese i ssues so as to educate and franchise oLU· youth better.

\l(Thile Australia is home w them, their sense of identity is still h)1)henated as they are referred to as Indian-Australians, Sri Lankan-Australia.ns or PakistaniAustralians. To the educated classes, these distinctions can b ill[ w ith time. For tl1ose who may be from a Jess advantaged socioeconomic background however and are on d1e fringes of religious marginalisation from the mainstt eam, thtcre is more susceptibility to the pressures of the radicals within their society.

As the youth go searching for answers, those who can incite ratl1er than excite them about life should answer their questions

The 9 / 11 attacks, the London bombing,

Society needs to step in, and acceptance has co be the keir. .Media, both social and traditional, has to be more accepting of d1e differences between peoples. Political leaders need to aUow for more inclusiveness in tl1eir policy programs ratl1er than jllst make token gestures. Businesses have ro step up the educational campaigns to convey d1e benefits of diversity.

In view of tlus, Attorney General George Brandis' intention co repe.'li section 18c of the Racial Discrimination A ct 1975 is clearly wrong. 1t is the right of individuals from all walks of life to feel free and protected from unfair discrimination based on race. The government needs to retain section l8c of the Act, which mal,es it unlawful for people to vilify otl1ers on racial grounds Any repeal of this act can send our society backwards

The Racial Discrimination Act helps create a fairer Australia for all, and stops individuals from offending, insulting, humiliating o r intimidating another person or a group of people, based upon race, colour or national or etlmic origin.

The problem of marginalised yo utl1 in our migran t com1mmities could pose serious security concerns and so needs to be handJed sensitively.

Community acceptance and respect of eacb other will be an important platform in this endeavour.

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