There have been numerous reports in the press lately suggesting that the delays to the publication of the Prevent Review by Sir William Shawcross hinges on whether groups and individuals should be named who have tried to undermine Prevent, taken monies and then been supportive of extremist groups or who have been quietly obstructive of the counter-extremism community based programme.

Whatever the reasons, the delay to the publication of the report gives the impression to those working in this area and to the wider public that the Government is not wholly focused on this area of work, is willing to play politics with such a key part of our collective safety and also somehow scared of calling out individuals and groups.

We are not interested in the debate about whether groups should be called out or not. If individuals or groups do support extremist groups and have received public monies, it is the job of the Government to seek redress or to seek to recoup the public monies in the public interest. That is the job of Government and one would hope that these actions would have been taken quickly.

What is of concern to us, is that a report is being withheld that has national significance, gives some direction to this programme of work and which also provides the public with a sense that the review has been thoroughly intense and looked at all areas of Prevent.

This is why we firmly believe that the Government must publish the review now. It has been delayed for over 4 months and delays simply make the review redundant over time. The time for politicking is over, publish the review.

Faith Matters has watched the difficult and abrasive debates that have taken place around the development of a definition on anti-Muslim hatred or prejudice by this Government.

We are of the firm opinion that a definition is essential if we are to ensure that some fundamentals of our society are to be protected. Firstly, there needs to be a common definition that lets the public know what anti-Muslim hatred is and what it ‘looks like’ and ‘sounds like’. This definition also needs to be framed so that it fits into existing legislation and does not become an exercise in producing a piece of text that has no legal relevance.

Secondly, the debate rumbles on about ensuring that any definition does not stop critique of religion or faith. This also covers Islam. People have the right to critique or even dislike any faith. What they don’t have the right to do, is to attack, harm of hurt people who happen to be Muslim.

This is essential to lay out though there is a common agreement amongst many, that the definition must protect individuals and their rights to live freely without fear, harm or intimidation, as British Muslims. This does not mean that criticism of Islam is anti-Muslim, though we also acknowledge that each issue must be taken on a case by case basis and if criticism of Islam turns into targeted hatred towards Muslims, then such behaviour is not protected under the rights of free speech. At this stage, it should not be tolerated.

For far too long, there has been inaction on this and we urge the Government to take urgent action to move this process along. We must also commend the Government on the actions that they have taken in the last few days on the launch of a security fund for mosques and Islamic institutions, given the targeting of mosques by anti-Muslim activists and bigots. Furthermore, we acknowledge the work that Government has done to support the monitoring of anti-Muslim prejudice and support for victims of it, through Tell MAMA.

Pakistan’s government and an outlawed radical Islamist party reached an agreement to end a 10-day long, and at times deadly violent, rally calling for the closure of France’s embassy and the release of the party’s leader.

Neither foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi nor religious leader Mufti Muneebur Rehman, who took part in the talks, gave any details of the agreement at a news conference in the capital Islamabad.

Thousands of supporters of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Labiak Pakistan party marched from Lahore on October 22 toward the capital Islamabad.

They demanded the expulsion of France’s envoy to Pakistan over publication of caricatures of Islam’s Prophet Mohammed in France.

The protest march saw supporters clash with police at several points along the way.

At least seven police officers and four demonstrators were killed.

“Details and positive results of the agreement will come before the nation in a week or so,” said Mr Rehman, who said he had the endorsement of TLP party leader Saad Rizvi.

The violence erupted a day after the government of prime minister Imran Khan said it would not accept the Islamists’ demand to close the French Embassy and expel the French envoy.

It was not immediately clear on Sunday when the party would end its rally.

Thousands of supporters halted their march in Wazirabad, about 115 miles from the capital on Friday after roads and bridges ahead of them were blocked.

Paramilitary rangers were deployed to stop the protesters from continuing toward the capital.

Sajid Saifi, TLP spokesman, said supporters were ready to “pack up” but were awaiting instructions from the party’s leadership.

He said he hoped party leader Mr Rizvi and all the supporters arrested in recent days would be released soon.

