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Internet 'is infecting UK children with extremist Muslim messages'
PARENTS are living in "cloud cuckoo land" if they think their children are not being exposed to violent extremism, a police chief has told the Yorkshire Post.
West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Norman Bettison warned social networking sites were being used to spread messages of hate to children – but stopped short of calling for extremist chat on sites such as Facebook to be banned.
Mr Bettison was speaking on the day that he revealed a 12-year-old white schoolboy was among 124 people being dealt with by police in a new project combating Islamic-inspired violent extremism.
The child, who has only been identified by the initials BC, was reported by his school in West Yorkshire after he was found circulating video clips of terrorists beheading Westerners.
Sick films were distributed to classmates on their mobile phones, prompting a teacher to march the boy to the local police station.
His comments come just weeks after the Yorkshire Post reported how children in the region were being groomed by al-Qaida.
Mr Bettison said: "If there are parents out there who think their teenage children are not being exposed to and coming into contact with drugs then they are living in cloud cuckoo land and the same is true of violent extremism.
"If parents, particularly those in the Muslim community, do not think their children are being exposed to these messages, then they are living in cloud cuckoo land."
But he said the example of the 12-year-old boy "destroyed the myth" that extremism was only an issue for Muslim communities.
"Violent extremism is a feature of real life for all of us. But so long as the communities are with us we can turn back the tide," he said.
Mr Bettison revealed: "The white child that we are working with has been downloading Jihadist beheading videos and circulating them around school.
"That was bad enough, but he also has an unnatural interest in guns and weapons.
"He spoke openly of his wish to be a sniper and spoke of his curiosity of what it would be like to kill someone."
"He is at risk of being a violent young man and a threat to society," the chief constable said.
"He is not a Muslim. He is not driven by ideology – he is too young to spell the word.
"But he is being influenced and intoxicated by the imagery and appeal of Jihadist and other internet violence."
Sir Norman warned the Association of Chief Police Officers annual conference in Liverpool that Islamic extremism was spreading like a "virus" and urged every parent to address the issue with their children.
"Every young Muslim will be introduced to ideas around al-Qaida and a 'global struggle'. I don't see how you can avoid it in 2008."
BC is now being handled under a scheme known as the Channel Project.
Three police forces are piloting the initiative in a bid to build links with the community, including Muslims, and gather information about possible extremists.
The chief constable said the pilot project, which is being operated by West Yorkshire, the Metropolitan and Lancashire forces, had been running for nine months.
The number of suspects so far uncovered was "higher than expected", he added.
Already 124 people have been referred to the police and other agencies for attention by schools, community leaders, mosques and others.
"It is a means of bridging between the community and the police and identifying people who might be attracted to, or vulnerable to, being radicalised," said Sir Norman.
"We are trying to intervene early. We are trying to snuff out violent extremism."
Sir Norman said none of the 124 has been prosecuted so far because officers are attempting to avoid using anti-terror laws against anyone identified by the scheme.
"Throwing the book at them in terms of the Prevention of Terrorism Act would be complete overkill," the chief constable said.
"We are not talking about criminal actions. We are talking about vulnerable kids."
Two other cases highlighted by the senior policeman were Muslim youths, known only as NH and YH, who were both 15 when they were reported by their communities in Leeds because they were showing extremist and racist tendencies.
Revealed...three boys schooled in violence:
Video clips showing beheadings were found on boy's mobile phone
BC: Aged just 12, the fair-haired, white youngster came to Britain in July 2005 as an asylum seeker.
Described as "angelic looking", BC lives in a working class, single-parent household in West Yorkshire with his father.
He allegedly took part in the forced rape of his younger sister by two other boys before he lived in Britain.
His school referred him to social services because of his poor social skills.
Sir Norman said disturbing images found on the boy's mobile phone included video clips of beheadings.
BC's father supports the police actions on his son.
The child is said to be responding well to care and counselling offered under the programme.
Concerns raised by family about prolific offender's drastic change of behaviour
NH: This Leeds boy was 15 when he came to police attention.
He has eight previous convictions from a total of 11 previous offences since 2004.
NH was already "on the radar" as a prolific offender, but his character began to change last year. He abandoned "street culture", adopted traditional Islamic dress and began talking about Islamic issues.
Sir Norman said police at that stage were unaware of the community's anxiety until elders approached a local officer on behalf of NH's parents, who were described as being at their wits' end and concerned about the family's reputation.
Youth's openly racist language led to expulsion from school last year
YH: The youth first came to police attention two years ago when he was just 15 years old.
Of Bangladeshi origin, he lives just streets away from NH in Leeds but the two appear to be entirely unconnected, Sir Norman said.
Since 2007 YH had been coming to officers' attention regularly for street disturbances – and has been put on an anti-social behaviour order.
"His behaviour appeared to be motivated by dislike for people who are not Asian," said the chief constable.
"He used openly racist language which resulted in his exclusion from school in 2007."
YH used "strident terms" to discuss Islamic issues on the internet, he added.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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