The UK government’s latest anti-terror strategy —Contest 2, was launched this March It detailed various initiatives to be undertaken across the UK that reflect an emphasis of not simply preventing "Violent Extremism" and "Terrorism" but challenging the so called "Extremism" within the Muslim community. The strategy, entitled "Taking a New Approach to Counter Terrorism", reads, "As part of this strategy we will take action against those who defend terrorism and violent extremism. We will also continue to challenge views which fall short of supporting violence and are within the law but reject and undermine our shared values and jeopardize community cohesion. Some of these views can create a climate in which people may be pulled into violent activity."
Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary defined these "shared values" as tolerance and belief in democracy, human rights, and freedom of speech. A draft of the strategy leaked to the Guardian newspaper and BBC Panorama program in February highlighted the government’s view of "extremist beliefs" that undermine these "shared values", apparently jeopardize community cohesion and that may act as stepping stones to violence.
According to the draft, Muslims would be considered extreme if they advocate a Caliphate, the Islamic system of governance; if they promote Shari`ah law; if they believe in Jihad or armed resistance anywhere in the world ─ including armed resistance by Palestinians against the Israeli military; if they argue that Islam bans homosexuality and that it is a sin against Allah; and if they fail to condemn the killing of British soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan. The vast majority of Muslims in the
Unfortunately Not!
One would think that this extensive 176-page document, boasted by Jacqui Smith to be the most comprehensive anti-terror strategy in the world and that deals with a subject as serious as the security of people’s lives, would not be riddled with assumptions, superficial judgments, and irrational conclusions. Unfortunately not so!
The strategy suggests that the rejection of democracy and the embracing of specific Islamic political and social views that are at odds with western secular liberalism are threats to community's cohesion and can be a precursor to violence. This claim is as absurd as suggesting that a staunch belief in atheism and zealously rejecting religion can act as a precursor to individuals blowing up their nearest mosque, church or synagogue.
Respect and Dialogue
Furthermore, the idea that good community relations can only be achieved if all citizens hold the same political and social views, reads like the manual of communist and fascist governance ─a reflection of how secular liberal states cannot claim immunity from totalitarian trends. Good relations between communities does not depend upon holding the same political and social ideas but rather on understanding how to treat one another with respect, a mentality of care and concern for those around us, and engagement and dialogue between one another rather than isolation ─all of which are woven into the fabric of Islamic culture.
Contest 2 alludes to the fact that Muslims who do not have allegiance to
Risking Community Cohesion
The strategy claims that rejecting British secular liberal values and promoting specific Islamic beliefs such as the need for a Caliphate or the
It is overtly clear that stigmatizing the values of a community and forcing them through state pressures to accept views that contradict with their deeply held religious convictions only serve to create resentment and alienation within the society. It is this that "jeopardizes community cohesion".
Religion: Not a Barrier
It is not differences of religious values and beliefs that create barriers between people but ignorance, prejudice and assumptions regarding different cultures alongside the hysteria and fear-mongering regarding "difference" being peddled by certain politicians and the right-wing media. It is quite ironic that under the Caliphate and according to the
Moreover, only a defeated mind believes in changing ideas through coercion and labeling rather than the power of argument. Therefore, Contest 2 is an obvious evidence that the government has failed to convince the Muslim community intellectually of the superiority of secular liberal values. What exactly are the "shared values" that the
Perhaps it is the same liberty, ‘do as you please culture’ that has led to soaring levels of anti-social behavior, drug addiction, binge-drinking, and knife and gun crimes among the youth – the same freedom that has led to the horrific “teen” murders of Jimmy Mizen, Rhys Jones and Damiola Taylor. Or maybe it is the same freedom, ‘lack of responsibility culture’ that allows people to neglect elderly parents and relatives, leaving the old to die alone in their homes while individuals pursue their own self –interests.
Scare-Tactics
Does the "tolerance" or acceptance of these liberal secular values really make for a Muslim to be a good British citizen as opposed to the sublime values of Islam defined by the Shari`ah - values such as respect for people’s lives, property, honor and beliefs; values such as justice in the treatment of those of other faiths; values such as strong marriages and family units, of care and concern for our parents, relatives, neighbors, elders and for the community in which we live; values that take individuals away from a self-gratifying culture of drugs and binge-drinking to a sense of accountability and responsibility for one’s actions and care for the society in which we live. Is it really the case that adoption of these Islamic values and the rejection of the self-gratifying behavior driven by secular liberalism make Muslims a threat to British society?
The flawed narrative of Contest 2 indicates a government more concerned about stemming the rejection of Western secular liberal values by Muslims globally, including those in the West and quelling the tide of support for Islamic governance and implementation of the Shari`ah in the Muslim world, rather than earnestly tackling issues such as terrorism and community cohesion.
As Muslims in
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