Islamist extremism is a growing issue for Britain’s – and for that matter the world’s – prisons. To recognise that reality is a vital first step towards dealing with it. It is also, in spite of some continuing pockets of denial and some lack of confidence in confronting it, the (relatively) easy bit. It soon leads on to a much harder challenge.
How do the prison authorities devise a strategy for countering Islamist extremism that is appropriate, proportionate and effective without being counter-productive? Britain has a long and often ignoble history of trying to answer such problems in colonial contexts, above all in Ireland. Not all of its answers have proved to be successful, to put it mildly. [94 comments]
[TOP RATED COMMENT 116 votes] "It is essential to stem the growth of Islamist extremism both by hard and soft policy."
We have had 20+ years of the "soft" policy, isn't it about time we tried the hard policy?
[2ND 113] "For one thing, Islamist radicals have very different aims from Irish republicans"
Seeing as even The Graun acknowledges this, it would be great if people stopped indulging in IRA whataboutery in instances involving Islamist terrorism.
[3RD 100] I listened to some woman on Radio 4 this afternoon waffling on on why Sharia Courts / Councils and British law should understand each other.
Excuse Me!
Our law. Our Courts. Our Legal System, created over hundreds of years.
That system does not belong here.
[4TH 92] .... For 20 years we listen to the left-leaning liberals and UK experienced mass immigration and Islamic terrorism.
The solution to both problems is very obvious: do opposite to what we did. We need hard line against fundamental islam right now.
[5TH 91] Are you all feeling enriched? What a truly awful future we are creating for our future generations. They will wonder what the hell we were doing. This is simply just the beginning of the many issues that are coming our way. [Guardian Cif] Read more
