CAGE today held a press conference to release its new report, The PREVENT strategy: a cradle to grave police-state. The report takes a comprehensive look at the British government's counter-terrorism policy, PREVENT, and reveals just how wide-ranging and disturbing it is.

The report's findings claim that:

•  ‘PREVENT is no longer about terrorism and violence’, but is instead ‘about ideology, beliefs and values.’ The language of PREVENT is also said to be highly problematic, as words and phrases such as ‘extremism’, ‘radical’ and ‘opposition to fundamental British values’, ‘can potentially encapsulate all Muslims.
• It rests on a questionable empirical basis: ‘There is no social scientific rigour or evidence base to this theory and approach.'
• ‘Instead of talking about foreign policy radicalising Muslims in the future, we may well be talking about domestic policy radicalising Muslims.’
• PREVENT has now intruded so far into the affairs of the Muslim community that members of that community are virtually living under a police-state. From one’s early years GP, to the school one attends, to the mosque where one lies before burial, PREVENT is now with a Muslim from beginning to end

The report's co-author Jahangir Mohammed, said:  'This report marks a significant step, as for first time we are being given a total picture of how the rights and freedoms of the Muslim community are being covertly eroded under the guise of security threats and terrorism. This comprehensive policy has far outstripped its stated remit and is specifically targeting the beliefs, values and ideas of the Muslim community.' 

The press conference included witness accounts by 4 people from various walks of life who have all been affected by PREVENT:

Shaqur Rahman, an Imam based in London, said: 'If Imams refuse to work with PREVENT, then it is made clear life will be difficult!'

Ibrahim Ali, Vice-President of FOSIS, the umbrella organisation which represents the interests of university Islamic societies, said: 'A students' union in London was asked to release 5 years worth of ISOC data. When they refused, prevent officers stormed the union.'

Abdullah, a youth worker, said: 'Many of my colleagues were aggressively targeted to spy on their peers because of their good influence over young people. This caused so much stress and anxiety that many had to leave their job.'

Muhammad, whose house was raided by counter-extremism officers and who was then stopped from flying to perform his pilgrimage in Makkah by British authorities, said:'When my house was raided, my father was so shocked he had a heart attack.''

[ENDS] 

NOTES:

1.  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.

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