Besides demanding expulsion of the French ambassador, the TLP was also pressing for the release of its leader, Mr Rizvi, who was arrested last year for inciting supporters to stage an anti-France protest.

Mr Rizvi’s party started demanding the expulsion of a French envoy in October 2020 after French President Emmanuel Macron tried to defend caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed as freedom of expression.

Mr Macron’s comments came after a young Muslim beheaded a French school teacher who had shown the caricatures in class.

The images were republished by the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo to mark the opening of the trial over the deadly 2015 attack against the publication for the original caricatures.

Mr Rizvi’s party gained prominence in Pakistan’s 2018 elections, campaigning on the single issue of defending the country’s blasphemy law, which calls for the death penalty for anyone who insults Islam.

We have been systematically and methodically documenting the rise of extremist groups affecting the United Kingdom and there have been more complex and increasing risks from countries in Europe where far right extremism is on the rise. However, Islamist extremism in the form of groups such as Tehreek-e-Labaik, who are based in Pakistan, is becoming a risk to UK communities of Pakistani heritage, as speakers seek to enter and promote their views in our country. This group in particular, can only be described as murderous and determined to harm those it regards as ‘blasphemers’.

However, existing extremist groups in the UK have not been challenged enough, whether by Government or by civil society groups. The latter are not willing to put themselves in a space that is challenging with limited resources. The former is just not able to respond and with strategies that are incoherent and disconnected. Within that space, extremist groups have thrived with their hatred against Jews, LGBT communities, Muslims and others and have been instrumental in building a deep sense of victimisation in communities. Such groups have fund-raised within communities by building a sense of ‘them and us’ – where the ‘them’ are the structures of the State in which they live and the ‘us’ being victimised communities.

For far too long these extremist groups have been allowed to operate. They have filled some of those spaces with their bully-boy tactics and false narratives, yet still, there is no singular entity that is able to put together a coherent plan and strategy to counter them publicly and to untangle their hatred and rhetoric. That has to change.

Whilst we warmly welcome the work of the Commission on Countering Extremism led by the formidable Sara Khan, the Commission is going out to communities in a bid to assess what extremism means to them and what it looks and feels like. This is much needed. This also means that for the next 2 years, the space to challenge extremist groups in the UK may develop, though there is nothing to fill that space now, nor is there any firm guarantee that the next 2 years will see non governmental agencies take on the mantle of openly challenging such groups. There is clearly a void and a real risk to communities.

As each month goes by, there are missed opportunities to challenge these purveyors of hate. Either the Government and its agencies are serious in tackling the poison being pumped into communities through co-ordinated action which is needed now, or they should step back and allow determined and focused groups to take on that challenge. Right now, the lack of action is dangerous.

Italy’s new government plans to carry out a census of the Roma community with an eye to kicking out anyone staying in the country illegally, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said on Monday.

“Unfortunately we will have to keep the Italian Roma because we can’t expel them,” Salvini, who is head of the far-right League, told television station Telelombardia.

Salvini set off a storm in Europe last week when he refused to let a charity ship carrying more than 600 mainly African migrants dock in Italy.

Spain eventually took in the boat, with Salvini saying Italy would no longer automatically take in boat migrants, who have used Libya as a springboard in recent years to seek a richer, safer life in Europe.

Turning his attention to another group that has often been the target of League ire, Salvini said his ministry was looking at “the Roma question” and wanted to see “who, and how many” there were.

Tens of thousands of Roma, also known as “gypsies” and “nomads”, live across Italy, many in squalid shantytowns on the outskirts of major cities and on the fringes of society.

Salvini’s comments drew an immediate barrage of criticism, with the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) saying his call revived memories of “ethnic cleansing”.

In a subsequent statement, Salvini said the government had no intention of setting up a separate archive for the Roma or taking finger prints, but wanted to protect Roma children who were barred from going to local schools by their parents.

He added that he wanted to check how European Union funds aimed at helping marginalised communities were being spent.

