24 NOVEMBER 2015: Amending the Citizenship Act to strip Australian citizenship from dual nationals who commit acts of terrorism or who fight for Islamic State is a key weapon for freedom in the war against radical Islam. The Australian Citizenship Amendment (Allegiance to Australia) Bill 2015, which seeks to allow for dual citizens to have their citizenship stripped in such circumstances, is currently being debated in federal parliament at a very prescient time. The atrocities committed in Paris not so long ago have rocked the world but they are atrocities that are by no means unique or isolated. There are terrorist threats and actions being committed in countries all around the world and we, here in Australia, are not immune. As in many other countries, Australia has a heightened terror alert level.We have witnessed, on our shores; an attack on police officers at Endeavour Hills Police Station in 2014; the siege at Sydney’s Martin Place, which resulted in the death of two Australians; and the murder of Curtis Cheng at Parramatta Police Station.Not to mention acts that were prevented by the tremendous work of Australian police forces. The “Sydney Five” attempted to commit acts of terrorism in the city of Sydney in 2005. The Benbrika Group planned to bomb various sporting events in 2005 and 2006 as well as a plot to assassinate former Prime Minister, John Howard. There was also a plot to storm the Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney in 2009. According to an article in the The Australian on the 23^rd of November, police say 12 men and boys living within the Australian community are capable of committing an act of terror such as killing a random member of the public. The article states: “They are part of a larger group of 19 men and boys, seven of whom are in prison. More than 30 people have been brought before the courts on terror-related charges since Operation Appleby launched in September last year — Australia’s largest counter-terrorism raids to date. Most of those people have been under investigation for more than a year.”The article goes on to state: “Counter-terrorism consultant Shandon Harris-Hogan told Four Corners the extreme ideology being embraced by the men can be connected back to historic terrorist plots in Australia, like Operation Pendennis. ‘Overwhelmingly individuals have a familial or friendship connection,’ he said. ‘There is an interconnected network of individuals who transcend operational cells, and within that group there is clear examples of ideology being passed on from father to son, mother to daughter and between spouses, cousins and siblings.’”When an estimated 150 Australians have been or are currently overseas fighting with extremists in Iraq and Syria, we have a problem around the world and we have a problem here in Australia. It is a problem made horribly graphic with a photograph of the seven-year-old son of Australian Islamic State fighter Khaled Sharrouf holding aloft a severed head. Khaled Sharrouf, by his own actions, has rejected Australian citizenship. This legislation is a mere formality. When Australians are fighting against our own country and everything it stands for, they have signed their own ticket out of the country. The new legislation is just stamping their ticket to make it official.It is important to note that when applying for a provisional, permanent, or some temporary visas, applicants must sign a statement that they have read and understand the following about Australian values: Australian society values respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual, freedom of religion, commitment to the rule of law, Parliamentary democracy, equality of men and women and a spirit of egalitarianism that embraces mutual respect, tolerance, fair play and compassion for those in need and pursuit of the public good; Australian society values equality of opportunity for individuals, regardless of their race, religion or ethnic background; The English language, as the national language, is an important unifying element of Australian society.These are the rules of entry. There are not just the rules of the game. They are the game. Like any other club – where you break the rules, you forfeit your membership. If you decide that you no longer want to adhere to them, then you should have your membership revoked.When then-Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, delivered his national security statement, he said: “It has long been the case that people who fight against Australia forfeit their citizenship. Australians who take up arms with terrorist groups … have sided against their country and should be treated accordingly.” He also considered (wisely, I believe) taking the issue a step further.As part of a war on domestic jihad and radical Islam at home – we are going to have to get tougher and make it apply to those without dual citizenship. We should be taking action against anyone who seeks to join foreign fighters and have the capacity to be a citizen of another country. If, for instance, a second generation Australian can get citizenship of their parents’ homeland and they seek to join foreign fighters, to take up arms against our country and our values, they should have their Australian citizenship revoked.But a further problem remains: What do you do with people who don’t have the second country option? My view is that they forfeit all citizenship rights, which was an idea floated by then Prime Minister, Tony Abbot, when he suggested suspending some of the privileges of citizenship. We can’t make them Stateless but we can downgrade their citizenship to a form of permanent residency where they would hold fewer rights than a citizen. They would not have the right to vote. Their ability to leave or return to Australia could be restricted. Their access to consular services overseas revoked. Their access to welfare payments shut down.All these proposed measures should not supplant punishment of foreign fighters or those who are abetting the enemy or planning or committing acts of terrorism. It should be an add-on. They should still be punished to the full extent of the law and put in an Australian jail. This whole idea of stripping citizenship is a key plank in a strategy outlined by the Center for Security Policy in the United States. In their publication, A Plan for Victory Over the Global Jihad Movement, they outline a plan that includes: “The US must revoke the citizenship of naturalised Americans who, in seeking to insinuate shariah-compliant norms into civil society, have violated their oath of naturalization and allegiance to defend the Constitution of the United States.”This brings to mind a critical question we need to consider if we are to truly combat radical Islam: What’s the difference between the mentality of a member of Hizb Ut Tahrir and a foreign fighter or a terror plotter for that matter? They all hold the same view of Australian society and my view is that both should be expelled from that society.If you believe we are in the midst of a war (and we have probably been in it for 15 years now) – a war against radical Islam – then you must take the necessary steps to ensure radical Islam at home is contained. You don’t want to have to fight the enemy at home as well. We do have people in Australia, including in the parliament, who do not believe we are at war and that is a bit like saying you’re not in a fight while you’re getting punched in the face. IS has said they are at war with us. They have declared it a war. If another country declared war on us, we would accept without question that we were at war.There are other measures suggested as well and perhaps any measure is worthy of consideration when the stakes are so high. If we are to be serious about this threat, we need to take some serious steps and I congratulate the Queensland Liberal National MP, Christian Rowan, who has advocated for the reinstatement of the death penalty for terrorists who succeed in killing Australian citizens in Australia.Like all other nations that love freedom, liberty and democracy, Australia is Dar al-Harb – the House of war. That is because we are a country where Sharia is not yet in force. The world is divided into two houses: the House of Islam and the House of War, the Dar al-Islam and the Dar al-harb. The parts of the world that are not yet subjugated is called the House of War because it is deemed to be in a perpetual state of jihad, or holy war until it is subjugated and comes under Sharia rule.There is no question that we are at war. Our enemies have declared it so. Under these circumstances, it is appropriate we take whatever step necessary to protect our citizens – that is the first role of government.