With bright headscarves and shy smiles, these Muslim mothers stand on the new frontline of Australia's online battle against the violent and ideological extremists of Islamic State.
About 15 women gathered at a local primary school in Melbourne's southeast this week to take part in a pilot program to learn basic computer skills to better keep their children safe from social media predators, including Islamic State recruiters.
"Mothers are always the trusted anchors in their family, and are always the first to recognise changes in their children's behaviour," said Hass Dellal, head of the Australian Multicultural Foundation, the organisation behind the program.
The computer session is aimed at recent migrants from countries such as Afghanistan, Syria and Myanmar who might have a passing familiarity with Facebook, Twitter or other social media services, but struggle to keep pace with their kids' online obsessions.
Toorpaikai Baees came to Australia in 2010 to escape the war in Afghanistan, wanting a safe life for her daughter and three sons.
But while the Taliban are now far distant, the geographical boundaries of the extremist menace have transformed in recent years as propaganda spreads across the internet.
"In Afghanistan, my kids are always going outside to play, there was limited internet," said Mrs Baees, courtesy of a translator.
"Now they play games on the computer."
Many online games allow players from across the globe to chat with each other, forums that have been exploited by extremists in an attempt to lure adherents.
"Many young people have access to the internet from an early age, so it is entirely plausible for them to be susceptible to extremist messages and a whole range of things, including violent extremism," said Dr Dellal.
The sophistication and scale of propaganda efforts by Islamic State caught authorities by surprise as the terrorists captured territory in Syria and Iraq.
Many of the estimated 3000 foreign fighters from Western countries who joined Islamic State first made some connection online with extremists, and authorities have stated a watchful community is the best defence against radicalisation.
"Can you just lock out the IS website?" asked one of the mothers during the four-hour session at Noble Park Primary School, before learning about the insidious nature of the extremists reach.
Oscar Yildiz from Bully Zero Australia Foundation, a group that promotes online safety, told the assembled mothers Islamic State has around 79,000 active Twitter accounts.
But many other services, such as YouTube, WhatsApp and adult service Tinder, had been used for attempted grooming.
"They are hiding behind a keyboard," Mr Yildiz said.
Mrs Baees does not personally worry her children might be susceptible to fundamentalism, but wanted to better understand the potential dangers online.
"I had no idea on the online bullying, discrimination, I did not know how many people are chatting and connecting," she said.
The pilot program, funded by the federal Attorney-General's department, held six sessions this year – in Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne – with plans to develop foreign language manuals and run sessions nationally.
