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| Britain |
| Anti-terror code 'would alienate most Muslims' |
| 2009-02-22 |
| The government is considering plans that would lead to thousands more British Muslims being branded as extremists, the Guardian has learned. The proposals are in a counterterrorism strategy which ministers and security officials are drawing up that is due to be unveiled next month. Some say the plans would see views held by most Muslims in Britain being classed by the government as extreme. According to a draft of the strategy, Contest 2 as it is known in Whitehall, people would be considered as extremists if:
Contest 2 would widen the definition of extremists to those who hold views that clash with what the government defines as shared British values. Those who advocate the wider definition say hardline Islamist interpretation of the Qur'an leads to views that are the root cause of the terrorism threat Britain faces. But opponents say the strategy would brand the vast majority of British Muslims as extremists and alienate them even further. The Guardian has also learned of a separate secret Whitehall counterterrorism report advocating widening the definition of who is considered extremist. Not all in Whitehall agree with the proposals and one official source said plans to widen the definition were "incendiary" and could alienate Muslims, whose support in the counterterrorism effort is needed. There were also fears it could aid the far right. Contest 2 is still being finalised by officials and ministers. Those considered extreme would not be targeted by the criminal law, but would be sidelined and denied public funds. Ed Husain, of the Quilliam Foundation thinktank, said the root causes of terrorism were extremist views, even if those advocating the views did not call for violence. Husain, once an extremist himself, said: "Violent extremism is produced by Islamist extremism and it's only right to get into the root causes." Inayat Bunglawala, a former spokesman for the Muslim Council of Great Britain, said such plans would affect many British Muslims. Bunglawala, who now runs Engage, which tries to get Muslims to participate in politics and civic society, said: "That would alienate the majority of the British Muslim public. It would be counterproductive and class most Muslims as extremists." In a speech in December, the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, said the government's counterterrorism strategy had to include challenging nonviolent extremist groups that "skirt the fringes of the law ... to promote hate-filled ideologies". The Contest strategy was put in place in 2003 as the UK beefed up its response to the threat of al-Qaida inspired terrorism. But the security service's assessment shows no drop in those they consider dangerous and the UK's terror threat level remains at severe general. The Home Office said: "We don't comment on leaked documents." |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #20 the "wrong" mushrooms have purplish colors, are dried, and taste like shit (I am told). But they make an Andy Kaufman "show" even more unrealistic. When the entire college auditorium (besides you) empties to do the Hokey Pokey in line, you SERIOUSLY wonder if you ate too much....just saying. Hey! It was the late seventies... /shades of cllege |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-02-22 18:54 |
| #19 People end up in the emergency room or dead all the time from eating the wrong mushrooms, 3dc. And, people tend to trust that professional chefs know what they're doing. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-02-22 18:43 |
| #18 The wrong mushrooms can not be un-noticed in the risotto. They just taste too foul. Nobody could eat them by mistake. It must be deeper. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2009-02-22 14:25 |
| #17 No way this is happening, I think the chefs in the Guardian cafeteria put the wrong mushrooms in the risotto. |
| Posted by: Funky Maggot 2009-02-22 14:00 |
| #16 What a laugh. This is so not going to happen. The two points about 1) the palestinians and 2) homosexuals are absolute deal killers. Someone can easily hold both of those views and still be very loyal to the state. Of course, if you explicitly made the exception for the paleos, that would likewise make the thing impossible to implement. |
| Posted by: remoteman 2009-02-22 13:13 |
| #15 If the five points listed offend and/or "alienate most Muslims", isn't that an addmission (tacit or otherwise) that most Muslims are already "terrorists"? Just askin', ya' know. |
| Posted by: WolfDog 2009-02-22 12:28 |
| #14 Britain is explicitly a Christian nation with an established church and a nation of sinners in all varieties, including, apparently, widespread buggery among the ruling class. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2009-02-22 11:14 |
| #13 Boo-fucking-hoo. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2009-02-22 10:36 |
| #12 They argue that Islam bans homosexuality and that it is a sin against Allah. Now there's a can of worms. Will the government next argue that Christianity bans homosexuality and that it is a sin against God? |
| Posted by: Darrell 2009-02-22 10:12 |
| #11 Hopefully it's curtains to the old UK thinking which was..."one must be tolerant of the intolerant, otherwise you are intolerant". |
| Posted by: HammerHead 2009-02-22 09:33 |
| #10 How can you alienate someone who is already alienated? |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2009-02-22 09:23 |
| #9 Except, in strictly biological way, they're already aliens. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-02-22 08:51 |
| #8 "Anti-terror code 'would Fixed now. |
| Posted by: Punky Cravith9794 2009-02-22 08:49 |
| #7 These definitions appear to cover three-quarters of the Labour Party and half the Tories. Who in Britain doesn't support the Palestinians? |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2009-02-22 08:41 |
| #6 Oh, dear, dear. They expect the Muslims to more or less conform to the standards of their adopted land, and give up the BS they were indoctrinated with back in their assorted homelands. About friggin' time, don't you think? |
| Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie 2009-02-22 05:57 |
| #5 Ah, muck the fusslims with their grievances and alienation! They spent my goodwill long time ago. |
| Posted by: Spike Uniter 2009-02-22 05:00 |
| #4 3dc; I too am alienated by gasohol. |
| Posted by: tipover 2009-02-22 03:28 |
| #3 I'll believe it when I see it. "According to a draft of the strategy, Contest 2 as it is known in Whitehall, people would be considered as extremists if: ... # They promote Sharia law." Good. The authorities really should be properly investigating Rowan Williams' anti-western and anti-Christian preachings. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2009-02-22 03:21 |
| #2 who cares - everything alienates most Muslims. Even gasohol. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2009-02-22 02:24 |
| #1 "Anti-terror code 'would alienate most Muslims'" What's the downside? |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2009-02-22 01:04 |