Reading extremism initiative opposed by over 20 Muslim organisations and Mosques at Town Hall meeting

Posted on February 8, 2010 by PVE Crisis Group

Representatives of over 20 Muslim organisations and Mosques in Reading attended a “Community Forum” in Reading Town Hall on Wednesday the 2nd of December regarding the local “Preventing Violent Extremism” (PVE) policy to make sure all communities in attendance know that this work is not being done in the name of, or with the support of the Muslim community.

One of the founding members of the Crisis Group initially alerted community members about this meeting and the need to set the record straight for the benefit of the other faith communities and voluntary sector representative who would be in attendance. This alert was well received and supported by key community organisations and the whole community was subsequently mobilised!

Unable to defend their own position and handling of PVE, the Local Authority in Reading shuttled in a Muslim from the Regional Government Office to give a talk and take questions. During the Q&A session the Regional Government Officer received a blasting from the Muslim organisations and some members of other faith groups. Every single question during the Q&A session, bar one, was critical of PVE and the session was ended despite many questions still outstanding from people who had not had a chance to raise their views despite this event being entailed a “Community Forum“.

The representatives of the 20 Muslim organisations and Mosques all left the meeting after this session and did not take part in the workshops in session two. This was in order in to show solidarity with the people who were able to raise points and to show that they are not interested in discussing the finer details of how to implement the divisive PVE agenda. Interestingly the Head of Reading Police, the Regional Government Officer, Councillors, PVE Police Officers and others involved with implementing PVE abandoned participating in the rest of their own event and joined the Muslim community outside where the debate continued for another hour!

Two of the key questions that were ignored during the Q&A session included:
A challenge from a Muslim professional in the audience that if the Local Authority are not ‘spying’ on the Muslim community through PVE then why don’t they release into the public domain the “mapping” of the Muslim community and the “Rich Picture” profiles of local “Muslim extremists” that are being “developed through PVE/Contest”?
One elder from the community asked what “Community Mapping” and “radicalisation” monitoring are the other Reading communities receiving given that it has been alleged that some have “links” with those serving in the Israeli army/ IDF during the Gaza massacre.

In addition to the 20 Muslim organisations, attendees of the event included members of the local Council, local Police, Race Equality Representatives, Voluntary sector members, other faith community groups, and other groups representing groups defined by ethnicity.

Unlike previous Community Forum meetings and despite the fact that this event was promoted in the local media [http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2061894_prevent_violent_extremism_forum_tonight]. in the days leading up to the event there was no press release issued to the local media by the Local Authority with post event coverage. However one of the attendees recorded some of the calmer aspects of the proceedings. A video of some of the answers to the questions at this event has been circulated and can be viewed below:

Interesting the Regional Government Officer admits at the end of this video that despite being the lead from the Government Office of the South East even he is not privy to the “community mapping” of the Muslim community which the police are undertaking under PVE/CONTEST.

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Exclusive Reading Radio debate on PVE – Part 3/3

Posted on October 17, 2009 by PVE Crisis Group

Part 3/3 of a debate on Reading Radio in September 2009 with Mohammad Jihangir, Mustafa Chaudary, Superintendent
Steve Kirk (Reading Police) and Shah jahan (A founding member of www.pvecrisisgroup.com) regarding the
governments Preventing Violent Extremism Agenda (PVE) in Reading.

Download: Pve%20Debate%20PT3.MP3

Issues covered in this part include:

  • ‘Islamism’
  • Who are training the PVE police?
  • PVE action plans
  • Concluding remarks

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Exclusive Reading Radio debate on PVE – Part 2/3

Posted on October 17, 2009 by PVE Crisis Group

Part 2/3 of a debate on Reading Radio in September 2009 with Mohammad Jihangir, Mustafa Chaudary, Superintendent
Steve Kirk (Reading Police) and Shah jahan (A founding member of www.pvecrisisgroup.com) regarding the
governments Preventing Violent Extremism Agenda (PVE) in Reading.

