Pakistani community fears youth terror risk

By Richard Kerbaj

THE nation's Pakistani Muslim leaders fear some young community members will draw on London's latest terror plots for inspiration. But they insist Australian Pakistanis are less likely to turn to radical Islam than their British counterparts.
Pakistan Association of Australia general secretary Wajiha Ahmed said yesterday leaders were considering ways of creating more awareness about the importance of accepting Western ideals among the 40,000-strong community to prevent members becoming isolated.
"Accepting different points of views, accepting that there may be a different version of people practicing a different religion ... obviously in Western society we're exposed to different ways of life," she said.
Ms Ahmed said her association was conducting a study that focused on the differences between Pakistani communities in Australia and Britain to gain a better understanding of the local group. She said the study, to be released next month, was in reaction to the involvement of some British Pakistanis in last year's London bombings and the latest alleged terror plot to blow up airliners. Ms Ahmed said the community feared young Pakistani Muslims turning to terrorism in Australia but that the study's early data revealed the likelihood of that happening was slim.
A copy of the draft report reveals that Australian Pakistani Muslims are better educated and preach a more moderate form of Islam than those in Britain.
"There is no need to be alarmed," the study says.

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