Government advisers on extremism have openly questioned the direction of the Interior Ministry’s counter-terrorism program after it became clear last week that the review advocated the suppression of Islamist extremism, not the far-right threat.
They questioned why a review of the prevention strategy by William Shawcross on Interior Minister Priti Patel’s need to refocus on Islamism at a time when Prevent’s recommendations on ideology have fallen to 22%, while a quarter they now refer to far-right extremism.
Prevent’s latest figures reveal that “mixed, unstable or unclear” ideologies now account for more than half of all references to the strategy to combat radicalization, and that a quarter are linked to far-right extremism.
Lewis Brace, who advises the government on extremism, said Shawcross’s recommendations “do not reflect what is happening at all, in any way.” Mixed ideologies are where everything goes. “
Brace, who is currently involved in an Interior Ministry study of incel’s ideology to support anti-extremism efforts, said Shawcross’s thinking appears to be “around 2004-2007” – a reference to a period of high-ranking officials. Islamist attacks, including the London bombings, which killed 52 people in 2005.
The deadliest attack since came when an Islamist suicide bomber killed 22 people at Manchester Arena just five years ago. The attack will be commemorated on Sunday with a series of commemorative events across the city.
But since then, experts say, the terrorist environment has evolved significantly, as demonstrated by the killing of five people last August in Plymouth by Jake Davison, who voiced misogyny in online forums used by Inzels, men who describe themselves as ” involuntary celibacy ”. Last week, relatives of his victims called on ministers to take action on incel culture in the new online safety laws.
Brace added: “Since Plymouth [counter-extremism officials] were much more concerned about this kind of amorphous ideology. “
Even before the attack, security services monitored a growing number of people with unstable, unclear or “mixed” ideologies that could pose a risk of terrorism. Daniel Hussein, who killed two sisters in a London park in 2020, is believed to be in that category. At one point, he showed vulnerability to Islamist radicalization, but police later found right-wing extremist material on his laptop.
Florence Keane of the London-based International Center for the Study of Radicalization, which directs far-right Home Office research and is currently investigating misogyny and extremism, said Prevent’s apparent shift to Islamism could be explained by the fact that easier to define than other types of extremism. “When it comes to Islamic terrorism, it may be easier for governments to say that’s exactly what it is. With far-right ideologies, it can be so broad that it often avoids definition, “she said.
A review of Shawcross, a former head of the charity, said Prevent was currently treating “major, right-wing comments” as far-right, while Islamist propaganda was being ignored, according to the Guardian.
Some interpreted the outflow of Shawcross’s key recommendations – believed to have infuriated Patel – as evidence of internal disagreement over his findings, followed by a response from Interior Ministry officials to plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
This comes weeks after the intervention, which former Prime Minister David Cameron said PreventThe was compromised by Muslim critics, a criticism that was widely branded as Islamophobic.
The interior ministry said: “Prevention remains a vital tool for early intervention and protection. We will not allow extremists or terrorists to spread hatred or sow division, and the Prevent remains an important driver in helping to divert people from harm.
“The review, led by William Shawcross, will ensure that we continue to improve our response and better protect people from being attracted to poisonous and dangerous ideologies. The report is being finalized and after its official receipt and after full consideration, the report and the government’s response to it will be published.
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