Download: Pve%20Debate%20PT2.MP3

Issues covered in this part include:

  • The prioritiation of PVE in Reading through the adoption of National Indicator 35 (NI35)
  • Are British Citizens that who serve in the Israeli Army targeted by PVE?
  • Local ‘Profiling of Muslims’ that is being shared with Government Agencies
  • The role of the new local Counter Terrorism Intelligence Officer (CTIO)

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Exclusive Reading Radio debate on PVE – Part 1/3

Posted on October 17, 2009 by PVE Crisis Group

Part 1/3 of a debate on Reading Radio in September 2009 with Mohammad Jihangir, Mustafa Chaudary, Superintendent
Steve Kirk (Reading Police) and Shah jahan (A founding member of www.pvecrisisgroup.com) regarding the
governments Preventing Violent Extremism Agenda (PVE) in Reading.

Download: Pve%20Debate%20PT1.MP3

Issues covered in this part include:

  • Background to PVE
  • Definition of Extremism
  • The continuing changing nature of the PVE agenda
  • CONTEST 2
  • PVE Schools Tool-Kit
  • ‘Intellegence gathering’ under CONTEST 2 / PVE

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Government anti-terrorism strategy ‘spies’ on innocent

Posted on October 17, 2009 by PVE Crisis Group

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/oct/16/anti-terrorism-strategy-spies-innocents

Government anti-terrorism strategy ‘spies’ on innocent

Data on politics, sexual activity and religion gathered by government

The government programme aimed at preventing Muslims from being lured into violent extremism is being used to gather intelligence about innocent people who are not suspected of involvement in terrorism, the Guardian has learned.The information the authorities are trying to find out includes political and religious views, information on mental health, sexual activity and associates, and other sensitive information, according to documents seen by the Guardian. Other documents reveal that the intelligence and information can be stored until the people concerned reach the age of 100.

Tonight Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, branded it the biggest spying programme in Britain in modern times and an affront to civil liberties.

The intelligence is being gathered as part of the strategy Preventing Violent Extremism – Prevent for short. It was launched three years ago to stop people being lured to al-Qaida ideology and committing acts of terrorism.

The government and police have repeatedly denied that the £140m programme is a cover for spying on Muslims in Britain. But sources directly involved in running Prevent schemes say it involves gathering intelligence about the thoughts and beliefs of Muslims who are not involved in criminal activity.

Instances around the country include:

• In the Midlands, funding for a mental health project to help Muslims was linked to information about individuals being passed to the authorities.

• In a college in northern England, a student who attended a meeting about Gaza was reported by one lecturer as a potential extremist. He was found not to be.

• A nine-year-old schoolboy in east London, who was referred to the authorities after allegedly showing signs of extremism – the youngest case known in Britain. He was “deprogrammed” according to a source with knowledge of the case.

• Within the last month, one new youth project in London alleged it was being pressured by the Metropolitan police to provide names and details of Muslim youngsters, as a condition of funding. None of the young Muslims have any known terrorist history.

• In one London borough, those working with youngsters were told to add information to databases they hold to highlight which youths were Muslim. They were also asked to provide information, to be shared with the police, about which streets and areas Muslim youngsters could be found on.

• In Birmingham the programme manager for Prevent is in fact a senior counter- terrorism police officer. Paul Marriott has been seconded to work in the equalities division of Britain’s biggest council.

• In Blackburn, at least 80 people were reported to the authorities for showing signs of extremism. They were referred to the Channel project, part of Prevent.

• A youth project manager alleges his refusal to provide intelligence led to the police spreading false rumours and trying to smear him and his organisation.

• One manager of a project in London said : “I think part of the point of the [Prevent] programme is to spy and intelligence gather. I won’t do that.” In another London borough wardens on council estates were told to inform on people not whom they suspected of crimes, but whom they suspected could be susceptible to radicalisation. One source, who has been involved in Whitehall discussions on counter-terrorism, said: “There is no doubt Prevent is in part about gathering intelligence on people’s thoughts and beliefs. No doubt.” He added that the authorities feared “they’d be lynched” if they admitted Prevent included spying.

Ed Husain, of the Quilliam Foundation, who has advised both Labour and the Conservatives on extremism, said: “It is gathering intelligence on people not committing terrorist offences.” Husain, whose group receives £700,000 in Prevent funding, believes it is morally right to give law enforcement agencies the best chance of stopping terrorists before they strike.

