11 July 2018

Those who stand up to extremism 'vilified' in UK, says commissioner Sara Khan

Counter-extremism commissioner Sara Khan admits she has received death threats in the course of her work.

People are being "vilified" for standing up to extremism in some UK communities, the counter-extremism commissioner has told Sky News.

Sara Khan said some stories have left her "heartbroken", while the problem is increasing in scale and becoming more professionalised.

The Commission for Countering Extremism (CCE), which Ms Khan heads, was set up last year following the Manchester Arena bombing.

On Wednesday, it launched an evidence gathering programme with the aim of producing an in-depth report on how to confront all forms of extremism.

In an interview with Sky News, the commissioner admitted she herself has received death threats, but remains undeterred from carrying on with her work.

Ms Khan has campaigned for women's rights in Muslim communities for many years.

After her appointment in January, she faced immediate calls to quit from some Muslim groups and politicians because of her support for the Home Office's Prevent counter-terrorism strategy. [Sky News] Read more