Three men involved in a terror plot to attack Sydney's Holsworthy Army base have lost an appeal against their convictions and sentences.
The men will serve 18 years behind bars with a non-parole period of 13 years.
And the decision coincides with calls for Somali cultural classes to be regulated, amid fears of infiltration by recruiters from extremist groups.
But leaders in Melbourne's Somali community have reacted angrily to the suggestions, branding them discriminatory and deeply offensive.
The hum of young voices comes from a classroom in Melbourne's north.
It's Somali boys reciting and learning the Koran.
It's part of what's known as their "Dugsi", after-school teachings of Somali culture, language and religion.
Somali born Sheikh Abdinur Weli says the classes are crucial in the development of young Somalis and helps develop a sense of belonging
"We teach them about being good Australian, good Somali Australian, that's what we teach them in the classes."
But another Somali community spokesman Mr Aden Ibrahim warns the classes could be infiltrated.
He says groups like Al Qaida affiliate Al Shabab, which claimed responsibility for the recent shopping centre attack in Nairobi, has the capacity to target vulnerable Australian-Somalis.
"They are kids who have issues with the law. They are kids who have issues with their study like their education and they have fallen off and they are preyed to by for example people who have narrow-minded or very extremist ideology. As a community leader my fear is that our teenagers are involved in a 28,000 kilometres away wars that are nothing to do with them - they were born here they grew up here they are involved with something they have nothing to do with it."
Mr Ibrahim is calling for community and religious leaders to devise a system where curriculim and teachers are regulated and scrutinised.
"It safeguards every teacher and every Imam and every politician exactly what is going on If we have a framework - a regular guideline in place then we are trying to tighten the system and we are trying to have a way to scrutinise the system."
Sheikh Abdinur Weli is one of several community leaders who help run the "Dugsi" class in Melbourne's.
Sheikh Weli says the classes offer an alternative to an often risky return to Somalia for cultural education and he's deeply offended at suggestions of regulation.
"I should say that's illegal. It's quite discriminatory against ethnic community for something they have nothing to do with it. I am and not only offended but dismayed. I haven't come across any single Australian-Muslim, be it Somali or non-Somali who is a Shabab affiliate or Shabab supporter - I haven't come across. If there is a fear of extremism then raise the concerns with the Australian intelligence services because I'm sure ASIO knows what's happening with the after-hours schools in Australia."
A Somali-born man was among three people convicted over a plan to attack Sydney's Holsworthy Army base in 2009.
And four men with alleged links to Al-Shabab were charged over the incident.
Counter-terrorism expert Greg Barton says the Somali community played a role in assisting authorities uncover the plot.
"The fact that it's happened once suggests it could certainly happen again - the fact that it didn't get very far is testament to the good relationship between police and community leaders."
Professor Barton doubts the "Dugsi" classes attract extremist recruiters, but says some may prey on vulnerable men on the fringes of ethnic communities
"Vulnerable to a mentor figure coming along and showing interest in them and drawing them into what appears to be an exciting positvie community that's the typical pattern - it has to be said that most refugees, certainly most Somali refugees aren't going to be vulnerable to that but for recruiters looking around for opportunitites for any kind of recruiting they'll find people if they look around. What they're looking for is the lonely who are going to be attracted in the first instance to friendship and belonging to a band of brothers. We have to be very careful about intervening formally at government levels in these schools wherever they are in the world. We need to work with these schools to look for signs of trouble when it occurs and have quiet interventions."
Youth worker Mahad Atosh works with unemployed Somali men, the precise demographic listed as being a target of recruiters
He says he's never heard even a mention of Al Shabab.
Absolutely not, with a lot of the young people I deal with day to day they are not in touch with back home and they don't know what goes on back home they are more infuenced by society here and what they see on TV here more than back home. So more of your hip-hop rappers and the music and things like that more than extremism."
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