Serious concerns that the Prevent programme is being used at least in part to “spy” on Muslims have been voiced not just by Islamic groups, but youth workers, teachers and others. Some involved in the programme have told the Guardian of their fears that they are being co-opted into spying. They did not want to be named, fearing they would lose their job.

Some groups have refused its funding. In several areas the provision of funding is explicitly linked to agreeing to sharing of information, or intelligence, with agencies including law enforcement.

Traditionally in Britain intelligence is gathered by the police and security services. Prevent is trying to turn community, religious and voluntary groups into information or intelligence providers.

Prevent is run by the Office for Security and Counter Terrorism, part of the Home Office. It is widely regarded in Whitehall as being an intelligence agency.

The OSCT is headed up by Charles Farr, a former senior intelligence officer, with expertise in covert work. Also senior in the OSCT is another former senior intelligence officer. The Guardian has been asked not to name him for security reasons.

Chakrabarti said she was horrified by the revelations. “It is the biggest domestic spying programme targeting the thoughts and beliefs of the innocent in Britain in modern times,” she said.

“It is information-gathering directed at the innocent and the spying is directed at people because of their religion, and not because of their behaviour.”

The Home Office said: “Any suggestion that Prevent is about spying is simply wrong. Prevent is about working with communities to protect vulnerable individuals and address the root causes of radicalisation.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/oct/16/prevent-counter-islamic-extremism-intelligence

Communities fear project to counter extremism is not what it seems

The public face of the Prevent programme has included a talking lion teaching schoolchildren how to spot a terrorist and even puppets taking to the streets to push the message about countering extremism.

The official publicity talks of building community resilience against terrorist extremism, and other phrases few would disagree with.

But there has been a growing suspicion among British Muslim communities that Prevent was not all that it seemed.

The programme saw money going to councils with the largest Muslim populations, with the aim of defeating Islamist violent extremism. The government and police wanted information from teachers and lecturers and others including those in the voluntary sector about terrorist activity.

Few would argue with passing on suspicions about terrorist activity. As one imam who receives funding from Prevent for a project said: “It would be a religious duty to inform.”

Youth workers who are being asked to inform on youngsters they work with also said they were under an existing legal and ethical duty to report any suspicions that their clients are involved in terrorism.

The issue with Prevent is the gathering of highly sensitive information about named individuals when they are not suspected of involvement in crime.

As part of Prevent, councils have drawn up information sharing agreements (ISA) which state what data about individuals the groups they fund will share with police.

The Guardian has obtained the agreement drawn up by Islington council in north London and the Metropolitan police. The ISA from Waltham Forest in east London was released under freedom of information legislation. Both reveal that the data or intelligence that can be shared is of the most sensitive kind and about named individuals.

The ISA from Islington is the most explicit about the information to be shared: “Personal data; data which relates to a living individual who can be identified from that data …”

It goes on: “Sensitive personal data; personal data which consists of information concerning racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or other similar beliefs, physical/mental health or conditions, sexual life, alleged or committed offences, proceedings …”

The types of information to be gathered are repeated later, but this time it is spelt out that they include whether the youth suffered abuse, and “lifestyle, family and associates”. In case that is not enough, it says: “Any other information as required.”

The document states this information will be shared “without the explicit consent” of the individual. It does state it must be secured and marked as “restricted”. It can also be shared across the European Union.

Those supposed to sign up are the police, youth services and community groups working with Arab and Muslim groups in the borough, as well as a local mosque.

The ISA for Waltham Forest, again drawn up with the Met, states the information must be held until the person is aged 100. According to the document: “If a community intervention is required to prevent a crime then personal information processed in this regard is done so as a matter of public protection … information relating to public protection must be retained until such time as the subject is deemed to have reached 100 years of age … the minimum review period for this information is every 10 years.”

Waltham Forest’s Prevent action plan for 2009-10, prepared after government advice, states all young people should have their behaviour screened. They and those deemed to be vulnerable to radicalisation are deemed to be suitable for a “targeted approach” and “an assessment of behaviour changes”.

One source with close knowledge of British counter-terrorism said the programme was mixed: “There is good Prevent and there is bad Prevent.”

