We want action on Islamophobia and we want it now! Brent Muslims angry at council for failing its community in light of Far Right Islamophobic attacks

 Guest post by Brent Muslims

Muslim communities in Brent and across the country are fearing for their safety after Far-Right riots kicked off in Southport and other areas last week.

 

What’s app groups are busy sharing messages on staying safe, warnings of upcoming EDL action across London and what to do in an emergency. There have even been reports of acid attacks on Muslim women which has understandably made many incredibly anxious.

 

Sadly, the catalyst for the riots has been the murder of three young girls who were attending a summer dance club. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all the families of the deceased, those who were injured and all those who have been affected.

 

The Far Right have used the tragic deaths to begin mass scale Islamophobic attacks on Muslim communities and places of worship across the UK. In their ignorance and racism - they have targeted other communities as well.

 

These atrocious acts by the Far Right have been brewing for decades. The UK is no stranger to race riots and Far Right thuggery, but this violence has been rooted in hatred for the Muslim community. This is scary business considering widespread anti-Muslim hatred and killings worldwide.

 

Andrew Feinstein recently said on X (Twitter) that “Islamophobia is embedded in the British establishment.” This is probably why our leaders and politicians seem to intentionally ignore the reality of Islamophobia and even its existence. This vile hatred, fear and suspicion of Muslims has now made the community even more vulnerable to attack and possibly even death.

 

Yet who really cares? As a community, we feel like we are in this on our own. We have had a wishy-washy statement from Brent Council that does not once even mention the Muslim community directly when they are the main targets, and on the front line of attack. In a borough with a population of 21% Muslims of diverse backgrounds, as well as being the second largest faith group in Brent - the council continues to gaslight our experiences and ignore our reality.

 

This behaviour from Brent Council is historic. An-Nisa Society, a long-standing grass-roots Muslim charity based in Brent, tells us that the council has ignored Muslims for decades, never understood Muslim communities needs and in fact excluded them at an institutional level which has led to the increased socio-economic exclusion of Muslims including poor health outcomes. This is outlined in detail in their recent report, Islamophobia: From Denial to Action.’

 

The catalogue of failures by the council has led to real devastation in Muslim communities. During the first wave of Covid, the highest number of deaths across the country was in Church End - a majority Muslim area. Institutional Islamophobia being a root cause of such poor health outcomes. 

 

The council has also continued to peddle the Prevent programme which has labelled all Muslims ‘from the cradle to the grave’ as a potential terror threat. The Prevent training predominantly highlights Muslim ‘terrorism’ while not seeming to have a grip on the threat of the Far Right or Hindutva. The optics are all wrong.

 

On top of that, last year a Muslim woman in hijab was verbally abused for being a Muslim on the number 18 bus in Harlesden. The Mayor of Brent at the time, Councillor Orleen Hylton ignored the attack and didn’t report it internally or to the Police.

 

The incident went viral on X, however Brent Council remained silent for five days. The eventual response was dismissive, lacking in seriousness and not heartfelt at all. The Mayor stayed in her position and the council simply carried on business and usual, paying no heed to the upset within the Muslim community.

 

The council is charging forward with its approach and policies that fuel Islamophobia. And even with these horrific riots against Muslims they are once again showing they don’t care and haven’t got a clue by not acting quickly enough and trying to distance themselves from taking ownership of the problem at hand.

 

The horrendous, repugnant riots taking place as we speak have been caused by negative assumptions about Muslims, a perceived fear and threat, a deep rooted anti-Muslim hatred and all fuelled by institutionalised Islamophobia.

 

Muslim life has been devalued for centuries. Islamophobia is not new and the history goes right back to the start of Islam. If you want to understand it and deal with, you need to understand the specific context of Islamophobia and it’s root causes. All of which the council doesn’t seem to know anything about.

 

The question now being asked by the community is about where is the leadership from Brent Council in regards to the riots? We don’t want to only hear from the politicians but the Senior Management Team who have failed us.

 

The council’s treatment of its diverse Muslim communities has led to disenfranchisement and anger. Muslims tell us they have no trust in Brent. They don’t trust the leadership, and see their double standards loud and clear. One such example is how the council have vocally supported the people of Ukraine whilst remaining silent and neutral on the perceived genocide in Gaza. The message is clear - Muslims in Brent are second-class citizens and not valued.

