The Home Office proscription of the group Islam4UK will only serve to undermine the government’s effort to prevent violent extremism.  It will not only strengthen the extremist narrative and ease the ability of propagandists to perpetuate the myth of a war against Islam, it also denies these individuals a legitimate political channel to air their grievances, possibly forcing them to pursue a more sinister and violent path.  The more effective and morally correct policy would be to ignore their existence and stop giving Anjem Choudary a public platform.  Proscription only adds fuel to the fire. 

Islam4UK is a despicable group.  They are disingenuous and self-righteous in their claims to represent British Islam.  On the Today show this morning, Anjem Choudary the group’s leader attempted to equate the proscription of his organization with the denial of his ability to practice Islam.  In his words, he would continue to pray and continue to hold the government to account, because he was a Muslim and thus could not help but to do so. His righteous indignation belies what must be satisfaction that the government has afforded him such an opportunity to perpetuate and strengthen the myth that the war against violent extremism is in fact a war against Islam. 

The Government’s shaky rationale for proscription will also further play into the extremist narrative by demonstrating the supposed hypocrisy of British values:  free speech for all, except when it comes to Islam.

Our research in Canada has shown that a key deterrent to young men travelling to fight abroad or undertake violent actions in Canada is the idea that Islam is not served by such actions.  Imams and other community leaders who dissuaded these individuals did so by convincing them they could do more to serve Islam in Canada, by helping at the mosque or becoming politically engaged.  Many of the individuals involved in Islam4UK are already beyond more moderate political engagement:  it is not seen as effective or even slightly open to people such as themselves.  More radical groups such as Islam4UK provided them with an opportunity to channel their anger and views in a political channel here at home, even if their expression was horribly distasteful.  With this avenue now closed, what path will they take? 

Last week in the Telegraph, my colleague Jamie Bartlett argued that the best response to the Wooten Basset march by Islam4UK was for the government, media and local community to simply ignore it.  We need deprive Choudary of a public platform.  The Government’s decision to proscribe Islam4UK has instead guaranteed that his views will continue to dominate the airways.

New Comment