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Prevent Strategy to be dismantled - the coalition government is to be commended for this decisive and just decision
"The government's £60m "preventing violent extremism" programme is to be dismantled after a widespread loss of confidence in it within Muslim communities, it was confirmed today.
The Home Office said there would be a clear separation in future between counter-terrorism work on individuals directly at risk of becoming radicalised and more general work to combat social exclusion in Muslim communities..." The Guardian. Read more on this link
An-Nisa Society commends the coalition government on the announcement today that the flawed Prevent Strategy, that would have placed Muslims in an invisible concentration camp, is going to be dismantled. The new government has taken the decisive and just action of taking up the recommendations made in our groundbreaking report 'PVE and Prevent - A Muslim Response.' We have been consistent in our stance that the Prevent Strategy was ill-conceived and flawed and had to be dismantled. We also advocated that counter-terrorism work had to be decoupled from community cohesion and capacity building of the Muslim community and instead, central and local government should address Muslim social exclusion through the mainstream.
The previous government was trying to keep the strategy by tweaking it to include all forms of extremism. However, adding more ingredients to a badly baked cake was never going to work.
In February 2009 we produced this report, which we believe, still remains the first and only Muslim critique of the Strategy. Following the publication of the report we have spent the last two years campaigning extensively against the strategy. Download report
EZ2_PVE_and_Prevent_-__A_Muslim_response.pdf
What we need now is an investigation into how Prevent has been implemented and what infrastructures have been set up to monitor Muslims within the mainstream of the public sector. There have been countless examples of bad practice and Big Brother tactics. We need to start with a clean slate.
Funding needed for An-Nisa to continue our work as an independent organisation
When we decided to take on this campaign we turned down Prevent funding and spent all our resources on this issue as we passionately believe that if it had not been challenged it would have placed all Muslims in an invisible concentration camp. The result has been that all our resources are depleted and we are on the verge of having to close down the little office we operate from.
There is a lot more work that needs to be done to ensure that the new government deals with British Muslims as citizens and not as pariahs and fifth columnists. We believe we have the experience and expertise to contribute to helping the government get a better understanding of Muslim issues and needs. In order to be independent and not to be afraid of speaking out we cannot be dependent on government funding. If you think that our work deserves to carry on please consider sending us your sadaqah and zakat.
We need £10,000 per annum to cover all our rent and running costs. All donations, however small, will help us to reach this goal. Please email us on info@an-nisa.org if you would like more information or want to make a donation. How to donate on this link.
What Muslims said about our report
I have just read your 'Response' to PVE/Prevent, and was so thrilled to find you articulating things that have been bothering me for a long time...I have been increasingly shocked and appalled at what I see unfolding... On a number of occasions recently, coming from meetings where advice is ignored, and where there is clearly no scope to change the direction, I have been wondering 'what's the point' and I've thought of pulling out.
University Lecturer
I just wanted to congratulate you on the Muslim Response to Prevent. I think it says exactly the way we are all feeling about it, but have not been able to formalise it in such a constructive way...I am worried that by me doing my job, I am showing my acceptance and support for the false labelling of the Muslim community as potential terrorists (no matter how positive the outcomes of my work are).
Muslim Worker – Employed in Prevent funded post in a London council
This report was sent to me via the PREVENT GOSE (Government Office South East) lead and it echoes much of what I have been saying here in (council outside London). However due to various reasons already elaborated on in the report the Muslim community are in denial and failing to speak against this agenda. Thus I was really pleased about this report and have forwarded it to many of my contacts.
Cohesion Advisor (Muslim), Out of London council
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