The video message, which was pre-recorded and sent to campaign group CAGE, said that while moves to create a ‘human intelligence gathering system’ were being pioneered against Muslims, ‘injustices that affect the Muslim community expand out to affect the community-at- large.'    

The filing room of the FBI under director J. Edgar Hoover - who was instrumental in the aggressive, unconstitutional McCarthyite witch-hunts against perceived political opponents in the 1950s - can be seen in the background.  Assange goes on to refer to PREVENT as a form of 21st century McCarthyism and 'a modern regulated system of ratting each other out'.    

With the British government set to enshrine PREVENT policy into law, CAGE yesterday released a report which argues that PREVENT has intruded so far into the affairs of the Muslim community that members of that community are living in a police-state ‘from cradle to grave’. The framework that is now being put into place will undermine the civil liberties of all communities and amounts to 21st century McCarthyism. The potential to abuse the fundamental freedoms of everyone has never been greater and the lack of safeguards requires urgent action. The demonising of a particular section of society should not be used as a cover for the state to create a structure that represents a danger to the rights of all.    

Jahangir Mohammed, author of PREVENT: a cradle to grave police-state, said: ‘PREVENT is an unnecessary intrusion into the religious and political beliefs of Muslims and will lead to the Muslim community becoming further criminalised, stigmatised and alienated. It is unnecessary as there is sufficient scope within the criminal justice system to investigate and prosecute those plotting violence.”

[ENDS]

NOTES:

1.     A broadcast quality version of the video message can be downloaded and freely used here

2.     CAGE’s new report, PREVENT: a cradle to grave police-state can be read here

3.     CAGE (formerly known as CagePrisoners) is an independent advocacy group that works to empower communities affected by the War on Terror and to highlight abuses of prisoners’ rights. 

Press Enquiries:  

Amandla Thomas-Johnson

Tel: +44 (0) 207 377 6700

Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it