May’s counter-extremism measures will ‘break Muslim hearts’

MUSLIMS in Blackburn this week spoke out against Home Secretary Theresa May’s advocacy of new laws against ‘extremists who spread hate but do not break existing laws.’

In a pre-election speech on counter-extremism strategy, picked up by the Prime Minister this week, she said more was needed to combat people who are ‘seeking to divide us’, claiming that the UK was ‘one nation’.

She said those who tried to promote hatred and intolerance were seeking to ‘divide Britain into a them and us’.       

That meant going beyond existing policy to target violence and the ‘full spectrum of extremism’.

But at an invitation-only event entitled ‘Religion, Security and Global Uncertainties’ at Blackburn Cathedral on Wednesday night, Britain’s first cathedral-based Muslim outreach worker, Anjum Anwar said the new proposals would further fragment society.

She said legislation alone could not change people’s minds, but ‘it would break people’s hearts’.

Anwar said education was the way forward. ‘Conversation not legislation is what is needed.’

Ambivalent

The debate was billed as a discussion on Islam and extremism in the media. Panellists were Professor John Wolffe, Leadership Fellow for the UK Research Council’s Global Uncertainties Programme, Dr. Jenny Taylor, Founder of Lapido Media, and extremism researcher Dr Mohammad Ilyas.

Wolffe told the audience, which included the Bishop of Blackburn as well as local journalists and Anglican Near Neighbours workers, that religion played an ambivalent role since it both threatened and promoted security.

Counter terrorism could work only if ‘extremism and British values are properly defined’.

But the debate provoked anger among some Muslims present, who claim policy proposals confront British values of democracy and free speech.

Dr Mohammad Ilyas, who has studied British extremist movement al-Muhajiroun, said the new bill would change the way secularism was perceived in the UK.

‘It will be less neutral, more aggressive perhaps pushing more towards what France has.’

Event organiser, Anjum Anwar who is the first woman with a headscarf to work in an Anglican cathedral, said that Theresa May was ‘killing communities and community cohesion.’

‘She is creating a schism within the community and it seems that the government doesn’t want cohesion but wants division.

‘I’m wondering whether we are going through a clash of religion versus aggressive secularism. If I want to say “Salaam-Alaikum” in the morning to my neighbour instead of “Good morning”, will that mean I’m anti-democracy?’

The proposed policy is designed to catch not only those who spread or incite hatred on grounds of gender, race or religion but those who ‘undertake harmful activities for the purpose of overthrowing democracy’.

Jahangir Mohammad, a ‘consultant’ to Muslim groups on extremism and counter terror legislation, agreed that the new policy would contradict human rights.

It would discourage ‘the younger generation which feels angry and frustrated in seeking advice from older Muslims as to how they should deal with frustration.’

The policy would promote anger which could lead to extremism.