 

We don’t want bland insincere statements- we want answers. The community want to meet the council leadership, speak to them and hold them to account. They want to know what are their short and long term aims in fighting Islamophobia. We don’t want to be fobbed off by a tick-box event for Islamophobia Awareness Month - we want meaningful change and want it now before our most feared outcome happens.

 

Brent Muslims 

 

Brent Muslims are a group of young Brent residents who are dedicated to tackling Islamophobia in Brent, and working towards justice, peace and equality for all.

 

Brent Council statement on violent nationwide riots

As far-right inspired racist and  Islamophobic riots took place in several towns in the country this weekend,  Brent Council issued the following statement:

Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, said:

We stand united with the countless law-abiding people nationwide who are appalled by the recent violent incidents. We unequivocally condemn the actions of those who seek to disrupt the harmony of our communities.

While Brent has been spared specific protests, we understand the unease and fear some residents may feel. Rest assured; we are proactively collaborating with the Metropolitan Police to safeguard our residents.

Our unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of every Brent resident is paramount. We denounce violence in all its forms; it has no place in our society. Now, more than ever, it's vital that we come together to celebrate our diversity, foster understanding, and respect, and reject fear and hatred.

Brent is a borough that not only celebrates diversity but thrives on it. Our rich heritage, culture, and the stories of those who call Brent their home are the bedrock of our community. We take pride in our shared identity and the peaceful coexistence we've cultivated over the years.

In times of adversity, the Brent community has consistently demonstrated remarkable resilience and unity.

Should you have any concerns, please reach out to your local ward councillor, or contact Brent Council directly through our website . We are here for you.

Brent based An-Nisa Society tweeted:  

Not a single mention that this pogrom is directed specifically against Muslims and not an iota of concern of how Brent Muslims are feeling distressed and  fearful! Why!!

Brent to mark 'Islamophobia Awareness Month' with exhibition and in-person event

From Brent Council

 

This Islamophobia Awareness Month, get involved in listening to people’s ‘Muslim stories’ to raise awareness of Islamophobia.

Islamophobia Awareness Month takes place annually during the month of November to celebrate the positive contributions of Muslims to British society and raise awareness of Islamophobia, with the hope of creating a society free from hate.

This year’s theme is ‘Muslim stories’, aiming to build connections among individuals from diverse backgrounds using the transformative power of storytelling to help raise awareness of all forms of discrimination and hatred.

All residents are invited to join an in-person event on 21 November from 6 to 8pm at Brent Civic Centre, Training Centre (First Floor), to discover the rich tapestry of Muslim Stories through engaging discussions, presentations, and thought-provoking narratives.

Our esteemed speakers will share their personal experiences, shedding light on the impact of Islamophobia and the importance of fostering understanding and tolerance. Through these powerful narratives, we hope to inspire change and combat misconceptions.

There will also be an exhibition to raise awareness of Islamophobia in society. The exhibition will be up at Wembley Library, from 15 to 17 November during opening hours, with stock displays at Wembley and Willesden Green Libraries every day throughout the month.

Councillor Fleur Donnelly-Jackson, Cabinet Member for Community Engagement, Equalities and Culture, said: 

Brent is a place where people of all faiths and backgrounds live and work side-by-side.

Islamophobia Awareness Month aims to bring people together in solidarity to stand against discrimination and hate crime in all its forms. We will always strive to make Brent an inclusive and accepting place for people of all backgrounds.

I hope many of you will join our in-person event to celebrate diversity, challenge stereotypes, and bring greater awareness across the borough. You’ll hear personal experiences from our guest speakers, shedding light on the impact of Islamophobia and the importance of fostering understanding and tolerance.

If you’ve been affected by Islamophobia or any other hate crime, report it online or contact Crimestoppers to report anonymously.

Book your place on Eventbrite.

 

Readers may be interested in a publication by the Brent-based An-Nisa Society titled 'Islamophobia: from Denial to Action'. LINK

Writen during Islamophobia Awareness Month 2022 it was launched on UN International  Islamophobia Day March 15th 2023.

The report rejects the definition that sees ‘Islamophobia as a form of racism’ and suggests 'a better way forward'.

An-Nisa write:

We believe the biggest obstacle to addressing anti-Muslim discrimination is classifying it as a ‘form of racism.’ We recognised this approach was not working for Muslims in the mid-1980’s and campaigned for faith discrimination to be made illegal on its own terms. We argued for a multi- ethnic British Muslim identity and faith-based needs for Muslims.

