The capital cities of Australia’s states experienced their first Muslim Global Dawah Day on July 5, with teams of young mission-minded Muslim activists distributing leaflets and engaging in street evangelism for Islam. They took their lead from a wealth of online resources, with well-known British activist Abdur Raheem Green being a key spokesman for the worldwide campaign.
Although Global Dawah Day had little profile in the mainstream Australian media, it came at a time of considerable public anxiety and government activity over reports of home-jihadis grown leaving to fight for radical Islamist groups in Syria and Iraq. In early July, the Australian Attorney General warned that at least 60 Australians are actively involved in fighting with extremist groups, such as the newly declared Islamic caliphate, with a further 150 providing various forms of support.
Australia is not alone in engaging in this soul-searching. The European law enforcement agency, Europol, has estimated that up to 2000 European Muslims had joined the Syrian conflict by the end of 2013. The global nature of these activities was reflected in a short propaganda film released on the Internet in June. Titled There Is No Life without Jihad, it featured five young British and Australian jihadis calling on Muslims everywhere to join them. The speakers even referred to the presence of jihadis from Cambodia, underscoring the scale of jihadi extremism.
Thriving subcultures
The key breeding ground for such ideologies in Australia is located in the western suburbs of Sydney, where the official hands-off multicultural policy over several decades has facilitated the emergence of thriving subcultures, some of which lean towards radical Islamism. Fundraising events have been held for overseas jihad campaigns. The mood for foreign adventure in support of an ideology – reminiscent of the rush to join the Waffen SS among young Germans during World War II – has attracted some Muslim youth drawn to the muscular appeal of radical Islamism.
The pattern in Australia reflects that of other Western countries. A number of key individuals become known as spiritual leaders for young radical Islamist groups. In Australia, Junaid Thorne, 24, is featured in an online film sitting in front of the black flag of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) and congratulating ISIS fighters on their recent capture of the Iraqi city of Mosul. Ex-Catholic convert to Islam, Musa Cerantonio, 28, has gained a reputation as one of the three most influential online preachers for militant Islam, according to a recent report by London’s International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation. Cerantonio announced on Twitter in early July that he was travelling to Syria, and warmly commended the new Islamic caliphate. jihadis Then there are those Australian already involved in fighting for radical Islamism, some of whom are killed and considered as martyrs by their fellow combatants. Zakaryah Raad was reportedly killed in June while fighting for ISIS. Prior to leaving Australia, he had been handed a suspended sentence in 2012 for his role in the group flogging of a young Muslim who drank alcohol and took drugs, presented by the perpetrators as consistent with the dictates of Shari’a law.
Different responses
Responses to this situation have been varied. On a recent visit to Australia, US President Barack Obama expressed concern over the threat to Australia posed by returning jihadis in the future. Similar concerns have been widely articulated in Europe. The Australian Government has been investigating ways to prevent the return of such jihadi extremists, and a number of Australian passports have reportedly already been cancelled.
Christians have been slow to respond to the jihadis homegrown in Australia. Christian activism has taken other forms, with some groups advocating against more stringent Australian government policies regarding asylum seeker arrivals by boat in Australian waters. Some Christians have also engaged competitively with increased Islamic missionary activity from Australia’s growing Muslim population. For example, in response to Global Dawah Day, groups of Christians distributed tracts and engaged with passers-by in the areas where the Muslim teams were active.
