.... Today’s speech builds on what has already been done, and sets out four key problems: extremism can seem exciting, especially to young people; people can be drawn from non-violent extremism to violent extremism; extremists are overpowering other voices within Muslim debate, and failures of integration allow extremist ideas to gain traction. It will be delivered in front of a largely Muslim audience in Birmingham.
.... In essence, there are three main elements to counter-extremism policy.
First, government itself must not patronise or share platforms with or promote extremist groups – and get on with barring extremist preachers and websites.
Second, it must ensure that other institutions face up to their responsibilities: for example, it is right that Vice-Chancellors should be chivvied into treating Islamist extremists on campus in the same way that they would treat fascist extremists.
Finally, it must work alongside integration policy more broadly (hence Casey’s review). In particular, the test of the new policy will be whether it practices what it preaches: whether, for example, people who support an Islamic state or Islamist enclaves are kept off public bodies, especially policing ones. [ConservativeHome] Read more