A government document prepared in the summer for an international conference in Finland about combating terrorism explicitly states that the security services are involved in the programme. Listing those involved in Prevent, it lists the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Home Office, the Foreign Office, and the intelligence agencies.

Those it wants involved in providing information include local crime reduction partnerships, councils, schools, further education, universities, the UK Border Agency, youth offending teams, the probation service, the health sector, the third or voluntary sector, and the community sector. Prevent currently operates in 82 local councils, rising to 94 by next year.

A report out this weekend from the Institute for Race Relations also alleges Prevent is being used in part to gather intelligence. In its research it held talks in Bradford with managers of Muslim voluntary sector organisations and workers in local authorities. Arun Kundnani, from the IRR, said there was widespread distrust of the Prevent programme, and said: “Many were concerned the programme provided an opportunity for the police to embed intelligence gathering into the delivery of local services, such as youth work.

“Many spoke about the difficulties they had faced when they raised their concerns – some had found they became the target of smear campaigns. A significant number of participants, who had previously worked on the Prevent programme, had decided that they no longer wanted anything to do with it – even if it meant substantial loss of funding for their organisation.”

The details about Prevent revealed today will stoke the worst fears in Britain’s Muslim communities that they are suspects merely because of the God to whom they pray. Sharhabeel Lone, a community worker in Camden, north London, and a member of the borough’s community safety partnership, said: “This is not based on suspicious criminal activity but on religious affiliation.”

One source with knowledge of Prevent, who is broadly a supporter, told of how certain Muslim groups were informing on other groups they dislike. The source told how one northern council was repeatedly told that one sect was extremist and eventually withdrew its funding.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, said: “The worst aspect of this scandalous policy is the attempt to turn teacher against pupil, and neighbour against neighbour.

“As other European countries learned in the last century, when the state destroys relationships of trust between ordinary people the result is the very opposite of the democratic values that this agenda claims to promote. It’s a recipe for denunciation by one group or neighbour against another and a great deal of injustice.”

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More organisations and Mosques distance themselves from PVE in Reading due to ‘insurmountable’ issues with PVE and CONTEST 2

Posted on September 28, 2009 by PVE Crisis Group

At a full Council meeting more local organisations and the two remaining Mosques who were still to publicly distance themselves from the PVE agenda submitted a statement in the form of questions to the leader of the council regarding PVE. This statement was independent from the Crisis Group initiative and signatories who were distancing themselves from PVE the first time include; Alexandra Road Mosque, Community Education Trust, Cumberland Road Mosque, IMAAD, Reading Muslim Council & Whitely Muslim Education Trust. All four Mosques in Reading have now distanced themselves from PVE now.

Below are some of the key points from the statement:

‘The undersigned organisations, representing a broad section of Reading’s Muslims, are very concerned that the new CONTEST 2 strategy and NI35 indicators are going to prove counterproductive…. Given that alienation is one of the key drivers for ‘violent extremism’, this strategy is going to have the opposite effect to the one intended….there is strong interest from organisations to continue to work through the mainstream to decrease alienation and marginalisation and increase community cohesion in Reading. However, the undersigned organisations believe this must be outside of and clearly independent from the Prevent framework, as the issues with CONTEST 2 are insurmountable in that it stigmatises all Muslims as potential ‘extremists’ due to their personal beliefs and convictions.’

An additional question was submitted by Mr Khan regarding if the Council will acknowledge that the majority of the Muslim community have rejected the PVE agenda. Unfortunately the answer has much to be desired:

QUESTION NO. 4 Preventing Violent Extremism

Despite the existence of over 20 Muslim organisations and Mosques in Reading there is only one Muslim group that is currently ‘on-board’ with the Preventing Violent Extremism agenda in Reading. This organisation has no credibility at the grass roots regarding PVE as they have not consulted the community that they claim to represent on this issue and it would appear that they are being dictated to. Does the leader of the council acknowledge that the majority of Muslims in Reading are not ‘on board’ with this work and if she disagrees with this assertion can she inform us how the Muslim community can articulate this position such that she will acknowledge it?

