READERS of the Derby Telegraphs's website have been reacting vehemently to the expert view that a former Derby man fighting as a terrorist in Syria could not be prevented from returning to the city under Government proposals.
Kabir Ahmed was unmasked by this newspaper as a man boasting on a TV programme about wanting to become a suicide bomber for the terror group Islamic State.
On the BBC Panorama programme, the 30-year-old, formerly of Madeley Street, Normanton, said he was "trying to get his name moved up the list" of potential bombers.
This week Prime Minister David Cameron said new powers were needed to seize terrorist suspects' passports to stop British-born extremists returning to the UK.
But the move was dismissed as "gesture politics" by Dr Frank Faulkner, an expert in terrorism at the University of Derby.
Debate raged on our website and Facebook page when we ran the story yesterday.
Denbymac, on our site, said: "So why do we never seem to see or hear the leaders of the Muslim communities condemning or denouncing these terrorists' actions?
"Even better would be for them to announce loudly and publicly that any Muslim who is a terrorist or criminal is no longer a Muslim.
"Those of us who fail to understand this religion and see reports of mainly the 'bad' side of it could possibly gain some reassurance and feel safer if this sort of condemnation we're forthcoming."
Shaky101 said: "I'm a Muslim and I won't 'condemn' Islamic State.
"I an not obligated to, neither is the rest of the Muslim community. We don't have any responsibility or influence over these people.
"We won't be deemed to be responsible for their actions by having to apologise for them. They don't represent me, I won't be bullied into being tarred by the same brush as them.
"Secondly, IS is more than a terrorist group.
"People must wake up and get over the hyperbole they are fed every day.
"The bogey man didn't just appear overnight. IS is a collective of militant groups from across the Middle East."
If Mr Cameron's cross-party talks are approved, terrorists will be required to undergo de-radicalisation programmes and airlines will be forced to hand over more information about passengers travelling to and from conflict zones.
gissajob commented: "As far as I know, Islam does not have a overall leader of the faith like the Pope [in the Catholic Church] to speak out and condemn these terrorists.
"But I have seen Muslims who have been on TV and in the papers.
"Let's not do the terrorists' job for them by dividing our country. After all, did we go around and ask every Catholic if they supported the IRA?
"Remember, we have hundreds of Muslims in our armed forces and police fighting these people."
