The UK’s Prevent programme, which was founded in 2003 in response to 9/11 to counteract terrorism, may be failing to receive accurate reports of concerns about Islamist extremism due to what Security Minister Tom Tugendhat has described as a “bigotry of low expectations”. Speaking to the Home Affairs Select Committee, Tugendhat said that a “soft bigotry” has enabled tolerance towards Islamist extremism, while there is not the same level of tolerance for extreme right-wing extremism. Last month an independent review of the Prevent strategy found that it “has a double standard when dealing with the extreme right-wing and Islamism.” The review was carried out by former Chairman of the Charity Commission William Shawcross in response to an order by former Home Secretary Priti Patel in 2019. The new Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has endorsed all 34 of the report’s recommendations for the Prevent programme. The review recommended a range of changes to Prevent, including better counteractions to non-violent Islamist extremism.
UK’s Security Minister warns against ‘soft bigotry’ promoting Islamist extremism.