 

When the Equality Act 2010 came into force, finally making religious discrimination unlawful, we were hopeful this would be a game changer to positively changing theconditions of British Muslims. But this was not to be. We remain bogged down in arguments about the word ‘Islamophobia’ and what it means; freedom of speech about the criticism of Islam and denial that it even exists.

 

Prior to the Equalities Act 2010, which has nine protected areas, including for the first time “religion or belief’, there had not been any legal protection for Muslims against anti-Muslim discrimination. One of the critical issues An-Nisa Society found in the mid-1980’s was that the Race Relations Act 1976 recommendations, policies and services that come from it did not work for Muslims. It only extended protection to ‘racial’ groups and Muslims  are not one racial group. It did not recognise religious discrimination. Our realisation is not a denial of racism or that it can also impact Muslims, who in this country are mainly people of colour. The problem was the framework of tackling racism institutionally and in the delivery of race-based services which was bypassing the Muslim experience.

'Untold Partition Day Stories' Pakistan Independence Day, Saturday 12th August 3pm-6pm Wembley Park

 

The Yellow, 1 Humphry Repton Lane, Wembley Park, HA9 0GL  Saturday 12th August 3pm-5pm

 

Golden Threads & An-Nisa Society present:

An interview with Author, Samina Uddin about her book ‘Delhi Nights to London Lights: A daughter’s loving memoir to her father‘

The Muslim stories from partition are rarely told. Samina Uddin pays homage to her late father in this debut memoir. It transports us to how Mukhtar Uddin navigated the Partition of India, the birth of Pakistan, and the racial prejudice of London in the 1950s and 1960s.

The book is a story of family, sacrifice, identity and memory.

There will also be a talk on the father of the Pakistan nation, Muhammad Ali Jinnah by Nadia Khan, Historian

Guests will also get the chance to view an exhibition celebrating Pakistan and the heritage.

The event will be a walk through a significant part of history via personal stories.

TICKETS

Brent Council meeting on 'extremism' leaves community voices off the platform

Invitation from Brent Council:

As a respected community and voluntary sector organisation doing valuable work in the borough, we are writing to you to make you aware of the second of a series of events called It’s Time to Talk - focussing on important matters affecting our local community. The event will take place at Brent Civic Centre on the 3^rd of October 2016 at 6pm, discussing the challenging issue of extremism in all its forms.  We would like to take this opportunity to invite all members of the community and voluntary sector in Brent to the event.  

There will be a number of high-profile speakers attending including Alex Krasodomski-Jones of the think-tank Demos, Dr Sara Silvestri of City University London and a number of other speakers who will participate in a ‘question time’ style event on this challenging but important issue. Attendees will be asked to submit their questions online prior to the event.

This event is part of the Council’s wider It’s Time to Talk campaign which aims to empower residents and community leaders to talk about difficult issues like this one and work together with partners to tackle them. If you would like to have your say on the issues, please come along to this FREE event and help us create a stronger, safer Brent.

Since the above invitation was sent to me a further speaker has been added: Dr Varun Uberoi of Brunel Univsity. The meeting will be chaired by Cllr  Michael Pavey, Brent Council  lead member for Stronger Communities.

It strikes me as insulting that there is not a single member of the local community, or a local community voluntary organisation on the platform.  They are just there as audience to hear from the experts. Surely these grassroots organisations are experts on how the government's approach to extremism is affecting people locally?

Local organisations have challenged Cllr Butt, the leader of the Council, on its implementation of the Prevent programme, without success and were unable to elicit any information from him about which local organisations he had consulted on the issue. A request to him from An-Nisa, a group working in  Brent for more than 30 years, to facilitate a meeting with Brent headteachers on the extremism issue, and particularly the implementation of Prevent in schools, has also met with no response.

Prevent itself has been criticised by Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham who said:

The Prevent duty to report extremist behaviour is today’s equivalent of internment in Northern Ireland – a policy felt to be highly discriminatory against one section of the community. 

  That single event  (9/11) shocked us out of the optimism and unity that had been so tangible just five years before. That is exactly what it was designed to do, just like the Manchester bomb, but this time, instead of building bridges, we seem to have slipped back into the language of division, suspicion and alienation.

