An anti-radicalisation program is about to begin in areas of Melbourne that organisers say have become a ‘hotbed’ for jihadist recruitment.

MyHack, developed by People Against Violent Extremism and supported by the Federal Government, encourages young Australians to come up with online solutions to counter Islamic State group (IS) propaganda.

The three-day event will start on September 23 in the city’s La Trobe electorate which includes the suburbs of Narre Warren, Belgrave and Beaconsfield.

… Terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna, who heads Singapore’s International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, said Australia’s jihadi network is based mostly online and has a few hundred sympathisers and supporters.

“Since the declaration of an Islamic caliphate by the group in Syria and Iraq, we have seen the proliferation of blog sites, websites, Facebook, Twitter accounts and exploitation of other social media,” he said.

“It is this network that is politicising and radicalising Muslim communities from Australia to parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.”