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| Family 'heartbroken' after British man appears in jihadist film | Family 'heartbroken' after British man appears in jihadist film |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The father of a British man who has appeared in a video aimed at recruiting jihadists has said he is "heartbroken" his son left the UK to fight in Syria. | The father of a British man who has appeared in a video aimed at recruiting jihadists has said he is "heartbroken" his son left the UK to fight in Syria. |
| In the film, would-be medical student Nasser Muthana, 20, from Cardiff, urges others to fight in Syria and Iraq. | In the film, would-be medical student Nasser Muthana, 20, from Cardiff, urges others to fight in Syria and Iraq. |
| His father, Ahmed Muthana, told the BBC his other son had gone with Nasser, and that someone must be "driving" them. | His father, Ahmed Muthana, told the BBC his other son had gone with Nasser, and that someone must be "driving" them. |
| UK police are trying to get the film, posted by accounts linked to Islamist militant group Isis, taken off-line. | UK police are trying to get the film, posted by accounts linked to Islamist militant group Isis, taken off-line. |
| The 13-minute video, entitled "There is No Life Without Jihad", emerged on Friday and appears to show six fighters - apparently including three Britons - urging Muslims to join the conflicts abroad. | The 13-minute video, entitled "There is No Life Without Jihad", emerged on Friday and appears to show six fighters - apparently including three Britons - urging Muslims to join the conflicts abroad. |
| Sir Peter Fahy, who leads on the Prevent counter-terrorism strategy for the Association of Chief Constables, told the BBC 500 British fighters were thought to be in the region and that some estimates put the number even higher, with the true figure still unknown. | |
| It has previously been estimated that 400 - 500 Britons have been recruited by the now-outlawed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis), which has a significant presence in Syria and is engaged in fierce fighting with Iraqi government forces. | |
| The BBC has learned that tracking British jihadists fighting in Syria is now the top priority for MI5. | The BBC has learned that tracking British jihadists fighting in Syria is now the top priority for MI5. |
| Radicalised | Radicalised |
| Mr Muthana - whose son Nasser appears in the footage using the name Abu Muthanna al-Yemen - told BBC Wales that he feared his sons would "come back to me in a coffin". | Mr Muthana - whose son Nasser appears in the footage using the name Abu Muthanna al-Yemen - told BBC Wales that he feared his sons would "come back to me in a coffin". |
| He told the BBC his 17-year-old younger son, Aseel, had also travelled to Syria and that another man in the video was someone he recognised from Cardiff. | He told the BBC his 17-year-old younger son, Aseel, had also travelled to Syria and that another man in the video was someone he recognised from Cardiff. |
| Asked about the video in which Nasser appears, he said: "I'm sad that he's gone without telling me he's going. He disappeared and when I saw it on the television, I thought 'what is he doing there'?" | Asked about the video in which Nasser appears, he said: "I'm sad that he's gone without telling me he's going. He disappeared and when I saw it on the television, I thought 'what is he doing there'?" |
| He described his son - who had been offered places by four universities to study medicine - as quiet, well-educated and intelligent. | He described his son - who had been offered places by four universities to study medicine - as quiet, well-educated and intelligent. |
| Nasser had left home in November, saying he was going to Leicester or Shrewsbury to study, said Mr Muthana. | Nasser had left home in November, saying he was going to Leicester or Shrewsbury to study, said Mr Muthana. |
| "I received a phone call saying that he's in Turkey and that's it." He said he feared his son had now been radicalised. | "I received a phone call saying that he's in Turkey and that's it." He said he feared his son had now been radicalised. |
| "I don't think that's Nasser talking, it's someone else is teaching him to talk like this because the attitude of Nasser is 100% completely different," he said. | "I don't think that's Nasser talking, it's someone else is teaching him to talk like this because the attitude of Nasser is 100% completely different," he said. |
| "Who led them to go there?.. Is he going to kill or do anything? | "Who led them to go there?.. Is he going to kill or do anything? |
| "Someone is driving those kids to do this problem. Ask those sheiks to send their sons and daughters to fight. They only send other people's children, making a problem for the whole community." | "Someone is driving those kids to do this problem. Ask those sheiks to send their sons and daughters to fight. They only send other people's children, making a problem for the whole community." |
| 'Top priority' | 'Top priority' |
| The video cannot be verified, but BBC correspondent Paul Adams said it was probably filmed in Syria. | The video cannot be verified, but BBC correspondent Paul Adams said it was probably filmed in Syria. |
| The footage emerged after Isis militants made rapid advances through Iraq in recent weeks, seizing several northern cities and surrounding the country's biggest refinery. | The footage emerged after Isis militants made rapid advances through Iraq in recent weeks, seizing several northern cities and surrounding the country's biggest refinery. |
| Prime Minister David Cameron has said its fighters are plotting terror attacks on the UK. | Prime Minister David Cameron has said its fighters are plotting terror attacks on the UK. |
| Sir Peter Fahy said Britain could not be "naïve" about groups such as Isis possibly deciding to attack the West. | Sir Peter Fahy said Britain could not be "naïve" about groups such as Isis possibly deciding to attack the West. |
| "This isn't just a police issue, it's about working with schools, youth organisations, even people in the NHS. It's about trying to get the whole community to identify people who may be thinking about going to Syria. | "This isn't just a police issue, it's about working with schools, youth organisations, even people in the NHS. It's about trying to get the whole community to identify people who may be thinking about going to Syria. |
