‘Islamophobic dog whistling’: Radio host Tom Elliott in fiery clash with activist on 3AW

An activist has accused 3AW radio host Tom Elliott of trying to “ramp up people’s fear” in a fiery clash on air.

Radio host Tom Elliott has had a fiery clash with an activist on air about repatriating 40 Australian women and children trapped in Syrian detention camps, who are the wives and children of slain or jailed Islamic State fighters.

Elliott brought Refugee Action Coalition activist Mark Goudkamp on his 3AW Mornings program on Tuesday, just days after Islamist-led rebels toppled Syria’s longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.

Elliott claimed the women chose to leave Australia knowing what Islamic State was like, while Mr Goudkamp argued some went to Syria against their will or with a “misguided idea that it was some kind of utopia”.

A child walking in the rain at a detention camp in Syria. Picture: Delil Souleiman / AFP

“I think it’s a no-brainer they should be allowed to come back,” Mr Goudkamp began. “You use the word ‘chose’, I think that’s not always the case that there was choice involved and there’s deep regrets from those that did.

“In some cases they did not decide to go wilfully or they went there on the assumption that it will be something totally different to what it turned out to be.”

“We knew what Islamic State was like,” Elliott countered.

Portraits of ousted Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad are dumped in a skip in the Damascus suburb of Daraya on December 9. Islamist-led rebels took Damascus in a lightning offensive on December 8, sending President Bashar al-Assad fleeing and ending five decades of Baath rule in Syria. Picture: Rami al Sayed / AFP

Mr Goudkamp accused the radio host of trying “ramp up people’s fear” about the women and children returning to Australia.

“You are asserting, Tom, that these women and children are somehow a security threat to Australia,” he said.

“I think this is Islamophobic dog whistling to sort of create a sense of panic in the Australian community about people who are no threat to the Australian community whatsoever.”

“You don’t know that,” Elliott argued.

Mr Goudkamp insisted Australia had the systems to reintegrate these citizens and their children into the Australian community.

When asked specifically about homophobic views as an example, the activist said he would not assume these Australians had those beliefs but he also believed if they did, they could be overcome by being able to participate in a society like Australia.

The host claimed said Mr Goudkamp had “a lot of optimism” that he didn’t share.

Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has so far been non-committal about whether his government will attempt to repatriate its citizens.

“We received a briefing on Syria,” Albanese told a press conference after the Assad ousting from Syria.

“Obviously these are difficult times, and it’s a moving situation there in Syria. At this stage there’s no change to the assessment that has been made there.”

In June this year, the Federal Court upheld a previous judgment rejecting legal arguments that would bring the so-called Australian ‘ISIS brides’ and their children home from a refugee camp in Syria.