Parents claim Rossmoyne students watched fundamentalist Islamic preacher Zakir Naik in school prayer room. Was radicalised boy one of them?

From The Western Australian

Teenagers who visited a prayer room at Rossmoyne Senior High School were encouraged to watch videos of a controversial Islamist preacher famed for saying “every Muslim should be a terrorist”, a parent has alleged.

In a complaint to police about “religious indoctrination on school premises”, the parent said their son had reported that students in the prayer room were “encouraged to watch video of Zakir Naik, who is (on a) criminal watchlist in India for spreading hatred and money laundering”.

“He was told not to inform parents and he should hide it,” the letter said.

The parent wrote they had seen phone messages from “RSHS prayers group” that contained information about Islamic religion “targeting other students for conversion”.

Dr Naik is a Muslim fundamentalist with a medical degree who created a television network called Peace TV, based in Dubai. Boasting more than 23 million followers on his Facebook page, the 58-year-old has been accused by Indian authorities of spreading Islamic extremism and recruiting for ISIS.

Parental concerns about children being “forced” to attend Rossmoyne Senior High School’s prayer room by the radicalised teenager who went on to stab a stranger have been revealed in a letter to WA Police.

Concerns about school prayer rooms being misused emerged after a radicalised teenager was fatally shot on Saturday after he stabbed a stranger in the back in Willetton. The boy, who The West Australian is identifying as James, was shot dead by police after stabbing a man in the back in a Bunnings car park in Willetton about 10.15pm on Saturday.

James, had called triple-0 stating he was going to kill all men in the area and made references to Australia’s support for Israel in the Gaza war. James, who was in Year 11 at Rossmoyne, had been in a deradicalisation program since he was 14.

In a letter, dated April 3, sent by the parents of a student at the top high school, they told how messages found on their child’s phone had raised immediate red flags. They included allegations that messages included information about conversion to Islamic religion, as well as “inducing fear to world end (and) Targeting other students for conversion”.

“In past we had reported to school about (our child) been forced to attend Prayer room, which he declined,” the letter said. “Me and my husband are worried for [our child] and our family’s safety . . As a parent I am seriously concerned why my son was targeted. If we can be clarified about [whether] a prayer room is legal in public school premises.”

On the same day, the same parents sent similar worries in communications to Education minister Tony Buti and Riverton MP Jags Krishnan.

Dr Buti has since said the April 3 letter sent by the boy’s parents “rang alarm bells” and had been immediately referred to the Education Department. The letter did not name any particular students — including James —as the source of the problem. “The issue was about radicalisation, the letter did not express concern of community safety – (it was) more concerned about their child being radicalised,”

Education Department director general Lisa Rodgers said this week she was arranging to meet faith leaders from religious communities across Perth “to discuss how we can ensure prayer rooms are always used appropriately”.

But on Wednesday she said there was “no evidence” that students were being radicalised in the prayer room provided at Rossmoyne. “Students want to observe their faith during school hours for this space,”