DEMOS

Gordon Brown’s indication that he will make terrorism his first priority as PM may seem welcome given the recent news coverage, but his methods may not be the most effective. His support for tougher anti-terrorism legislation appears to prioritise legislation and police powers over a more community orientated approach to counter terrorism. The widespread reporting of Dame Eliza’s Manningham-Buller’s comments that the security services knew of 30 terror plots facing the UK last Thursday had already raised fears about the increasing threat to Britain. In the context of these statements, which not only emphasised an increase in the current number of threats but also the potential for the use of biological, chemical or nuclear terrorist attack, Gordon Brown’s focused on the need to provide the security services the resources and powers they need to gain evidence and secure convictions. It is clear that the police and the security service certainly can’t take their eye of the ball in the pursuit of terrorists, however it tends to overshadow the prevention aspect of CONTEST (the government’s counter-terrorism strategy) and at times may undermine trust in the services themselves.

While it is necessary to accept that there is an increased threat to Britain from terrorism and to deal with it effectively, we should remember that the way we respond can have unintended consequences on our ability to prevent terrorism and build long-term community relations, so vital for realizing our long-term goals. Lessons from previous terrorism conflicts have taught us that community support for such operations is vital for success and that policing is only effective through consent not force. This consent is currently very fragile and is likely to be further damaged by a lack of transparency and access to the policy-making process and failure to take seriously the concerns of members of the Muslim community.

The report by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust indicates concerns that the language of ministers driven by party political motives serves to undermine the effectiveness of the government’s own counter-terrorism strategy. While it is encouraging that the Home Secretary continues to engage with Muslim communities, active engagement with communities also involves acknowledging the diversity within the community itself and listening to those voices that the government currently finds unpalatable. Refusing to apologise for tough legislation may appear to demonstrate a position of strength, but it ensures that those elements of the community that are most susceptible to radicalisation are turned away from politicians who refuse to take their position seriously. Rather than returning to defeated legislation, both in terms of the 90-day detention order and the Religious and Racial hatred bill, greater priority should be given to building trust within Muslim communities throughout Britain. 

A Demos report, to be launched on the 4^th of December, highlights the need for greater emphasis on a community-based approach to counter-terrorism. It considers how the government’s own commitment to community-based approaches to counter-terrorism can be made a more tangible reality. After 12 months conducting research with diverse Muslim communities in Britain and the Police it provides a series of recommendations for a more effective implementation of a community-based counter-terrorism strategy.