Muslims In Colorado On Lookout For ISIS Recruiting
DENVER (CBS4) – Colorado's Muslim community is helping in the FBI by being on the lookout for ISIS attempting to recruit young people after three teenage girls from Aurora have been accused of trying to join the organization in Syria.
The girls' boarded a plane last week and were stopped in Germany. They are now they back in Colorado.
Many in the community are praying for the girls as neighbors say they are smart, polite and friendly. They say their parents are hard workers.
The girls trip ended in Germany when officials there were alerted by U.S. authorities about the trio traveling alone.
"To the credit of the Arab and Muslim community here in Colorado, there is a very real level of attention devoted to this issue," U.S. Attorney John Walsh said. "That is a community that understands and is horrified as anyone else with the prospect of young people being enticed by terrorist organizations to go over and potentially lose their lives and freedom overseas."
To those who study Middle Eastern politics, ISIS recruiting is both well-known and growing.
"You have these radical groups saying, 'We are the solution to human suffering, these are your brothers and sisters, these are human beings, come and join us, be part of this campaign, we will right the wrongs,' " said Nader Hashemi, University of Denver Professor of Middle East and Islamic Politics.
The parents of the girls are asking to be left alone. Authorities say they hope the girls are realizing what they did was very wrong.
