12 November 2015

British Muslims Explore Community-led Responses to Terrorism and Extremism

Muslim activists and leaders gathered in London on 12 November in a special conference convened by the Muslim Council of Britain. It included a wide range of diverse voices from different parts of the British Muslim community.

Audience participation demonstrated a desire to keep our country safe but a concern of the impact of terrorism on Muslim communities and the counter-productive strategies aimed at tackling terrorism. The conference heard consistent concerns about the government’s Prevent strategy and their proposed counter-extremism strategies.

Echoing this, keynote speaker David Anderson QC revealed how he had received ‘more complaints about PREVENT than I do about all the coercive powers under PURSUE.’ He added ‘I hope (the government) really does engage widely, including with bodies like the MCB which undoubtedly represent significant strands of opinion in this country.’ [Muslim Council of Britain (MCB)] Read more