MJC calls crisis talks over IS

Evidence found in the girl's bedroom suggested she had transferred money to an unknown source, and other clues written on her school books suggested to her family that she had been in contact with Islamic State recruiters. She had also confided to friends that she was considering joining Islamic State. File photo

Evidence found in the girl's bedroom suggested she had transferred money to an unknown source, and other clues written on her school books suggested to her family that she had been in contact with Islamic State recruiters. She had also confided to friends that she was considering joining Islamic State. File photo

Published Apr 8, 2015

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Cape Town - The Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) has called imams and leaders to an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss how to combat the threat of aggressive Islamic State (IS) recruitment campaigns targeting the country’s teenagers.

At the weekend a 15-year-old girl from Kenwyn was intercepted at Cape Town International Airport on her way to join the militant group.

Imams, some of whom said the girl’s attempt was an “eye-opener”, will now look at how to warn and educate teenagers about the dangers of IS’ tactics online where it has countless Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Google+ accounts to recruit members.

The meeting is the latest chapter in a series of workshops that began this year, said MJC spokeswoman Nabeweya Malick.

The MJC had openly and frequently condemned IS for its actions, saying they were out of keeping with Islam. And while IS had been a focus of the MJC’s numerous meetings, news of the teen’s bid to join its ranks in Syria had catalysed urgent action.

“We just realised that teenagers just have no idea what IS is about. Many have not even come to grips with Islamic teachings yet.”

Relatives of the teen said she was naïve about the dangerous conditions she would face in war-torn Syria, joining an organisation that openly traded women as slaves.

She went missing over the weekend, leaving behind evidence, such as documents and notes in schoolbooks, suggesting she had been in contact with IS recruiters.

She reportedly also confided in friends that she was considering joining IS.

Minister of State Security David Mahlobo was informed of her disappearance and apparent ties to the militant group. She was eventually located at the airport, waiting to board a British Airways flight to Joburg, and was returned to her parents.

However, the Department of State Security is now investigating who arranged and funded the teen’s trip to the Middle East. Sources said her final flight destination was Saudi Arabia, despite reports suggesting she would meet recruiters in Turkey.

By law, women travelling to Saudi Arabia have to be accompanied by a male relative, or met by a male relative at the airport. The Turkish government allows visitors to simply go online and print out their visa.

Comair, the airline responsible for the domestic British Airways flight, said teenagers over the age of 12 were allowed to travel alone although it was recommended that they provide their age in order to mark them as “young” on the system.

The 15-year-old’s bid to join IS has rocked the local Muslim community. Her school’s principal, who the Cape Argus chose not to identify to protect the teen’s identity, said: “We are as shocked as anybody else.”

Maulana Farouk Rylands, of the mosque in Kenwyn, said the incident was an “eye opener for parents to wake up and see what their children were up to”.

“You hear about this happening in other parts of the world, but when it happens closer to you it’s a big shock.”

He was waiting to speak to the girl’s father and grandfather, who regularly attended the mosque. Her mother refused to talk to the Cape Argus.

While the MJC said this case was the first of its kind in South Africa, IS recruitment techniques are well documented.

Last month the Sunday Tribune set up two Twitter accounts – posing as a South African interested in joining IS, and as a media organisation wanting to find out why so many people were attracted to IS.

In a short time the paper found two people claiming to be based in Syria and keen to help South Africans join the group.

The MJC’s Malick said that with the help of researchers, the council had reams of information on how IS and its recruiters operated. It hoped to hand over some of this information to imams on Wednesday morning.

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Cape Argus

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