An Early Day Motion has been tabled in the House of Commons reflecting community concerns over Prevent:

Early Day Motion 425

That this House welcomes the Government's strong commitment to keeping Britain safe from terrorist attacks; believes that the Prevent strategy is no longer fit for purpose to serve this agenda; notes that there is little evidence to support Prevent or the conveyor belt theory of radicalisation; further notes that no impact evaluations or indicators are available that show Prevent has been successful; further believes that the severe lack of transparency with the Prevent strategy strongly undermines it; notes that Prevent has had a worrying impact on freedom of expression at schools, colleges and universities; believes that the behavioural indicators of possible extremism are vague and unhelpful; believes that the rhetoric of British values is alienating to many who already believed in those values and encourages ministers to adopt a more inclusive approach and rebrand these as universal values; is strongly concerned that the British Muslim community has been particularly stigmatised by Prevent; encourages ministers to engage with affected communities and their relevant grievances, including around foreign policy issues; further encourages ministers to engage with community actors and organisations that have grassroots credibility; believes that ultimately extremism is best tackled by the Government working in partnership with communities and engendering genuine two-way trust, neither of which Prevent has enabled; and therefore calls on ministers to scrap the Prevent strategy in its entirety and replace it with a community-led programme that builds institutions and resilience for tackling social problems, has grassroots credibility and empowers communities rather than alienating them.

If the policy stigmatises and alienates the Muslim community it appears entirely wrong to leave them off a platform where there is a real danger of the presentations being academic and unconnected with the real issues on the ground - although of course I may be proved wrong.

These are notes on the panel:

Alex  Krasodomski-Jones (Demos):

Alex is a researcher of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media. His primary research interest is political extremism and its reportage on social media. He also manages CASM’s analytics capability, including data collection, analytics and visualisation. 

Alex is a frequent media commentator, and writes regularly for the Huffington Post and Spectator. He led Demos’ project mapping the political Twittersphere ahead of the 2015 General Election, which was launched on BBC Newsnight

Dr Sara Silvestri (City University):

Dr Silvestri has directed the Islam in Europe programme at the European Policy Centre (Brussels) and has been a research consultant to the British Council, Ethnobarometer, the European Commission, and the British Government. Prior to that, she had worked in the Cabinet of the European Commission President and had been an Associate Fellow with Chatham House (London).

As an expert on Islam in Europe, religion, and intercultural relations, Sara serves in the advisory board of the British Council's 'Our Shared Future' programme, the ESRC 'Radicalisation Research' portal, and the EuroMediterranean Foundation Anna Lindh (for which she contributed to the first Gallup opinion poll of the EuroMediterranean region).

She is also a member of the scientific committee of GIERFI (a network for the study of Islam and women in Europe) and is a member of the UN Alliance of Civilizations' Global Experts group.

Dr Varun Uberoi (Brunel University):

  I combine normative political theory and political science to examine the theory and practice of fostering unity amongst the culturally diversity citizens of modern polities. My theoretical work examines what unity amongst the citizens of a polity is, how it differs from similar ideas like loyalty and belonging, why such unity is important and how it can be fostered ethically. My empirical work utilises archival and elite interview data to examine how the governments of two parliamentary democracies, Britain and Canada, have attempted to foster such unity as well as the role that Muslims often play in contemporary debates about unity.

Michael Pavey, none the less, sees this event as involving the community, and reflects some of the approach recommendations of the EDM:

The issue of extremism, and how best to prevent it, is a complex, emotive, and highly debated one.

Here in Brent, our aim is to use this event to really involve the community and create real, community-led solutions to tackle the issue of extremism, in all its forms, in our Borough. I hope that residents from all backgrounds will come along and share their ideas.

I am far from convinced that this event, given the format, will fulfil Pavey's aim.

To attend you need a ticket available HERE

Councillor pledges to arrange talks on community concerns over 'counter-productive' Prevent Strategy

Cllr Harbi Farah pledged to arrange talks between community organisations concerned about the Prevent Strategy and Cllr James Denselow (lead member for Stronger Communities) or Cllr Muhammed Butt (leader of Brent Council).

The pledge was made at a public meeting where strong objections to the Strategy; which makes it a statutory duty for the Council, schools, colleges, health and social services to report anyone thought to be in danger of becoming an 'extremist' to the authorities; were voiced.

Cllr Michael Pavey, who was attending another event sent a message to the meeting:

I think Prevent is completely flawed. At best it is patronising to our Muslim communities and at worst it is utterly alienating and therefore completely counter-productive.

