The Muslim Council of Britain is starting its own counter-extremism strategy because Prevent made things so much worse

Prevent says that teachers should report if Muslim students become more religious as they get older, but for many this is just a natural part of growing older and exploring their identity

(Reuters)

Today the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) announced that it is launching its own counter-extremism strategy, directly challenging the government’s controversial Prevent scheme. The MCB’s scheme will come into effect next year after consultation with over 500 schools, charities and mosques. Community groups will become the key focal point through which the scheme is delivered, with mosques being the main point of contact. It will work with a panel of community leaders, former police officers and professionals from mental health services and other agencies in a bid to address extremism at the grassroots.

I have always felt a sense of frustration about the Prevent scheme. I’ve been asked by young Muslim students about whether they should raise certain issues in the classroom or if they should cease talking about politics altogether. I’ve watched well-meaning pupils stay quiet and internalise their issues for fear of being labelled extremist. And their fears aren’t unfounded: as a politics graduate myself with a keen interest in socio-political structures, I’ve encouraged other young Muslims to think and talk about political issues in the UK, only to then regret it for fear of how it might be interpreted if British Muslims offer criticism of societies in which they live.

At times I wonder if I would have developed the same passion and interest for politics if I had known that teachers were under an obligation to report worrying behaviour and “extremist views” under the current confusing Prevent guidelines that amount to little more than thought-policing.

Some of my friends who are school teachers have expressed similar concerns. They know, for example, that some of their students may become more religious as they grow older – this was certainly the case at my own high school, and it’s nothing to worry about. These students were simply showing a keener interest in their religion and grappling with their identity as they grew older. Becoming more devoutly religious on its own is not a cause for concern; it’s something we all have the right to practice as human beings.

However, as teachers, my friends also know that this is something that they should look out for according to the Prevent guidelines and that, if they make the wrong choice, it could affect the future trajectory of their students’ lives. Most of all, they fear breaking the trust between themselves and their students. Questions that I had never heard before as a young Muslim in school are now being asked frequently by worried young students: Should I grow a beard? Should I wear a hijab? What will the school think? It's saddening to see that they have to ask themselves those questions, that it has become a normal part of their daily lives.

Among the wider community, the Prevent scheme has led to a hardening of attitudes and exacerbated the "us" versus "them" feeling that was simmering below the surface. Yet none of this means that there is less of a commitment amongst Muslims to tackle extremism. I have seen and attended many community meetings organised at a grassroots level to combat extremism, where everybody agrees that extremism must be tackled – but, in the words of one community leader, "just not in the way Prevent goes about it."

I find it frustrating that there is so much talk about Muslim communities not working with "us" (when “us” inevitably means the Government – because the Government can do “us” vs “them” just as well as anybody else). There clearly isn't a lack of enthusiasm from the community; merely a sense of being side-lined and our views being ignored. When people feel that way, they tend to retreat into themselves.

So how does the new MCB scheme differ from Prevent? Firstly, it recognises what people from Muslim communities like mine have been saying for a while: the Government’s strategies aren’t working, and a different approach based around the needs of Muslims is needed.

The numbers demonstrate how much of a blunt tool Prevent really is: only 20 per cent of people referred to the Channel programme when they’re identified by Prevent are subsequently assessed as being at risk of being drawn into violent extremism. The MCB’s scheme recognises this and rather than talking about “liberalising” British Islam, it has sought to focus attention on a simple and clear message: violence is never allowed.

The narrative surrounding Prevent was a strange one: one minute it was supposed to be community-led, and the next it was all about arresting people who were a danger to society. The MCB needs to address the sensitive issue of whether it will work with the police itself – there are no right or wrong answers here, but the people it wants to address need to know.

If mosques and community groups are to become key in spotting extremism, then it is also vitally important that they are equipped with the right skills to do this. One of the main problems with the current initiative has been the lack of training afforded to teachers who are expected to spot extremism based on one to two hour presentation. Extremism is insidious, and spotting it is a skill that has to be developed and honed. Combating it is simply too important to be left to Prevent.