Human rights group CAGE says the British government has introduced a cradle-to-grave surveillance state for British Muslims.
In a report released yesterday CAGE said the government’s counter terrorism strategy Prevent mistakenly assumes that Islamic ideology is behind terrorist attacks when the real cause is British foreign policy.
The report says that Prevent focuses on censorship and exclusion of certain political and religious views from public life, and reforming peoples’ ideas, beliefs and behaviour, rather than tackling actual violence.
According to CAGE, this has led to widespread discrimination against Muslims based on their political and religious beliefs.
The report’s co-author Jahangir Mohammed, said: “This report marks a significant step, as for first time we are being given a total picture of how the rights and freedoms of the Muslim community are being covertly eroded under the guise of security threats and terrorism. This comprehensive policy has far outstripped its stated remit and is specifically targeting the beliefs, values and ideas of the Muslim community.”
Report findings
The report states: “The state is encroaching on every aspect of Muslim life, with people being labelled, discriminated against, and prosecuted for their ideas and beliefs (often by panels, committees, and individuals). Moreover, there are no legitimate safeguards for Muslims to challenge these decisions or for the community to officially scrutinise its impact.
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“Prevent incorrectly conflates defeating an ideology (which it describes as Islamism) with defeating terrorism. All terrorists and acts of political violence have an ideology or goal. However, terrorism and political violence is not caused by ideology, it is a methodology.
“Rooting out an ideology or in this case a theology will not end politically motivated violence because it does not address the political causes. Prevent focuses on dealing with religious and political ideology as a means of dealing with politically motivated violence, instead of addressing the political struggles that lead to violence that need a solution.”
The report says that:
– Young people at school and further education are being targeted and identified early on those considered “vulnerable” or, “at risk” of being drawn towards extremism or violence.
– Teachers, doctors, police officers, civil servants and local government officers are being trained and indoctrinated with a politicised understanding of Islam and Muslim political struggles.
– Muslims who propose an alternative narrative or political analysis for the causes of violence in the Muslim world are seen as extremist radicalisers, and as potential pathways to violence.
– Prevent seeks to eliminate alternative political discourse about western foreign policy amongst Muslims, even amongst children. It is a policy to silence Muslims and pacify/de-politicise their faith.
– Hostile anti-Muslim websites and activists are putting pressure on institutions to ban events and exclude speakers by labelling them “hate preachers”.
Foreign policy
“Many of those convicted of terrorism have been part of British society and embraced its values. It is neither the West nor its values that provoke violent action, but the behaviour of the West in Muslim majority lands. They have made this repeatedly clear in their public statements,” the report states.
“It is obvious that this flawed strategy will not end politically motivated violence, something highlighted by the killing of Lee Rigby. The government strategy does not recognise that anti-terrorism policy is failing, but rather introduces more layers of law and restrictions that impact Muslim communities. This amounts to collective punishment of the whole for the actions of individuals.
“This will create a two tier system of law in the UK, one for Muslims and one for the rest…. This idea that a British government can interfere with, define and regulate the Islamic faith and ideology is insulting to Muslims. It further highlights the ignorant standpoint from which the Prevent policy is made.
CAGE recommends that:
– Muslims campaign against new proposals and create awareness through social media.
– Muslims promote alternative narrative to Prevent theory.
– Muslims challenge the policy as a whole and challenge it in the courts.
