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View Full Version : Government 'Prevent' strategy widened to combat rightwing racism



Uthman
09-29-2009, 06:10 PM
The government is attempting a "fresh start" in its £61m campaign to challenge support for violent extremism in Britain in the face of continued scepticism in parts of the Muslim community about the two-year-old programme.

John Denham, who has replaced Hazel Blears as the communities secretary, will ensure that funding goes to a wider range of organisations and the Prevent programme focuses more explicitly on rightwing racist extremism as well al-Qaida inspired ideology.

Denham has even acknowledged that the title of the programme, Preventing Violent Extremism, may be alienating the groups the government is trying to work with. The shift in approach follows renewed complaints that cash has been given to organisations with little credibility among British Muslims or been used to fund community groups to spy on potential extremists.

Revised official Whitehall guidance issued last week, however, stresses that funding should go to a wider range of faith and non faith-based organisations to support activities that lead to shared values and build the cohesion of local communities.

It also acknowledges that some local authorities have refused to use the terms "prevent" or "preventing violent extremism", arguing that they damage relationships with the local Muslim community. The government now says that these titles can be dropped as long as the objectives of the programme remain clearly in place.

These include disrupting the activities of those who promote violent extremism by denying funding and public accommodation to groups or individuals involved in violent extremism.

But it also includes a more controversial area of identifying and supporting individuals at risk of being or who have been recruited to violent extremist groups.

In many areas this is operated through a local "channel" programme which includes mentoring and counselling, theological guidance and discussion, and helping them find education and a job.

This part of the programme raises complex questions about information sharing. A recent National Audit Office report found that local counter-terrorism police officers were reluctant to share local intelligence with senior local authority executives and community leaders.

The new Whitehall guidance stresses to local authorities that their activity must have "clear objectives, measurable impacts and comprehensive arrangements for monitoring and evaluation".

It stresses that the funding is not intended to go to a single ethnic or faith community and needs to be delivered through a wide range of local groups.

It stresses that it is not the role of government to intervene directly in matters of faith but adds that "where theology purports to justify and legitimise violent extremism, the government will work with communities and institutions best placed to refute it and provide a coherent response to the questions posed".

Among those being backed with Prevent funding are the Cambridge University-led "contextualising Islam in Britain" project, the "Radical Middle Way" roadshows which involve prominent Islamic scholars, and the Islam in Citizenship education project which provides material to be used in madrassas.

But Denham is also keen to stress that the programme also focuses on the violent threat from racist and fascist groups. More than 100 council wards are in the process of being identified of being at risk after the British National Party's success in the European elections in June.

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Beardo
09-29-2009, 06:15 PM
You know, it says "Violent Extremism", but it's almost another name for Muslims. It's quite unfortunate how we are being smeared like this. This is not our true colors. We help the elderly, show kindness to the orphans, and so much more.

Is it just me or 61 million pounds a lot of money for this...?
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