John Reid shouted down at Muslim meeting
Updated on 20 September 2006
The Home Secretary, John Reid is shouted down while advising parents to watch their children for signs of extremism.
>>Watch the report
He was about to warn Muslim parents that fanatics wanted to groom and brainwash their children into becoming suicide bombers.
But John Reid was stopped in his tracks by a well-known Muslim extremist who shouted him down and accused him of being an enemy of Islam.
Abu Izzadeen refused to leave the meeting before being ushered away by the police. The Home Secretary then went on to advise parents to look out for the "tell-tale signs" of growing hatred in their sons and daughters and take action before they became killers.
Lucy Manning reports from the mosque.
John Reid interview
The Home Secretary John Reid joined us in the studio for the first time since he has taken his latest office.
>>Watch the interview
Brainwashing debate
The Home Secretary used the word "brainwash" in his speech when he was talking about young Muslims becoming suicide bombers.
But are people being politically indoctrinated, or are terrorist recruiters using techniques pioneered by religious cults? James Blake investigates:
>>Watch the brainwashing discussion
The Home Secretary John Reid talking to Channel 4 News tonight:
Q: Brainwashing - What exactly do you mean by this - What do we know?
A: "We know that there are people who are trying to identify, to recruit, to groom if you like, young men in particular, into becoming suicide bombers. We know this from our experience here and elsewhere"
Q: But brainwashing implies that people will depart from any rational involvement ? But people believe in what they are doing..?
A: "If we are going to defeat terrorism we have to involve it at the national level and at the local and family level.
It cannot be done just by the security forces alone because force is not enough to defeat terrorism".
"We have to go to the roots of it. Therefore we have to engage with the Muslim community but I am alerting the Muslim community to one simple fact - and it is this - that along with the many other dangers that we all face as parents, their community, their children are being targeted by people who are attempting to convince their children at a young age as they grow up through adolescence to kill themselves and by killing themselves to massacre others".
"And that was the purpose of what I was saying today - I was asking parents to engage with their children, to watch and to discuss with their children - I at no stage suggested they should shop their children."
"I would not expect from Muslim parents anything other than what I would expect from any other parents - but they face a particular problem with their children."