REPLY by Councillor Lovelock (Leader of the Council): There has been a range of activities to engage groups across Reading with the direction, shape and delivery of Prevent based work. It is recognised that this is challenging and that work continues to be needed to support knowledge and understanding of the agenda in Reading. It is disappointing that our local approach and activities in response to the national agenda have not been fully clear to some people, and that some misinformation appears to be circulating, which needs to be further explained. We have always understood that there are concerns about the way in which this has been framed nationally. Many people from across all our communities remain in dialogue with us, sometimes in critical dialogue, but are nevertheless supportive of what we are trying to do. We must continue to find ways to engage with the widest number of residents so that people do understand that we are focussed on community cohesion and challenging extremism from all sections of the community and that this work is not just aimed at Muslims. I think it is important for people to understand that the Council and its partners do not have a choice about whether to engage with this national agenda. What we have sought to do is work with a range of community groups to make this appropriate for Reading. We need to ensure that we engage with as many people as possible as we take the work forward.

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PVE in Reading and NI35 are “inciting racial hatred”

Posted on July 5, 2009 by PVE Crisis Group

Muslims target of Government plan


June 24, 2009

A Government plan to counter violent extremism could “isolate, stigmatise and alienate” the Muslim community.

Yet in Reading, the only cases of violent extremism in recent years involved an animal rights activist and a white supremacist.

Last night, the target of general criticism at Reading borough’s full council meeting was Government indicator NI 35 on building resilience against violent extremism.

Tory councillor Jamie Chowdhary said of NI 35: “If ever a document qualified for the charge of inciting racial hatred, then this is it.”

He said it mentioned the word Muslim 180 times and that it would “isolate, stigmatise and alienate one community, my community”.

Reading councillors tried to hammer out an action plan to work within the Government’s agenda which comes with funding of £125,000 this year and a possible £131,000 next  year for community projects.

But Conservative councillors objected to the targeting “of any individual community or ethnic group”.

Councillors across all parties recognised the problems with the NI35 indicator.

For more see Friday’s getreading

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2053043_muslims_target_of_government_plan

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Latest developments and clarification

Posted on June 2, 2009 by PVE Crisis Group

Contrary to media reports regarding the state of PVE in Reading, it would appear that out of 20 Mosques and Muslim organisations there is now only one Muslim organisation that is ‘on board’ with the PVE agenda.  However  there is no evidence that this organisation has consulted the community it claims to represent before it joined the PVE steering group.

At a recent meeting in the Town Hall it was confirmed that the Local Authority in Reading are not distancing themselves from the national PVE agenda, this despite the huge concerns that have been caused by the Governments revised CONTEST2 strategy within which PVE sits.

The Reading Muslim PVE Crisis Group was a short term initiative aimed to communicate the change in position of the Muslim community in Reading from the initial RFAE pathfinder work in 2007. It was felt that the discussions in numerous community meetings and community workshops concluded that the overwhelming majority of the 7 PVE objectives were ‘unworkable’. Consultations with the Local Authority were being ignored and the PVE agenda was spiralling dangerously out of control. To that end RM PVE Crisis group has been immensely successful in providing:

  • A framework within which the principled concerns related to PVE can be understood.
  • Educating people about these principled concerns which the majority of Muslims in Reading share.

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Women’s Group speaks against PVE

Posted on April 12, 2009 by PVE Crisis Group

There is now an established debate nationally regarding the dangers of the governments PVE agenda. One of the priority groups that are being targeted by this agenda nationwide is Muslim women.

The An-Nisa Society is a womens group that was established over 20 years ago and is based in West London. They initially received PVE funding during the Pathfinder stage and undertook a project called ‘British Muslim or WOT?’.

However once the PVE agenda began to develop and after further research the An-Nisa society have since refused PVE funding and have written their own report about the dangers of the PVE agenda which can be downloaded here

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Anti-terror code ‘would alienate most Muslims’

Posted on February 17, 2009 by PVE Crisis Group
 

Anti-terror code ‘would alienate most Muslims’

• Draft strategy brands thousands as extremists
• Ministers ponder plan to be unveiled next month

The government is considering plans that would lead to thousands more British Muslims being branded as extremists, the Guardian has learned. The proposals are in a counterterrorism strategy which ministers and security officials are drawing up that is due to be unveiled next month.

