Has NSW Premier come up with a plan to fight Islamic Terrorism?

Baird’s anti-terror plan sets the bar

Editorial
The Daily Telegraph
October 13 2015

THE tendency in this country to deny, dismiss or downplay acts of terrorism is as perplexing as it is dangerous.

It seems the default ­response among some timid or self-interested ­political and religious leaders, as well as the usual anti-Western bent of the fashionable Left, is to discount the clearly real threat of Islamic ­extremism or cloak it in politically correct jargon.

For this reason the clear words and firm courses of action advanced by Premier Mike Baird are as refreshing as they are necessary for the safety of our community. Little wonder he is the most popular political leader in the country.

Having courageously acknowledged the problem of Islamic extremism in the community — while of course not tarring all Muslims with that sad brush — the Premier is today unveiling a suite of anti-terror measures he has asked the Commonwealth to grant state authorities, while at the same time indicating NSW will go it alone in some areas if national agreement cannot be reached.

Tellingly, they come with the strong backing of Deputy Premier and Police Minister Troy Grant, himself a former cop who knows a criminal problem when he sees it.

This is the kind of clear, swift and decisive leadership ordinary people have been crying out for in the wake of the latest terror attack in Parramatta, and sits in stark contrast to the somewhat confused and directionless language coming from the federal government.

Liberal Party's Affirmative Action Village Idiot at Large Fiona Scott "‘one little incident over 100 years’ involving Islamic community"

Little is more emblematic of this than Lindsay MP Fiona Scott’s ­bizarre pronouncement that the religiously inspired murder of police worker Curtis Cheng as “one little incident over 100 years”.

Notwithstanding how the family of Mr Cheng might feel about such a characterisation, it is in fact the third terrorist incident on home soil in barely over a year, culminating in the loss of three innocent lives and the deaths of the three perpetrators.

It also comes on top of well over 100 Australian deaths since the September 11 attacks, including the 88 killed in the Bali bombings.

In fact, 100 years ago — the time frame Scott mentions — was the year of Australia’s first known terrorist attack, when two Islamic men shot dead four people in Broken Hill, leaving a note declaring: “I must kill you and give my life for my faith, Allahu Akbar.” Those last two words were the ones Farhad Jabar cried as he killed Mr Cheng little over a week ago.

And of course Scott and other apologists also downplay the countless lives saved by Australian authorities who have thwarted attack plans. This kind of comment from an elected representative is, frankly, jaw-dropping, but sadly typical of the complacency that has beset many in this largely peaceful country.

Thankfully we have leaders like Mike Baird who plan to keep it that way.

NSW Premier Mike Baird and NSW Police commissioner Scipione to hold talks with Muslim Community Leaders following Assassination of Mr Curtis Cheng.

Baird and Scipione hold crisis talks with Muslim leaders

Linda Silmalis
Chief Reporter
The Sunday Telegraph
October 11 2015.

MUSLIM leaders will hold crisis talks with Premier Mike Baird tomorrow in the wake of growing community outrage at the rise of Islamic extremism and the radicalisation of youth.

Around 10 Muslim leaders are being approached this weekend to attend the meeting with Mr Baird and Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione.

Government sources were keen to play down the talks yesterday, describing the meeting as “a catch-up”.

However, the meeting has been hastily arranged in the wake of the Parramatta police station shooting and is a significant sign of the concern within State government ranks at the radicalisation of young Muslim into Jihadists.

The meeting comes as Prime Minister Malcolm Turbull convenes his own summit with security agencies in Canberra this week.

Among the leaders expected to be invited by Mr Baird and Mr Scipione is Parramatta mosque chairman Neil El-Kadomi.

PM Turnbull and Co. Still Rambling on about the fabled ­Islamophobia backlash that never seems to materialise.

Arthur Philip High School student Farhad Jabar, 15, visited the mosque just before he shot and killed accountant Curtis Cheng outside Police headquarters.

Mr El-Kadomi, who migrated to Australia from war-torn Lebanon with help from the family of former Howard government minister Philip Ruddock, said Muslim parents needed to become more involved in their children’s lives.

The former teacher, whose daughter worked in the electorate office of former Carr government minister David Borger, said he believed a lack of education also contributed to the children of migrant families becoming vulnerable to radicalisation.

Friends of Jabar were last week coming to terms with the transformation of the basketball-loving student turned teen terrorist.

A group of teenagers who regularly played basketball with Jabar at Sherwin Park near his Parramatta home believe the change began around three months ago after he swapped his favourite NBL basketball singlet and shorts for black robes.

An elder brother of Jabar’s also began turning up to the courts, although he did not play.

One teenage girl, whose concerned mother stopped her from attending the courts, said the atmosphere among the group changed.