Isis recruiters foiled as young Muslims find their British identity in football
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Version 0 of 1. Like most of her generation, when Iqra Ismail wanted to know what was going on in the world, she headed into cyberspace. Driven by a teenager’s inquisitive mind and also her Muslim upbringing, she found events in Syria and the surrounding region of particular interest, leading the 15-year-old schoolgirl to an assortment of websites and social media channels. Internet discussions with friends were joined by some people that she did not know, who encouraged her to move to encrypted messaging apps such as Kik and Surespot. Over the following weeks, these exchanges started to take a sinister turn. Iqra was asked to promote Islamic State among family and friends and told how it was the duty of all Muslims to rally behind its cause – and that, ultimately, the best way she could do this would be by becoming a jihadi bride. But instead of travelling to Syria to marry an Isis fighter, Iqra decided to turn up for football training. “I felt very confused and scared. I just wanted to know more about what was going on in Syria because it’s in the news all the time. I couldn’t understand how I got caught up talking to people who I didn’t know and was being asked to do things that I didn’t want to do. They were trying to brainwash me,” she said. Dr Shamender Talwar, the co-founder of Tuff FC, the team that Iqra plays for, had heard it all before. Since his football initiative launched last year, the “beautiful game” has diverted 10 boys and girls from taking the route to jihad. Their views ranged from expressing support for Isis to talking about travelling to Syria – and, as in Iqra’s case, all claimed to have been influenced via social media. Talwar, a 47-year-old social psychologist, said: “The way Islamic radical groomers operate is insidious and very cunning. “They deliberately target youngsters and home in on the whole question of identity. They ask them, ‘are you Muslim or are you British?’ By doing this they sow doubt in their minds and it becomes easier to split their loyalties. “At Tuff FC we remove the doubt. We work closely with our youngsters and earn their trust. We make it clear in everything that we do that their identity is British and football is a great way of doing this. “It breaks down barriers, brings people together and is a fantastic way to learn about British history and culture. What could be more British than playing football?” Around 30 boys and girls aged between 13 and 18 turn up for training each week, taking over two AstroTurf pitches surrounded by metal fencing. The two-hour sessions are filled with banter, practical jokes and coaches shouting instructions. All the Muslim girls wear hijabs. The man they affectionately call Doc stands on the sidelines in shirt and trousers, hollering encouragement. Talwar is there not for his football expertise – he has no coaching qualifications – but to check on the welfare of his players. In addition to providing an opportunity to kick a ball around, the project supports youngsters in their education and they take part in social activities and discussions on a range of topical issues, particularly relating to the Muslim world. Their families are also given counselling on what they can do to protect those who have expressed jihadi sentiments. Senior police officials claimed earlier this year that, of the British women who had travelled to Syria as potential jihadi brides, the majority were aged under 20. A media campaign was launched over the school summer holidays to raise awareness of the issue, following the disappearance in February of three east London schoolgirls who fled to Syria. Iqra agrees that it is girls like her who are most at risk. “I know a lot of Muslim girls who have been the target of radical grooming. One of the main problems is that they keep it secret because they don’t have anywhere to go to talk about it. They are already mixed up about their identity and a lot of confusion sets in. It’s really important to have someone you can trust and be open with,” she said. “I was born in London, but always thought of myself as Muslim or Somalian. But because of Tuff I know I’m British.” The youngest of seven children, Iqra had already overcome one major hurdle in her quest to get on the pitch. Her family initially opposed the idea of her joining the team, claiming it was “un-Islamic” for girls to play football and wear shorts. Based in Southall, west London, Tuff FC is not a Muslim-only initiative; it was established for youngsters from all disadvantaged backgrounds. It has also achieved considerable success in quelling gang problems in the area by getting rival members to play and train together. The boys’ and girls’ teams are made up of players from diverse races. But the project’s achievements with Muslim youngsters have been most striking. Talwar has spoken at mosques around London on the practical steps families can take to protect children from being radicalised and on how to identify the warning signs. He is now regularly contacted by imams and family members asking him to intervene in cases where it is feared that youngsters are becoming the targets of radical grooming. With social media an increasingly powerful weapon in Isis’s armoury, Talwar admits that his approach is time-consuming and unlikely to satisfy those calling for tough crackdowns. “You can’t stigmatise youngsters who are expressing radical ideas and you can’t stop them from using the internet,” he said. “It’s about listening, spending time with them and winning their confidence. It boils down to patiently working with them and reinforcing the fact that they are British.” Tuff FC was started by the Unity of Faiths Foundation, which was founded by Talwar and the entrepreneur and philanthropist Anna Prior and aims to bring together diverse communities through sport, education and community festivals. Their work has already earned praise from an eminent list of dignitaries including the Queen and Barack Obama, who has invited the foundation to the White House to showcase its approach to building racial cohesion and tackling Islamic radical grooming. Tuff projects are being rolled out in east London and Bradford, and former Arsenal and England defender Sol Campbell has become an ambassador. For Iqra, there is now no doubt about where her loyalties lie. She has been made captain of Tuff FC’s girls team and is preparing for its first season in the London County Saturday Youth League, which gets under way on 19 September. |