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‘TERROR TSAR’S’ TASK TO TACKLE EXTREMISM By David Miller News Reporter
davidmiller@thepressnews.co.uk
HIRING a ‘Terror Tsar’ for Kirklees is only the first step to defeating extremism in the district, a councillor has warned.
Coun Masood Ahmed (Lab, Dewsbury South) spoke out after Kirklees Council was identified as a priority area and given extra government cash to employ an anti-radicalisation chief known as a ‘Prevent co-ordinator’. The Prevent programme is aimed at stopping people being drawn towards violent extremism. The new role will give the area a head start in complying with the CounterTerrorism and Security Act, 2015. Under the bill, schools, councils, prisons, police and health bodies must show “due regard to preventing people from being drawn into terrorism”. The Prevent co-ordinator, on a salary of up to £42,053, will be tasked with pulling this work together. Coun Ahmed said: “It’s a first step and I welcome the funding but a lot more needs to be done.” One strand involves parents and Coun Ahmed said: “Families need to be more vigilant about their children’s access to the internet.
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“They need to have proper firewalls and there are other tools which can block access to certain websites.” Another tactic is taking some extremist sites offline and he said of Government efforts: “As soon as you block 20 or 30 sites, another 20 or 30 take their place. “A security expert told me they face a constant battle in keeping this list continously up to date.” Coun Ahmed added: “There also needs to be more discussions across the board with a variety of groups and organisations.” He included in that the English Defence League, which last month suggested a protest in Savile Town. Workshops on extremism, led by imams, took place in mosques over Ramadan. Coun Ahmed said: “They are not closed shops. The mosques are open and there is nothing stopping people coming down to see how imams preach.” The latest moves to combat radicalisation come after Savile Town teenager Talha Asmal killed himself and 10 others in a suicide bombing in Iraq last month. Asmal and his friend Hassan Munchi, both 17, fled to Syria after initially going to Turkey. Munchi’s whereabouts are still unknown and Coun Ahmed said: “His parents are worried and can’t understand why he’s gone.
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“It’s a first step and I welcome the funding but a lot more needs to be done... there also needs to be more discussions across the board with a variety of groups and organisations” – Coun Masood Ahmed, right
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