Rochdale family caught trying to enter Syria not welcome back in Rochdale

The family of nine Britons caught trying to enter war-torn Syria will not be welcomed back in Rochdale when they return.

Speaking ahead of their expected return to the UK from Turkey this week, where the nine people from Rochdale, including four children, are currently being held, Simon Danczuk said more work needed to be done to stop people being radicalised.

“I think I speak for the vast majority of people in Rochdale in saying that this family will not be welcome back in Rochdale,” he said. “The Islamic State in Syria are carrying out sickening and barbaric acts of inhumanity and anyone who pledges their allegiance to this cruel and twisted ideology will rightly be seen as an enemy of the UK.”

He added that he’d been greatly encouraged by conversations he’d had across many communities over the last few days, which showed a clear rejection of extremist values, but warned that Rochdale, and other towns and cities across the UK, had to remain vigilant.

“I have spent the last few days in discussions with the Foreign Office minister, Greater Manchester’s Police and Crime Commissioner, local authority leaders, religious groups and local people,” he said. “The message coming back to me loud and clear is that while the vast majority reject this ideology of hatred, exclusion and intolerance, there are some people who are susceptible to radicalisation.

“I do not think the Government’s Prevent strategy is working and we need a much smarter approach from all the authorities to stop this cancer spreading.”

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/95096/councillors-son-is-one-of-nine-people-from-rochdale-stopped-at-turkey-syria-border