Haneef-like treatment could see 7/7 type bombings in Oz: Islamic leader

An influential Islamic youth leader has predicted the possible radicalisation of Australian Muslims if relations between them and the law enforcement authorities dont improve.

Sydney, Oct.29 : An influential Islamic youth leader has predicted the possible radicalisation of Australian Muslims if relations between them and the law enforcement authorities don't improve.

Fadi Rahman, who runs one of Sydney's biggest youth centres at Lidcombe in the city's southwest, believes that what happened with Indian-born doctor Mohamed Haneef could encourage overseas Islamic elements to radicalise Muslim youth in Australia with their hard-line ideologies.

"The biggest problem ASIO and the federal police have is that no one in the Islamic community trusts them enough to give them a heads-up about anything," Rahman told The Australian.

"Look at the Haneef thing - why would we trust these guys when all you see is one fumble after another? People are afraid."

Dr Haneef, an Indian national, was detained in July on suspicion of having played a role in the foiled terrorist attacks in London and Glasgow, but the case fell apart after a series of prosecution mistakes.

Rahman warned that a battle for the hearts and minds of young Muslims was under way in Australia.

Rahman said he believed he had been the target of a recruitment attempt but when he responded "defensively" those talking to him said they had merely been joking.

He said the typical recruiter was in their 40s or 50s, "from overseas, well-educated and tapping into young people's frustrations and anger".

"I think we are very similar to London," he said.

"The right ingredients are there. We need to do something or what happened in London, a London-type bombing, will happen here."

Rahman said the Government was spending too much on campaigns directed at people who did not know what was going on - such as the Be Alert, Not Alarmed campaign - but not enough in communities such as south-western Sydney, where about 250,000 Muslims live.

About 50 of the youths at the centre, which has about 460 members aged 10 to 35, are former criminals who have done time in jail. At the Independent Centre of Research Australia, he runs anger-management programs and has opened a prayer room run by Sheik Mallah.

"The blame game" of all Muslims being blamed for terrorism "will only put people offside", he said.

ANI