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| Beleaguered town of Dewsbury back in spotlight | Beleaguered town of Dewsbury back in spotlight |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| Ten years after 7/7 ringleader Mohammad Sidique Khan plotted the London bomb attacks from his home in Dewsbury, the West Yorkshire town is once again back in the national spotlight for the wrong reasons with the death of Britain's youngest suicide bomber. | Ten years after 7/7 ringleader Mohammad Sidique Khan plotted the London bomb attacks from his home in Dewsbury, the West Yorkshire town is once again back in the national spotlight for the wrong reasons with the death of Britain's youngest suicide bomber. |
| The streets of Savile Town in Dewsbury are quiet. A couple of homeowners are tending the neat gardens of these tidy terraced houses and an elderly woman laden with carrier bags makes her way back from the corner shop. | The streets of Savile Town in Dewsbury are quiet. A couple of homeowners are tending the neat gardens of these tidy terraced houses and an elderly woman laden with carrier bags makes her way back from the corner shop. |
| Nobody is willing to share their views on the death of Talha Asmal, a seventeen year old who has reportedly carried out a suicide bombing in Iraq. | Nobody is willing to share their views on the death of Talha Asmal, a seventeen year old who has reportedly carried out a suicide bombing in Iraq. |
| In the town centre, away from the teenager's former home, people are more willing to talk. | In the town centre, away from the teenager's former home, people are more willing to talk. |
| Sidra Hussain, 21, said: "I believe that if you follow Islam, you can't even take your own life, you know it's the wrong path. | Sidra Hussain, 21, said: "I believe that if you follow Islam, you can't even take your own life, you know it's the wrong path. |
| "I'm a Muslim and [what he's done] isn't something I approve of. Islam is about peace and what Isis is doing isn't a reflection of that. | "I'm a Muslim and [what he's done] isn't something I approve of. Islam is about peace and what Isis is doing isn't a reflection of that. |
| "That young lad was probably gullible and led into it. I think everybody in the community, not just Muslims, need to [stick] together." | "That young lad was probably gullible and led into it. I think everybody in the community, not just Muslims, need to [stick] together." |
| "People think they're doing something good, but they aren't. The true meaning of what these youngsters are led into [is something] they don't understand." | "People think they're doing something good, but they aren't. The true meaning of what these youngsters are led into [is something] they don't understand." |
| Qari Asim, an Imam in Leeds, said radicalisation was not taking place in mosques, but young people were being "brainwashed" online by people for their own "political aims and gains". | Qari Asim, an Imam in Leeds, said radicalisation was not taking place in mosques, but young people were being "brainwashed" online by people for their own "political aims and gains". |
| Sarah Hussain, 21, said the knowledge the teenager was lured to Syria by Islamic State was "scary". | Sarah Hussain, 21, said the knowledge the teenager was lured to Syria by Islamic State was "scary". |
| "I just want everything like that to end, I want Dewsbury to get back to normal," she said. | "I just want everything like that to end, I want Dewsbury to get back to normal," she said. |
| It's not the first time this West Yorkshire market town has been under scrutiny. | |
| In July 2005, Mohammad Sidique Khan, a 30-year-old married father-of-one, was the oldest of the four suicide bombers who attacked London's transport network. The classroom assistant detonated enough explosives on a Circle Line underground train near Edgware Road to kill himself and six others. | In July 2005, Mohammad Sidique Khan, a 30-year-old married father-of-one, was the oldest of the four suicide bombers who attacked London's transport network. The classroom assistant detonated enough explosives on a Circle Line underground train near Edgware Road to kill himself and six others. |
| Then, in 2008 Shannon Matthews, "disappeared" from her home in Batley Carr - only to be found three weeks later in her stepfather's uncle's house. | Then, in 2008 Shannon Matthews, "disappeared" from her home in Batley Carr - only to be found three weeks later in her stepfather's uncle's house. |
| The area has struggled to shake off its bad reputation ever since, said a man, who gave his name as Tom. | The area has struggled to shake off its bad reputation ever since, said a man, who gave his name as Tom. |
| "There's nothing in the last few years that's been said about Dewsbury that's good," he said. "It's embarrassing for the town and the community and [this] doesn't paint the town in a good light." | "There's nothing in the last few years that's been said about Dewsbury that's good," he said. "It's embarrassing for the town and the community and [this] doesn't paint the town in a good light." |
| Referring to Talha Asmal, he said: "People have their religions and their beliefs and some are just brainwashed and that's what happened with this lad. He will have thought he was doing it for the greater good. | Referring to Talha Asmal, he said: "People have their religions and their beliefs and some are just brainwashed and that's what happened with this lad. He will have thought he was doing it for the greater good. |
| "But he hasn't become a martyr, he's become a statistic." | "But he hasn't become a martyr, he's become a statistic." |
| What's important to remember is the number of those leaving the country for Syria are small, said Professor Paul Rogers, from Bradford University. | What's important to remember is the number of those leaving the country for Syria are small, said Professor Paul Rogers, from Bradford University. |
| "IS presents itself as a guardian of Islam and for a tiny proportion of people it gets through to them, and IS manipulates them particularly for suicide bombing," he said. | "IS presents itself as a guardian of Islam and for a tiny proportion of people it gets through to them, and IS manipulates them particularly for suicide bombing," he said. |
| "You can't explain who will do it and in the great majority of cases, family have no knowledge this is going on." | "You can't explain who will do it and in the great majority of cases, family have no knowledge this is going on." |
| But what can be done to stop another youngster following Talha's lead? | But what can be done to stop another youngster following Talha's lead? |
| "We've got to get to the root of it," says one man, who wished to remain anonymous. "Communities can't do anything, they can go out and go on demonstrations, but Imams and political leaders need to clean all this rubbish out. | "We've got to get to the root of it," says one man, who wished to remain anonymous. "Communities can't do anything, they can go out and go on demonstrations, but Imams and political leaders need to clean all this rubbish out. |
| "It gives us a bad name, it gives the town a bad name." | "It gives us a bad name, it gives the town a bad name." |