Extremist preachers are currently working trying to radicalise young people in Cardiff, a leading figure in Wales’ Islamic community has said.
Saleem Kidwai, the Secretary General of the Muslim Council for Wales, spoke out after hate preacher Anjem Choudary was convicted of inviting support for Islamic State (IS) - an offence under the Terrorism Act.
Mr Kidwai has previously been critical of groups linked to Choudary, the leader of extremist group Al-Muhajiroun, that were operating in Wales to radicalise young people.
And he said there are still extremists operating in Cardiff.
“I think one or two might still be operating in Cardiff.
“I am sure it’s going on,” he said. “We know these people, the authorities know these people so the communities have to keep an eye.
“So much work is being done to keep the youngsters away from them. But what else can be done? That’s an issue for the whole community, it’s something we have to talk about.
“It’s not just a Muslim problem, we have to work together to beat it”.
Father-of-five Choudary, 49, was arrested in 2014 and faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.
The authorities spent 20 years trying to bring him to trial, blaming him for radicalising young men and women.
He operated by holding court with a megaphone outside mosques and embassies, prophesying the triumph of Islam and Sharia law but never publicly condoning terrorism.
In Cardiff, a group he was linked to called Need4Khalifah – believed to be a front for Choudary's group Al-Muhajiroun – held a barbecue in a Cardiff park in 2014.
Pictures of the group wearing Isis shirts were posted online of at their “Muslim summertime cookout 2014”.
Anti terror police also halted a meeting at Canton Community Hall, Leckwith Road, that was believed to be linked to a banned group called Muslims against Crusades that was also connected to Choudary.
In 2014, when asked about whether he had met Cardiff jihadis Nasser and Aseel Muthana, Mr Choudary told the Times newspaper: “I’ve been there [Cardiff] a lot, but not for the past couple of years.”
Mr Kidwai welcomed the conviction of Choudary.
“The law stands and that is the system in place. Nobody is above the law and you can’t escape. It may take a long time, next time hopefully it won’t be 20 years, but it has been done”.
But he said it remained difficult to stop radicalisation, saying it was well hidden.
Mr Kidwai said: “Before they use to brag online they were having these meetings but now they’re going through much less obvious routes.
“They will say they want to book a room in a Mosque or a community centre and they give new details so nobody knows it was them.”
There have been calls for stronger terror legislation.
David Anderson QC, the government’s independent reviewer of terror legislation, told BBC Radio 4 it was very difficult for to craft a law to distinguish people “who are dangerous from people who are simply revolting”.
He said: “We do need to look at what might be done if there are impediments, technical reasons why it’s not as easy to get convictions under these laws as it should be.”
Mr Kidwai said it is a community effort to try tackle the extremists, involving religious leaders, families and the authorities.
And he said there have been arrests of suspects who have then been released without charge as the evidence wasn’t strong enough to prosecute.
“It must be very frustrating for the police and the authorities,” Mr Kidwai said.
He says there have also been examples of people being arrested and released without charge, which only heightens their resolves.
“They are arrested, released and then made worse. They claim they’ve been targeted and that the police never had any evidence”.
In recent years, the city has seen waves of arrests by authorities trying to crack the extremist links to the city.
Cardiff teenager Nasser Muthana left the UK in November 2013 with friend Reyaad Khan, since executed by drone strike, to join the fighting with the Islamic State in Syria.
Muthana’s brother Aseel then also travelled to join Isis.
Cardiff man Kristen Brekke and two others were convicted of helping him.
After that, there were further arrests in the city in December 2014.
see-http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/extremists-still-radicalising-young-people-11761876
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