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News and Comment
Entrapment, Racial Profiling and Criminalisation of Muslim Youth Continues by Australia’s Counter-Terror Regime
News:
A covert meeting in a Sydney car park turned out to be a police sting for 18-year-old Tamim Khaja, who was reportedly charged with two terrorism offences related to a planned attack.
Police allege talking soon gave way to something more and the teenager had visited government offices and police stations in Sydney in the past two weeks and had tried to buy a gun.
He was arrested on Tuesday after he exchanged messages and travelled to a Parramatta car park to meet with a person he thought was a gun seller.
Fairfax Media understands a tip-off to the National Security Hotline last year first alerted police to his behaviour.
Mr Khaja was then investigated in July for allegedly preaching violent extremism in the playground of Epping Boys High School where he was a year 12 student.
It's alleged he had attempted to leave the country three times to join the Islamic State terrorist group. Most recently, he was stopped at Sydney Airport in February trying to fly to Syria but his passport was cancelled.
Mr Khaja then allegedly began planning an attack on home soil.
It's understood he was weighing up his options for sites and had ruled some out after scouting them.
Comment:
Once again another so-called “extremist” Muslim young man has been caught in a sting operation by the Australian police that has involved the use of an under-cover policeman entrapping this 18 year old teen. This follows the case of a 16 year old teenage boy who was arrested only last month alleged to have been intending an Anzac Day attack. Police had also charged him with the (draconian) “doing an act in preparation or planning for a terrorist act” offence. The police were also running an “online sting” against him, posing as supporters of “extremists” to discuss procuring a weapon with him, while at the same time working to “deradicalise” him.
The ongoing policing and arresting of Muslim youth by the counter-terror regime therefore continues in accordance with the criminalisation of Muslim youth due to their possessing and conveying Islamic beliefs that are deemed “extremist” or “radical”. Based upon the flawed theory of radicalisation that are considered to be drivers for acts of terror, police argue they must be stopped before it starts. Thus, looking for the so-called signs of radicalisations is one aspect that has led to the criminalisation of young Muslim men but without evidence of the intent to commit an offence is where entrapment by police appears to fulfil this void. Additionally, the racist profiling of Muslim youth like Tamim are due to racist counter-terror campaigns that instructs the Australian public to report people of ‘Middle Eastern appearance' acting suspiciously to the National Security Hotline.
Putting aside the current Federal election campaign context in which the increased spate of “alleged” terror plots have been foiled, the obvious need the counter-terror regime has by making examples to a potentially sceptical society through the terrorising of Muslim youth, acts as a justification of the draconian counter-terror laws and counter-radicalisation policies that Australia’s counter-terror regime has been enforcing for more than a decade. The criminalisation of Muslim youth furthermore aims to intimidate and scare Muslim families, communities and organisation.
Consequently, some have responded by standing firm like Abdullah ibn Masud (ra), who stood firm against the violence inflicted by Quraysh, whilst others have buckled under pressure, seeking solutions contrary to the Ahkaam Shari’ah, to save themselves and their communities. Muslims must therefore stand firm and continue to hold onto their Islamic identity in spite of the intense pressures to do otherwise.
Anas bin Malik (radi Allahu anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: «يأتي على الناس زمان القابض على دينه كالقابض على الجمر» “There shall come upon the people a time in which the one who is steadfast upon his religion will be like the one holding onto a burning ember.” (Hasan) [Chapters on Al-Fitan: Jami At-Tirmidhi]
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Tsuroyya Amal Yasna