| He added that Mr Muthana's concerns, as the father of sons who had gone abroad to fight, were not dissimilar to those of parents whose children had got into drug activity or gang activity - though their situation was "much more risky". | He added that Mr Muthana's concerns, as the father of sons who had gone abroad to fight, were not dissimilar to those of parents whose children had got into drug activity or gang activity - though their situation was "much more risky". |
| He warned against "demonising the Muslim community itself" adding that "the vast majority of Muslim people are really worried about this situation and are working with us to try and identify those people that may be at risk". | He warned against "demonising the Muslim community itself" adding that "the vast majority of Muslim people are really worried about this situation and are working with us to try and identify those people that may be at risk". |
| BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said MI5 was having to prioritise the greatest amount of its casework on tracking British jihadists in Syria. | BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said MI5 was having to prioritise the greatest amount of its casework on tracking British jihadists in Syria. |
| Meanwhile, West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit is investigating the disappearance of a 18-year-old from Stoke Heath, Coventry, following reports that he has travelled to Syria to join Isis. | |
| His family raised concerns after his disappearance in March. He is reported to have posted tweets claiming to be in Syria with Isis. | |
| On Thursday, the UK government "proscribed" five Syria-linked jihadist groups - including Isis - making it a criminal offence to associate with it or give it financial backing. | On Thursday, the UK government "proscribed" five Syria-linked jihadist groups - including Isis - making it a criminal offence to associate with it or give it financial backing. |
| Isis in Iraq | |
| Isis grew out of an al-Qaeda-linked organisation in Iraq | |
| Jihadi groups around the world | |
| The Home Office said it wanted to "further restrict access to terrorist material" and use "family-friendly filters" to block other extremist content. | The Home Office said it wanted to "further restrict access to terrorist material" and use "family-friendly filters" to block other extremist content. |
| A report by the government's extremism taskforce, carried out after the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich, said it would work with internet companies to "restrict access to terrorist material online which is hosted overseas but illegal under UK law". | A report by the government's extremism taskforce, carried out after the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich, said it would work with internet companies to "restrict access to terrorist material online which is hosted overseas but illegal under UK law". |
| A spokesman for the Internet Services Providers' Association, which describes itself as the trade body for the UK's internet industry, told the BBC this was "a very tricky area". | A spokesman for the Internet Services Providers' Association, which describes itself as the trade body for the UK's internet industry, told the BBC this was "a very tricky area". |
| There would be two ways to remove the video, he said - either by asking every company hosting it to take it down, or by asking filtering companies to add it to their web filters. | There would be two ways to remove the video, he said - either by asking every company hosting it to take it down, or by asking filtering companies to add it to their web filters. |
| The spokesman added that the Home Office had been looking at this "for a while now". | The spokesman added that the Home Office had been looking at this "for a while now". |
| 'Counter-productive' | |
| Twitter said it had guidelines for authorities to request information about individual accounts, as well as rules on "potentially sensitive content". | Twitter said it had guidelines for authorities to request information about individual accounts, as well as rules on "potentially sensitive content". |
| A YouTube spokesman said it had "clear policies prohibiting violent content or content intended to incite violence, and we remove videos violating these policies when flagged by our users", although the "There is No Life Without Jihad" video was still available on YouTube on Saturday morning. | |
| Charlie Beckett, of the London School of Economics, said mainstream websites such as YouTube had "teams of people" who regularly took down content on such grounds as taste and decency and copyright infringement. | Charlie Beckett, of the London School of Economics, said mainstream websites such as YouTube had "teams of people" who regularly took down content on such grounds as taste and decency and copyright infringement. |
| "But they will just pop up elsewhere on other websites and servers who you cannot simply email and ask for them to be taken down," he added. | "But they will just pop up elsewhere on other websites and servers who you cannot simply email and ask for them to be taken down," he added. |
| "And actually research has found that to be counter-productive, as removing them fuels the jihadist sense of Western hypocrisy over freedom of speech. | "And actually research has found that to be counter-productive, as removing them fuels the jihadist sense of Western hypocrisy over freedom of speech. |
| "It would be better to post comments under these videos and publish other videos from Muslims who do not agree with their views, to encourage debate instead." | "It would be better to post comments under these videos and publish other videos from Muslims who do not agree with their views, to encourage debate instead." |
| Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? You can send us your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line "Isis". | Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? You can send us your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line "Isis". |