Imported problems,

<Lawyer backing girls who fled to Syria is linked to 'terror apologists’
Tasnime Akunjee, who represents the families of the three teenage 'jihadi brides' from east London, is an extremist with links to Cage

The lawyer representing the families of the three east London girls who ran away to Syria is an extremist with links to Cage, the group which Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, described as “apologists for terror”.

Tasnime Akunjee, also known as Mohammed Tasnime Akunjee, has been acting as solicitor for the families of Shamima Begum, Kadiza Sultana and Amira Abase, from Tower Hamlets, who travelled last month to join Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil).

He has led a campaign for Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, to apologise for the force’s “failure” to tell the girls’ parents that a school friend of the three pupils had gone to Syria, saying it had “disabled the families from intervention in [their] children’s plans”.

However, Mr Akunjee has previously said that no Muslim should co-operate with anti-terror police, arguing that Prevent, the Government’s counter-terror policy, is “straightforward, paid-for spying on the community”.>
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/11463208/Lawyer-backing-girls-who-fled-to-Syria-is-linked-to-terror-apologists.html

As a side comment, while not disputing the child status of 15 and 16yr olds, years before that age I was doing most of the farm work of men, which involved handling machinery and chemicals. I can say without hesitation that 'girl' and all of the infantalisation, positive stereotyping and excuse-making that implies, is inappropriate. They should bear some responsibility for their choices, made freely.

G'day there BANJO...

You're of course perfectly correct. It's family influences that count most, whether it's a young radicalised Muslim youth, or western youth getting on the wrong track, hanging around with the wrong crowd. It's the senior, more sagacious family members, who should provide the counselling and necessary guidance, for the younger members.

Yet in some instances, where mum or dad, are 'crook' themselves, real no-hopers, then more than likely their poor behaviour, poor choices, and aberrant influences, tend to invariable rub off on their kids. I guess it's why the family has such an important responsibility to guide, educate and inspire their young charges with the correct ways in which to live their lives, and how to comply with Society's standards. Furthermore, become productive members of their own community, instead of becoming a burden on the citizenry of that community.

If the family tries, and continues to fail, with a particularly intransigent young family member, only then should the police be involved. Generally speaking once the coppers are concerned, that young person very often forfeits any chance of having a reasonably sound future, despite any good intentions that family may've had. Why ? Many young people consider, any involvement of police in their formative years (16 - 20 years), can almost be taken as a 'badge of honour', an overt display of how menacing and tough they (seemingly) are to all and sundry ? Furthermore, once they become unfavourably 'known' to police, it does count against them when applying for any government occupation in the future ? It's my understanding both State and C'Wealth governments routinely check 'ALL' job applicants, prior to being offered employment ?

While it's true, some youngsters do manage to extricate themselves out of this awful chaos and unsavoury tumult. It's very difficult to avoid, being declined a good job, purely because that young person is adversely 'known' to police. It's so tough to shake such a reputation, no matter how minor, or long ago it may've been ?

Getting a job also becomes rather difficult
if your name happens to be "Mohammad,"
as the political commentators tell us especially when
writing about Western Sydney.

The Muslim population of Australia is listed
by the ABS as being roughly at 2 percent.
Which makes it approx. 460,000 people.
Out of that 2 percent approximately between
170 and 250 Australians are estimated to be
fighting (or trying to) in the Middle-East.

That makes those wanting to fight overseas
less than .05 percent of the Muslim population
in Australia. Compare these
stats with the number of Australian troops
serving in the Middle-East. They are the ones
we should be more concerned about.

Therefore it seems to me that there is a wide gulf
between concerns in this situation
and the actual facts involved.

Fear-mongering and concerns that are being raised
seem to be out of all proportion to the facts as
they exist.

I guess that - "emotional
innumeracy" plays a role in the gulf between
concerns and facts. Many people tend to
express what's worrying
them in as much as vivid anecdotes stick - (especially
from overseas) regardless of whether they are describing
something very rare.

Governments should appease people's fears rather than
try to gain political mileage out of them.

I would like to thank everyone who took the
time to contribute to this discussion.
For me at least, it has now run its course.

It has been interesting reading the various
personal anecdotes and the pros and cons of
living in Australia. From all accounts the
pros seemed to outweigh the cons. We can all
be grateful that we do live in a country
where, unlike the problems that many others have,
we can count our blessings and consider ourselves
extremely fortunate.

I look forward to further interesting discussions
in the future.

Foxy,
It is good to see you applying some maths to statements. You have in the past said that it is unfair to discriminate against a group because of the actions of a few.

Depends on what you consider a 'few'

In this case there are approx. 500000 muslims in Aus and it is estimated that between 15% and 25% of muslims are radical. So even if one takes a middle figure of 20%, this means there are 100000 muslims in Aus that have radical or extreme views.

I consider 100000 to be greater than a 'few'

So it is from this pool that support for IS and others comes from and actions by 'lone wolf' terrorists.

The only way to stabilize the risk is to stop immigration entirely from muslim countries. The risk to our citizens is far too high for this to be ignored

Dear Banjo,

If you could back up your statements with
evidence, that would make them more credible.

Kindly supply where you get your stats from.

Mine were from the ABS.