Why we need to be proactive when it comes to young Irish Muslims

The recent arrest of two men who were planning an Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack in Sydney (Irish Examiner, February 11), shows the importance of a constant vigilance by a state’s intelligence apparatus.

The timely intervention of the police interrupted an attack that appeared to be imminent, thus saving an innocent citizen from sharing the horrific fate of the murdered off-duty British soldier Lee Rigby, who was attacked and murdered by home-grown Islamic extremists in May 2013.

However, the successful intervention of Australian police was a reactive, rather than proactive response to Islamic radicalisation.