Hear what UK police are airing on the radio to stop girls from fleeing to Syria

GlobalPost
UK campaign to stop daughters to Syria

LONDON, UK — Tune into certain radio stations here and it’s the usual mix of between-song chatter: station promo spots, ads for local businesses, public service announcements begging women to stop their daughters from going to Syria.

Wait, what was that last one?

London’s Metropolitan Police released a radio spot on Tuesday aimed at mothers who think their daughters may be considering traveling to Syria, possibly to join the Islamic State.

“We know that the strong bond between a mother and daughter can have a powerful influence on a young woman,” a woman intones soothingly in the 30-second spot.

“You can talk to your daughter about her feelings. You could see changes in her behavior or signs that she may be about to travel to a conflict that millions are desperate to escape.”

It’s the second run of the ad, which will air for two weeks on radio stations nationwide aimed at ethnic minorities.

It first aired in March, shortly after three teenage girls from the middle-class London neighborhood of Bethnal Green slipped out of their families’ homes and boarded a flight to Turkey. They’ve since been spotted in Syria.

Since then, about 20 more British women have left for the war zone. They include three sisters from the English city of Bradford, who left the country for Syria in May with nine children between them. Four women from Luton, who went missing on a trip to Turkey in May along with eight other extended family, were also recently located in Syria.

In the last year, families have reported to police the disappearances of 43 women and girls believed to have fled Britain for Syria.

Here's the full text of the police spot.

This is a message from the Prevent Tragedies campaign, in partnership with UK police and partners.

It's not just young men who are traveling to Syria. Several young women are now known to have left home for the conflict, leaving their families devastated and afraid. 

We know that the strong bond between a mother and daughter can have a powerful influence on a young woman.

You can talk to your daughter about her feelings. You could see changes in her behavior or signs that she may be about to travel to a conflict that millions are desperate to escape.

You can reach specially trained people for help and advice by calling 101.

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