A THREE-YEAR-OLD child is among hundreds of young
Britons who have been earmarked as potential future Islamic State (ISIS)
extremists by the Government.
The
Channel counter-extremism programme has identified 834 such Britons under the
age of 18 in the last two years alone. The
figures will fuel fears about the growing number of young people being
radicalised by hate preachers who spread their vile message over the
internet.
It
is thought that close to 1,000 Britons have travelled to Syria and Iraq to
fight for Isis, with more than half of those later returning to the streets of Britain
where they could carry out terrorist atrocities.
Ministers
have vowed to challenge the "twisted narrative that has corrupted some of
our vulnerable young people", whilst David Cameron has said that Britain
must "de-glamourise groups like ISIS by making young people aware of the
brutal reality of life in the parts of Iraq and Syria they control".
The
Channel programme was set up as part of the fightback against islamist
extremists following the 7/7 bombings in 2005.
Children
drawing bombs and guns or writing about wanting to be a suicide bomber at
school are amongst examples of youngsters who have been referred to the
initiative.
About
one in ten of the 834 children referred to the programme between April 2012 and
June 2014 were under 12.
Amongst
them was a three-year-old from Tower Hamlets, who was referred as “part of a
wider family group” that had been displaying alarming behaviour.
Security
Minister John Hayes said: "As a country, we have a duty to challenge, at
every turn, the twisted narrative that has corrupted some of our vulnerable
young people.
"Since
Channel was rolled out nationally in April 2012, there have been over 4,000
referrals and hundreds of people at risk of being drawn into violent extremism
have been provided with support.
"Referrals
to Channel have increased since 2014 but we have dedicated sufficient resources
to the programme to cope with demand. We will keep this position under close
review."
The
number of young people being identified will continue to rise, experts have warned,
fuelled by an explosion of online Isis propaganda and the sight of British
fighters taking part in the conflict in Syria.
A
new statutory duty on public bodies, such as schools, hospitals and councils,
to prevent people being drawn into extremism is also thought to have
contributed to the surge in referrals.
Hannah
Stuart, a researcher on extremism from the Henry Jackson Society think tank,
said: "Channel referrals have continued to rise since the programme was
introduced nationally.
"This
is in part because of the growing appeal and clever marketing of jihadist ideas
among young people by groups like Islamic State.
"But
it's also because public bodies, particularly schools, have become increasingly
aware of their safeguarding duties in terms of preventing radicalisation."
Channel
involves social workers, police, medical staff and others working with adults
and young people who are judged to be either vulnerable to or engaged in
extremism.
The
aim is to divert them away from potential violence through early intervention
as part of the Government’s wider “Prevent” programme.
But
shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper claimed support had been cut too far. She
said: "The Government has substantially cut support for community-led
action to counter extremists' lies.
"The
police cant do this alone. Countering extremism is much more effective if it
involves local community groups.
"We
know young people are particularly at risk of radicalisation yet the Channel
programme is not sufficiently resourced or prepared to manage the referrals
being made."
Commander
Richard Walton, the head of Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorism Command, said:
“The earlier we can intervene to prevent radicalisation the better.
"It
is good that we are receiving more referrals as it shows that the people of
London understand the dangers of extremism and the need to speak out.
"Everyone
can play a part in keeping London safe.”
The
Government's Prevent strategy has come under close scrutiny in recent months
after Dal Babu, a Muslim former chief superintendent, branded it
"toxic".
Meanwhile
Mizanur Rahman, who was sent on a programme aimed at turning him away from
extreme views, claimed he spent most of his time playing pool.
It
also emerged that Brusthom Ziamani, who was jailed for 22 years for hatching a
plot to behead a British soldier, had been spoken to by Prevent officers while
on bail but he refused to engage with the programme.
By Nick Gutteridge