Recruiters of Muslim youth need to be identified: imam
CALGARY — Reaching out to talk with Muslim youth who are at risk of being radicalized isn’t enough to stop it from happening, say parents, clerics and police.
Those leading the charge against radicalization say more has to be done to find and deal with the recruiters who convince vulnerable young people to give up their personal belongings, follow the teachings of Islamic State and even travel overseas to fight and die on its behalf.
“There is something going on behind the scenes which is hidden. Unless we know the hand that is behind this recruitment it will be almost impossible to stop this recruitment and this radicalization,” says Calgary Imam Syed Soharwardy, the founder of Muslims Against Terrorism and the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada.
“I have no doubt that there are people in this country who are facilitating and funding the travel to Syria and Iraq. Those people need to be exposed. We just blame the Internet and social media, but I think that is very short-sighted.”
A handful of Calgary youth have already reportedly gone to the Middle East to fight for Islamic State.
The federal government’s annual national security report said at the start of 2014, it knew of more than 130 individuals who were abroad and suspected of terror-related activities. About 30 people with Canadian connections were suspected of terror activities in Syria.
Calgary’s deputy police chief says his department has had success working with Muslim groups to find young people who are “vulnerable.” But Trevor Daroux agrees it is essential to find the people who are influencing those most at risk.
“Calgary, as well as every other city in this country and around the world, has to be very much aware that there are those individuals who will actively, face-to-face, try and
radicalize those individuals,” Daroux says.
Chris Boudreau, whose 22-year-old son was killed while fighting with Islamic extremists in Syria, says there has been little sharing of information by law enforcement officials with those working in the community.
Her son, Damian Clairmont, converted to Islam as a teen and reportedly died in heavy fighting in the city of Aleppo last winter as a member of the militant group Islamic State.
Boudreau says her son was actively recruited by individuals in Calgary.
Both Boudreau and Soharwardy want a national inquiry to shine a light on those who are working as puppeteers behind the scenes.
Soharwardy says he was contacted by the parents of a 17-year-old boy who was prevented from going to Syria. They discovered that $5,000 had been transferred into his bank account to pay for his trip. The matter was turned over to police and that’s where it ended.
Boudreau says she understands it is difficult for police to find recruiters and to make criminal charges stick. She says a public inquiry would encourage members of the public to help with the investigation.
“I believe they should be putting a lot more resources toward that. I think they should do what they’ve done in France — relax the laws so they can hold them even if it’s on suspicion. Here they can’t even do that,” she says.