Cllr Margaret McLennan had also indicated her opposition 'for obvious reasons' while Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent North, told the meeting on Syria a few weeks ago that the Labour Party was critical of the government's Prevent programme. It was a top-down model rather than the bottom0up approach that could harness forces at a community level.

However, Humera Khan of the An-Nisa Society, which has run a Muslim Sunday School at Park Lane Primary School for 30 years, told the meeting that they had repeatedly asked the council to arrange a meeting with headteachers to establish a meeting where a constructive dialogue could take place with headteachers about the issues involved. There had been no response and eventually An-Nisa had given up. This was despite the fact that the Strategy was supposed to be 'community led'.

Humera juxtaposed the impact of the Prevent Strategy on the Muslim community with the requirements of Brent's 2015 Equality policy. The default position of Prevent was that Muslim=Violent Extremism, the whole community was being stigmatised and marginalised.

Khalida Khan, of the An-Nisa Society, emphasised that teachers were not a branch of the Intelligence Survey.  Reminding the audience of institutional failures over child protection she suggested that there was a huge potential for institutional failure on Prevent and gave the example of a primary school where the first names of pupils felt to be in danger of 'radicalisation; were publicly released.

The danger is that the Prevent Strategy is helping fuel Islamophobia. A recent Public Attitudes Survey had found that 71% of those surveyed thought that Islam was incompatible with British culture and 45% of Britons think there are too many Muslims in the country.

Khalida said that Muslim parents were now worried about the normal 'wierd or funny' things that all children say might now get them into trouble.  Sympathy for the plight of refugees could now be seen as extremist.

She spoke of the effect on the Muslim community, which already felt excluded, of their children and young people being monitored. It would affect mental health and feelings of exclusion and negatively affect parenting.  Making people afraid to speak out would damage the Muslim psyche and undermine self-respect and sense of belonging.

The Strategy put communities against each other and the promulgation of 'British Values' implied that only the British had these values, while in fact they were universal.

Khalida suggested that the ultimate goal was to abolish the Prevent Strategy, for the Council to work with others to pressure the government for its abolition, and meanwhile find ways of legally working around it. There was a need to adress the needs of Muslims as citizens.

Rizwan Hussain, speaking for Brent Anti Racism Campaign and the community organisation Jawaab, gave the example of a young man, Abdul, and how he was experiencing the present climate.

Abdul had been stopped and searched on the way to his mosque. This was an invasion of what he thought of as his 'safe place' - a place of solace and a constant in his life which offered protection and role models.

Abdul was scared about the attitudes he was now encountering which included attacks on his hijab wearing sisters. His personal and social spaces were being invaded by Islamophobia.

Rizwan said that in Jawaab's work with young people discussions of foreign policy figured but there were also  major concerns over mental health and unemployment that needed to be addressed. Young people needed safe spaces where they can gain empowerment to become leaders, develop the skills to tackle difficult situations, develop self-empowerment to make change in their own lives.

These spaces could not be created under Prevent, because people like Abdul won't engage with that strategy, but created by organisations experienced in this area. Facilitators would help youth use their experience to create resilient young people, educating them but giving them power to make decisions.

Bill Bolloten, from Education Not Surveillance, welcomed the meeting as a 'conversation about Prevent' and a way of arriving at strategies to deal with the issue.  There were different experiences at different ages in the education system with Prevent starting at the Early Years Foundation Stage. The Ofsted requirement that schools should pay 'due regard' to the Strategy  and that this was part of the Ofsted inspection, meant that nursery and school staff had to monitor children for extremism/radicalisation and provide evidence that staff had been trained in the Strategy.

Training materials were not openly available and there was no empirical evidence justifying the theory behind the 'signs and indicators of radicalisation'  that trainers gave.

Counter-terrorism experts had said that the Prevent Strategy indicated a 'shallow understanding of the radicalisation process'.

Despite the short-comings referrals to Channel (the conduit for passing on concerns about individuals and families) had gone up from 20 in 2012 to 424 last year, half of which had come from education.

Bill agreed that prevent was fuelling anti-Muslim prejudice. A survey of 6,000 pupils had found  widespread anti-Muslim feeling. Pupils had estimated an average figures of 36% for the Muslim population of the country whereas it was actually 5%.

Bill concluded with the recommendation that we should ensure schools are safe places for Muslim pupils. We should make sure that they feel they belong. A dialogue with school headteachers and governors should be established. We need better ways of understanding our duties under the Equality Act.