For years, Faith Matters has been working to ensure that people and communities in our country, have a stake in their future and in decision making. We know full well, that disaffection and alienation are avenues by which extremists can manipulate young men and women in these vulnerable positions.

Both far right and Islamist extremists have been working for years to foment hatred and division in our communities. Yet, it is also clear that both have been feeding off each other and squeezing the middle ground of balanced opinion that is so much part of our country.

Take for example, the fact that the UK took in so many Islamist extremists who came from countries where torture and persecution were part of the norm, in places like Algeria, Libya and Syria. Whilst many fled because of persecution, by taking them into the UK, we effectively stored up problems for the future. Which leads to this question. Whilst we value the position of human rights, which is a fundamental part of the values of our country, did we truly believe that incoming Islamist extremists would be model citizens, given that many of them had bought into violent Jihad as a means of implementing their views? Did we think that they would stop their activities in the UK? Did we even consider that they would try and access Muslim communities in order to promote their sectarian, Jew-hatred and violent Jihad in our country? By allowing active Salafist Jihadists into our country, we let down the vast majority of British Muslims who were not part of this extremism and who wanted to simply practice and get on with their lives. 

We also let Islamist extremist proselytise and foment their hatred in Muslim communities and within time, their message and narrative overlaid any sense of attachment to the State within some sections of Muslim communities. It was a failed and disastrous policy that has led to social problems which many of us have had to tackle.

Muscular Liberalism

On the other side, the State has only started to use its ‘muscular liberalism’ against far right activists and groups. The Home Secretary has banned National Action and a handful of far right groups. Yet, the fact is that far right groups have splintered and are well organised and entrenched online. Their hatred of Muslims is spawning plots to harm Muslims and Muslim institutions and the State’s actions against these groups has been slow off the mark. This allied to the ‘anything goes’ attitude of social media companies, who held this position for years, meant that the hatred from far right groups consolidated the reciprocal hatred towards western values and society emanating from Islamist extremist groups. 

Faith Matters has been working to tackle both ends of the extremist spectrum for over a decade now. Yet, we cannot continue to push ahead if there is no real stomach by this and future governments who sit inactively whilst civil society groups are harassed, targeted and undermined in this battle against extremism. There comes a time when we must disengage and step out for the sake of our resources and frankly, our security. That time is coming close, unless this Government can clearly show that it is committed and has the stomach to push back in a concerted way against such groups. 

There is still a small window of hope. However, that hope is fading fast.

The announcement from the Prime Minister regarding a raft of measures as part of the counter-extremism strategy primarily looks to disrupt extremist activities including the use of venues, the posting of extremist material and tougher measures on radio and television channels showing extremist content. These are a raft of measures that will be implemented in the coming months.

Whilst we acknowledge the real and ongoing threat to our nation and to our security, the work that Faith Matters undertakes through Tell MAMA has brought to the forefront, the issue of far right extremism and the impacts that it is having on Muslim communities. These measures must also be used robustly against far right groups that have consistently skirted around the law when promoting their extremism. Also, whilst we are aware that the threat of far right extremist groups is lower than that of groups like the so-called Islamic State, nonetheless, there are risks of lone wolf attacks against mosques and Muslim communities given the rhetoric and threats that we come across in Tell MAMA.

Faith Matters also acknowledges and commends the actions of this Government in tackling anti-Muslim hatred and the Prime Minister has listened to concerns within Muslim communities. We believe that together, collectively, we must all stand together against the scourge of extremism, though we must also support those who stand up publicly to denounce those who promote radicalisation and extremism. The Prime Minister has mentioned that the Government will actively support such individuals and we value and acknowledge this. 

Commenting on the counter-extremism policy initiatives, the Director of Faith Matters, Fiyaz Mughal OBE, stated:

“There is much here that can help in the battle against those who promote extremism and we must not forget that there is a real and ongoing threat from far right extremist groups and their activism should also be caught in these measures. The Government must also ensure that it does not alienate mainstream Muslim communities who are a solution to the problem of IS and Al Qaeda inspired extremism. Side by side with these measures, we must also tackle issues of integration, disaffection and social exclusion which also feed into creating excluded communities.”