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| Anti-radicalisation kit never meant for use in schools, says key author | |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| One of the experts quoted in the government’s anti-radicalisation awareness kit has distanced himself from the report, arguing it was never meant to be used in schools and that people need to be “trained in how to use it and how not to abuse it”. | One of the experts quoted in the government’s anti-radicalisation awareness kit has distanced himself from the report, arguing it was never meant to be used in schools and that people need to be “trained in how to use it and how not to abuse it”. |
| Related: Radicalisation kit links green activism and 'alternative music' to extremism | Related: Radicalisation kit links green activism and 'alternative music' to extremism |
| Another specialist, Michele Grossman of Victoria University, whose research is acknowledged in the report, has questioned the use of an environmental activist, “Karen”, as an example of a violent extremist, saying it “fudges and blurs some of the lines” between activism and violence. | Another specialist, Michele Grossman of Victoria University, whose research is acknowledged in the report, has questioned the use of an environmental activist, “Karen”, as an example of a violent extremist, saying it “fudges and blurs some of the lines” between activism and violence. |
| The booklet has attracted the ire of green groups for highlighting the example of a forest activist involved in the “alternative music scene”. | The booklet has attracted the ire of green groups for highlighting the example of a forest activist involved in the “alternative music scene”. |
| Emeritus Professor Gary Bouma, who is quoted extensively throughout the booklet, told Guardian Australia it was never intended to be distributed to schools. | Emeritus Professor Gary Bouma, who is quoted extensively throughout the booklet, told Guardian Australia it was never intended to be distributed to schools. |
| “It was meant for professionals who are leaders in communities, and to be used in training sessions to make people aware of the background of social and cultural factors that lead in very rare cases to radicalisation,” he said. | “It was meant for professionals who are leaders in communities, and to be used in training sessions to make people aware of the background of social and cultural factors that lead in very rare cases to radicalisation,” he said. |
| “We workshopped it with communities … then out of the blue the Attorney General’s Department decided to send it around to schools.” | “We workshopped it with communities … then out of the blue the Attorney General’s Department decided to send it around to schools.” |
| Bouma said the example of Karen was a well-established case study, but had been shared with the department “as an example of someone who in fact did not radicalise”. | Bouma said the example of Karen was a well-established case study, but had been shared with the department “as an example of someone who in fact did not radicalise”. |
| News of the booklet, launched last week by the counter-terrorism minister, Michael Keenan, was first published in Sydney’s Daily Telegraph under the headline, “Schoolyard Terror Blitz”. | News of the booklet, launched last week by the counter-terrorism minister, Michael Keenan, was first published in Sydney’s Daily Telegraph under the headline, “Schoolyard Terror Blitz”. |
| But Bouma said the information in the kit was not intended for public consumption. “People should have been trained in how to use it and how not to abuse it … to simply throw it out there was not the intention,” he said. | But Bouma said the information in the kit was not intended for public consumption. “People should have been trained in how to use it and how not to abuse it … to simply throw it out there was not the intention,” he said. |
| Related: Ahmed Mohamed: it's a clock with a built-in racism detector #IStandWithAhmed | @firstdogonmoon | Related: Ahmed Mohamed: it's a clock with a built-in racism detector #IStandWithAhmed | @firstdogonmoon |
| Other experts in radicalisation told Guardian Australia on Monday that teachers should not to “jump to conclusions” about students who show symptoms described in the kit, warning Australia risked its own Ahmed Mohamed incident. Ahmed, 14, was arrested in Texas last week after a clock he assembled was mistaken by a teacher for a homemade bomb. | Other experts in radicalisation told Guardian Australia on Monday that teachers should not to “jump to conclusions” about students who show symptoms described in the kit, warning Australia risked its own Ahmed Mohamed incident. Ahmed, 14, was arrested in Texas last week after a clock he assembled was mistaken by a teacher for a homemade bomb. |
| Grossman, who also said she was unaware the booklet was being produced and distributed to schools, questioned the use of the case study relating to “Karen”. | Grossman, who also said she was unaware the booklet was being produced and distributed to schools, questioned the use of the case study relating to “Karen”. |
| “For me, that is not an example that I think is particularly helpful,” she said. “I think we want to be very careful not to conflate political activism automatically with violent extremism. | “For me, that is not an example that I think is particularly helpful,” she said. “I think we want to be very careful not to conflate political activism automatically with violent extremism. |
| “There is a difference between people who get involved in what you would call incidental violence as a result of a political protest. To me, that’s not what we mean when we talk about facing and tackling the very serious issues around violent extremism. | “There is a difference between people who get involved in what you would call incidental violence as a result of a political protest. To me, that’s not what we mean when we talk about facing and tackling the very serious issues around violent extremism. |
| “It’s going to draw attention away from some of the really valuable things that are included in the awareness kit that should be up for discussion and debate.” | “It’s going to draw attention away from some of the really valuable things that are included in the awareness kit that should be up for discussion and debate.” |