Rob Ferguson of the NUT and Newham Stand Up to Racism said that Prevent also applied to supplementary schools and classes and was a bridgehead to attack the whole community through young people. The Newham statement (see below) had been conceived at a local level by Muslim and non-Muslims to put pressure on the council to break with the Prevent agenda.

Rob said that both Newham and Brent were in the top 10 for attacks on Muslims on London. There had been a 300% increase in attacks.  He spoke about the fire bombing of the East London Mosque and how hate crimes were being unreported. Muslim teaching staff were avoiding using public transport and not wearing the hijab in public. Parents were telling their children to keep silent in class - 'Don't mention the War' was no longer a joke.

After the softer Post 9/11 versions of Prevent where organisation took government money to promote social cohesion the Counter Terrorism and Security Act in February amounted to state promotion of Islamophobia. He warned that the next round of legislation citing 'reasonable justification' could be widened to a whole group of other issues.

Kiri Tunks speaking for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign on the impact of Prevent on education about the issue said, 'If you can't talk about Palestine, there's something wrong with our society'.   A film about Palestine for classroom use had been attacked as being anti-Semitic as a way of silencing discussion. Now in the current situation  students tended to be silent and teachers frightened. Tis emphasised the need for schools to provide 'safe spaces'  for children to talk about contemporay issues.

Hank Roberts, of the ATL, speaking from the floor commented that even during the worse of the IRA bombing campaign teachers had not been asked to spy on Irish children in the classroom for signs of IRA sympathies.  We need to see through this nonsense, and incidentally reclaim the term 'radical' - 'there's nothing wrong with Radical. 'I'm a radical'.

Malia Bouattia from the National Union of Students was unable to attend but send this message:

We're encouraging Student Unions and student officers to take up a stance of non-compliance with PREVENT and working with academics and staff to undermine the implementation of the Prevent duty and essentially, make it unworkable in practice.

We've had over 30 Student Unions now pass policy to this effect.

The NUS Black Students' Campaign have produced a student handbook to PREVENT and campaigning against it which is available online.

We're also encouraging students to lobby their university/college to come out against PREVENT but so far we're at early days of the campaign and are prioritising raising students' awareness of PREVENT and getting them to build opposition amongst students and academics on their campuses.

Shahrar Ali,  deputy leader of the Green Party told the meeting that the Prevent Strategy was counter-productive on its own terms. he said, 'You can't fight injustice by perpetrating injustice'.

Commenting that  the Secretary of State can direct universities to comply with the Prevent Duty he asked,  'How can you not encourage contestation of ideas in universities? Students must be free to explore and discuss.'

Shahrar described the Prevent Strategy training he had undergone and the spurious video example of of extremism.

He concluded by pledging the Green Party's opposition to Prevent.

Cllr Harbi Farah, who attended after Cllr James Denselow (Lead member for Stronger Communities) and Cllr Liz Dixon (leading on Prevent) had been unable to attend, stressed that he was not t the meeting to defend Brent Council. He said that the Muslim community itself was diverse and many in it do not even know what Prevent is. The Council had a statutory responsibility to operate the Strategy but because secondary schools were now all  academies (MF or faith schools) the council had little influence over them.

Harbi committed himself to try and improve the relationship between the voluntary sector and the Council and arrange a meeting with Cllr Denselow or Cllr Muhammed Butt.

In addition to the proposed meeting with councillors it was also decided to formulate a statement similar to that from Newham (see below) and develop the Monitoring Prevent in Brent Facebook so that people could report what is happening on the ground.

Is the Prevent Strategy protecting our liberty or threatening it? Have your say on Thursday

Prevent is the government strategy aimed at preventing young people becoming 'extremists'. It requires workers in education, health and social services to report them if they show signs of extremism. It hs been criticised for targeting the whole Muslim community and having the effect of closing down free expression in schools and colleges. Children as young as three years old have been reported for 'extremist' views.

There are fears that the strategy will be counter-productive, create suspicion and division and undermine the trusting relationship between teachers, parents and students.


The meeting will include speakers from education, the local community and anti-racist campaigns. Shahrar Ali will be speaking from the Green Party.

It is at London Interfaith Centre, 125 Salusbury Road, Queens Park, NW6 6RG. Queens Park or Brondesbury Park station or bus 206. 7pm-9pm December 10th