'Radicals tried to recruit Muslim youth for training camps'

Islamic radicals were trying to recruit young Muslims in a British town for training camps, linked to cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed, a report said on Friday.

Moderate Muslims in Redhill near London said radicals belonging to the al Muhajiroun, Bakri's disbanded organisation, had been approaching Muslim males aged between 16 and 20, and trying to pressurise them into enlisting in training camps, The Times reported.

The war against radical Islam

They started visiting the Redhill Islamic Centre three months ago, singling out youths, following them home and trying to convince them to attend seminars, youth groups and camps. Initially, two of the radicals began attending the mosque but within a month there were about 15, all trying to speak to worshippers after prayers.

However, elders and parents blocked their entrance, sparking a confrontation.

Qamar Bhatti, a spokesman for the mosque and member of the Muslim Council of Reigate and Banstead said, "we were aware that this was how extremist groups were recuriting people to go to Afghanistan".

"They would talk about how they were organised and then they would follow people. This was disturbing. People started coming to me, saying that people who were not from the area were visiting them at home," he said.

"These people started talking about seminars, which they later call training camps. When the extremists became aggressive with the imam, concerned worshippers called a meeting and decided to ban the extremists," he added.

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