The Muslim community in Ireland has condemned comments from a representative of the Supreme Islamic Council in a Sunday newspaper that claimed Muslim youths living in Ireland were "embracing fundamentalism".
A joint statement issued by 14 different Irish Islamic groups and senior members of the Irish Muslim community said: "We vehemently condemn all the claims made in the articles by Dr Shaheen Satardien and accordingly conclude that this is evidently his own opinion and without evidence cannot prove otherwise".
Dr Ibrahim Gamati, principal of the Libyan School in Dublin
Comments from Dr Satardien were published in the Sunday Tribune.
The statement also asked: "What is known about the named Dr Satardien, what exactly is the Supreme Islamic Council and what evidence can be produced to prove such allegations".
It added that if there was any evidence it should be brought to the attention of the Garda.
Dr Satardien alleged young Islamic men were spending long periods in locations such as Pakistan where they taking part in so-called terrorist schools and told to "reject modern Islam".
Dr Ibrahim Gamati, principal of the Libyan School - a part-time school in Dublin, told ireland.comthat he was both offended and shocked by the article.
"I showed my daughter it, who is a Trinity student, and she was shocked and upset by the article, Dr Gamati said.
"I have seven children and they go home [to Libya] all the time to stay with family. My daughter is worried that when she goes back to college people will look at her and wonder what's she's been doing in Libya.
"How would an Irish-American feel if he came over to Ireland for a few weeks to meet with family, only to arrive back in America and be accused of being a terrorist?" he asked.
Two teenage students representing the Federation of Student Islamic Societies said they were shocked and offended by the allegations.
Ms Hajar Al Kaddo, a 19-year-old chemistry student, said she had seen no evidence of Muslim youths embracing extreme fundamentalism and was amazed by the claims. "These claims are ostracising us. They're isolating us", Ms Hajar Al Kaddo told ireland.com.
Ms Somaia El-Sayed, an 18-year-old medicine student, said: "We [the Muslim youth] love Ireland and he [Dr Satardien] has come to try and ruin that. I'm 100 per cent it's [Dr Satardien's claims] are not true.
"Who is he? What authority does he have?" Ms El-Sayed asked.