DAR AL HARB - AUSTRALIA: SYDNEY'S SEFTON MOSQUE & ITS MOVEMENT FOR RECRUITING MOSLEM JIHADISTS

Mosque group 'in a line to jihad'
by Natalie O'Brien

THE Islamic group accused of trying to seize control of Sydney's Sefton mosque is part of a movement described as a recruiting ground for al-Qa'ida in a new terrorism intelligence report.

The group attempting the takeover has members who follow the Tablighi Jamaat stream of Islam, described this week bythe private US intelligence group Stratfor as an "indirect line to terrorism".

Members of the Tablighi movement have recently been linked to a terrorist cell in Spain that was planning a bomb attack in Barcelona.

During a series of raids last week, Spanish police seized bomb-making materials and arrested 14 men who were said to be members of the Tablighi.

The Stratfor report says that on the surface, the Tablighi is a peaceful, egalitarian and devotional movement stressing faith and personal development, but it has links to the world of jihadism.

"The TJ organisation also serves as a de facto conduit for Islamist extremists and for groups such as al-Qa'ida to recruit new members," the report says.

It is used by jihadis as a cover for both recruiting activities and for travel. "Significantly, the Tablighi recruits do intersect with the world of radical Islamism when they travel to Pakistan to receive their initial training," it says.

Western intelligence agencies, including Britain's MI5 and the FBI in the US, have been monitoring the activities of the group.

However, the Stratfor report points out that the organisation "unintentionally" serves as a front for or conduit to militant organisations.

"There is no evidence that the Tablighis act willingly as a global jihadist recruiting arm."

Members of the Tablighi in Sydney have been accused of attempting to oust the imam at the Sefton mosque, in Sydney's southwest, so they can take control and bring in their own Tablighi sheik.

Attempts by the The Australian to contact Talbighi for a response were last night unsuccessful.

...



Pertinent Links:

1) Mosque group 'in a line to jihad'