Tackling Extremism in the UK

 

Report from the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Tackling Radicalisation and Extremism

·         Cabinet Office

·         70 Whitehall

·         London SW1A 2AS

·         Publication date: December 2013

·         © Crown copyright 2013

 

 

The UK deplores and will fight terrorism of every kind, whether based on Islamist, extreme right-wing or any other extremist ideology. We will not tolerate extremist activity of any sort, which creates an environment for radicalising individuals and could lead them on a pathway towards terrorism. 

1.1 The killing of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich was the impetus to look closely at whether the government was doing all it could to confront extremism and radicalisation. We know that the international terrorist threat to the UK comes primarily from those people who are inspired by Al Qa’ida’s distorted interpretation of Islam and use that as justification for killing innocent people. But we must tackle extremism of all kinds, including the Islamophobia and neo-Nazism espoused by the murderer of Mohammed Saleem to justify his terrorist attacks against mosques in the West Midlands.

1.2 The Prime Minister set up the Extremism Task Force to identify any areas where our current approach was lacking and to agree practical steps to fight against all forms of extremism. We have made progress since this government came to power. We have removed over 18,000 items of online terrorist propaganda and intervened more often than ever before to limit the opportunities for hate preachers to spread their messages. But we recognise that we can and should do more. This response is broader than dealing only with those who espouse violence – we must confront the poisonous extremist ideology that can lead people to violence; which divides communities and which extremists use to recruit individuals to their cause; which runs counter to fundamental British values such as freedom of speech, democracy and equal rights; which says that ‘the West’ is at war with Islam and that it is not possible to be a true Muslim and to live an integrated life in the UK.

1.3 Since the 2011 revised ‘Prevent’ strategy, the government has defined extremism as: “vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. We also include in our definition of extremism calls for the death of members of our armed forces, whether in this country or overseas”. There is a range of extremist individuals and organisations, including Islamists, the far right and others. As the greatest risk to our security comes from Al Qa’ida and like-minded groups, and terrorist ideologies draw on and make use of extremist ideas, we believe it is also necessary to define the ideology of Islamist extremism. 

1.4 This is a distinct ideology which should not be confused with traditional religious practice. It is an ideology which is based on a distorted interpretation of Islam, which betrays Islam’s peaceful principles, and draws on the teachings of the likes of Sayyid Qutb. Islamist extremists deem Western intervention in Muslim-majority countries as a ‘war on Islam’, creating a narrative of ‘them’ and ‘us’. They seek to impose a global Islamic state governed by their interpretation of Shari’ah as state law, rejecting liberal values such as democracy, the rule of law and equality. Their ideology also includes the uncompromising belief that people cannot be Muslim and British, and insists that those who do not agree with them are not true Muslims

1.5 Challenging and tackling extremism is a shared effort. We welcome the spontaneous and unequivocal condemnation from Muslim community organisations and other faith groups in response to the Woolwich attack. The government, as much as organisations and communities in the UK, must take responsibility. We have been too reticent about challenging extreme Islamist ideologies in the past, in part because of a misplaced concern that attacking Islamist extremism equates to an attack on Islam itself. This reticence, and the failure to confront extremists, has led to an environment conducive to radicalisation in some mosques and Islamic centres, universities and prisons. Many institutions do not have the capacity to play their full part in challenging extremists, even when they want to. The government has a role in leading this challenge, ensuring that communities where extremists operate, and the organisations working against extremists, have the capability to confront it themselves.

1.6 The Extremism Task Force looked in detail at the following areas and agreed these practical steps to address the gaps in our response. 

Disrupting Extremists 

It is often too easy for extremist preachers and groups to spread extremist views which can lead people into terrorism, while at the same time being careful not to contravene existing laws on incitement to violence or glorifying terrorism.

2.1 Some organisations and religious institutions may be targeted and infiltrated by extremist groups or individuals. When they are, it can be hard for those institutions to take direct action to remove extremists from their midst. Some extremist groups target charities and seek to exploit and benefit from charitable status. 

2.2 While protecting society from extremism, we will also continue to protect the right to freedom of expression. These proposals are not intended or designed to restrict or prevent legitimate and lawful comment and debate.

2.3 We Will Close These Gaps In Our Legislation By: 

•        making sure organisations have the support and advice they need to confront and exclude extremists: they will get expert advice from specialist charities if they have to resort to legal action to exclude extremists

•        considering if there is a case for new types of order to ban groups which seek to undermine democracy or use hate speech, when necessary to protect the public or prevent crime and disorder

•        considering if there is a case for new civil powers, akin to the new anti-social behaviour powers, to target the behaviours extremists use to radicalise others 

•        consulting on new legislation to strengthen the powers of the Charity Commission: these powers will help us tackle extremism, as well as other abuses of charitable status such as tax avoidance and fraud

2.4 In addition, the police will:

•        ensure that the extremist dimension of hate-crimes is properly logged and taken into account when conducting their investigations

•        share information with other countries to identify individuals with extreme right-wing views coming to the UK, as they do with Islamist extremists 

Countering Extremist Narratives and Ideology

Extremist propaganda is too widely available, particularly online, and has a direct impact on radicalising individuals. The poisonous messages of extremists must not be allowed to drown out the voices of the moderate majority. 

3.1 The Task Force has agreed to: 

•        build the capabilities of communities and civil society organisations so that they can campaign against the large volume of extremist material, including online

•        work with internet companies to restrict access to terrorist material online which is hosted overseas but illegal under UK law 

•        improve the process for public reporting of extremist content online 

•        work with the internet industry to help them in their continuing efforts to identify extremist contend to include in family-friendly filters

•        look at using existing powers to exclude from the UK those who post extremist material online who are based overseas

Preventing radicalization

Local authorities are instrumental in delivering ‘Prevent’, the government’s counter-radicalisation and counter-extremism strategy. 

4.1 There are some towns and cities in the UK where extremism is of particular concern. The people on the front line who we rely on to work with communities to tackle extremism must have the full support of their local authority. This is not always the case.

4.2 To show unequivocally the importance we attach to tackling extremism and the role of local authorities in delivering it, we will: 

•        take steps to intervene where local authorities are not taking the problem seriously

•        make delivery of ‘Prevent’ a legal requirement in those areas of the country where extremism is of particular concern

•        make delivery of the ‘Channel’ programme a legal requirement in England and Wales, which supports individuals at risk of being radicalised 

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/263181/ETF_FINAL.pdf

URL: https://newageislam.com/war-terror/tackling-extremism-uk/d/35360