SHAFAQNA - IHRC’s conference plans to address the UK government’s PREVENT strategy. For several years the Home Office has funded a programme supposedly to ‘Prevent Violent Extremism’. As a basic rationale, people espousing ‘non-violent extremism’ create an environment in which terrorists can operate and encourage ‘violent extremism’. Therefore entire Muslim communities must be monitored for ‘extremist’ ideas – defined as hostility to ‘British values’. This phrase conflates universal human values with the British state, whose foreign policy regularly contradicts the supposed values. In practice those who criticise UK foreign policy have been treated as ‘extremists’ by the Prevent programme.
This has spread fear within Muslim communities, as well as among voluntary organisations and public employees who are expected to implement the programme. Even worse, it is given a statutory basis by the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act.
Co-sponsored by the Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC) and the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers
Speakers:
Marie Breen-Smyth – University of Surrey
Leroy Logan – Founder & Chairman of REALLITY, retired policeman
Alex Kenny – National Union of Teachers, member of National Executive Committee
Arun Kundnani – New York University
Patricia McManus – member of UCU National Executive Committee, and Secretary of Brighton University UCU
Basmah Sahib – Bindmans LLP
Katy Sian – University of Manchester
Umit Yildiz – Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) Equality Officer
Supporting Organisations:
Bandung2
Bindmans
Black Activists Rising Against Cuts
CAGE UK
Free Talha
Lewisham Islamic Centre
Muslim Directory UK
Netpol
NUS Black Students
Scotland Against Criminalising Communities
The Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers
University and College Union