Some say the plans would see views held by most Muslims in Britain being classed by the government as extreme.

According to a draft of the strategy, Contest 2 as it is known in Whitehall, people would be considered as extremists if:

• They advocate a caliphate, a pan-Islamic state encompassing many countries.

• They promote Sharia law.

• They believe in jihad, or armed resistance, anywhere in the world. This would include armed resistance by Palestinians against the Israeli military.

• They argue that Islam bans homosexuality and that it is a sin against Allah.

• They fail to condemn the killing of British soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Contest 2 would widen the definition of extremists to those who hold views that clash with what the government defines as shared British values. Those who advocate the wider definition say hardline Islamist interpretation of the Qur’an leads to views that are the root cause of the terrorism threat Britain faces. But opponents say the strategy would brand the vast majority of British Muslims as extremists and alienate them even further.

The Guardian has also learned of a separate secret Whitehall counterterrorism report advocating widening the definition of who is considered extremist. Not all in Whitehall agree with the proposals and one official source said plans to widen the definition were “incendiary” and could alienate Muslims, whose support in the counterterrorism effort is needed. There were also fears it could aid the far right.

Contest 2 is still being finalised by officials and ministers. Those considered extreme would not be targeted by the criminal law, but would be sidelined and denied public funds. Ed Husain, of the Quilliam Foundation thinktank, said the root causes of terrorism were extremist views, even if those advocating the views did not call for violence.

Husain, once an extremist himself, said: “Violent extremism is produced by Islamist extremism and it’s only right to get into the root causes.”

Inayat Bunglawala, a former spokesman for the Muslim Council of Great Britain, said such plans would affect many British Muslims. Bunglawala, who now runs Engage, which tries to get Muslims to participate in politics and civic society, said: “That would alienate the majority of the British Muslim public. It would be counterproductive and class most Muslims as extremists.”

In a speech in December, the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, said the government’s counterterrorism strategy had to include challenging nonviolent extremist groups that “skirt the fringes of the law … to promote hate-filled ideologies”.

The Contest strategy was put in place in 2003 as the UK beefed up its response to the threat of al-Qaida inspired terrorism.

But the security service’s assessment shows no drop in those they consider dangerous and the UK’s terror threat level remains at severe general.

The Home Office said: “We don’t comment on leaked documents.”

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Minister’s comments on Bradford branded ‘a damn cheek’

Posted on December 14, 2008 by PVE Crisis Group
Hazel Blears

Hazel Blears

By Anika Bourley: Bradford councillors have hit out at claims that local authorities are not doing enough to tackle violent extremism.

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said councils must come out of their comfort zone and tackle extremism in any way needed.

She said a point had been reached where work needed to be stepped up, hardened, and the challenges better understood.

She said: “Building community cohesion is not the cure-all in protecting vulnerable young people or wider society from the threat of violent extremism.

“That means working with the whole community and a focus on shared values alongside activity targeted specifically at individuals who are most at risk.

“That requires tough decisions, difficult debates, moving into uncomfortable and new territory and going beyond the usual people, usual ways of doing things and usual places of doing them.

“But that is the challenge and one that we have already seen many people rise to.”

Bradford Council leader Kris Hopkins hit out at any implication not enough was being done. He said the leadership of the Council had engaged with all other political parties on the issue and regularly challenges local residents and the Government to work with them to promote community cohesion.

He said: “It is the responsibility not just of local authorities but also of Government to tackle extremism. Equally, it is our shared task to promote community cohesion.

“However, both issues are very obviously coupled together and sometimes it appears that Ministers do not fully understand this reality. Alternatively, one might conclude that chasing headlines is of greater importance.”

Labour group leader Councillor Ian Greenwood said: “It is not limited to one community – we need to tap into the undercurrent. The vast majority of people in the district hold decent values.”

Councillor David Ward, deputy leader of the Liberal Democratics, criticised Miss Blears saying she had a “damn cheek”. He said: “Authorities have been asked to pick up the pieces on extremism that has come from the Iraq war. To say we are doing nothing is wrong.”

As part of the latest drive to tackle extremism, local intelligence profiles detailing the activities of extremists in every area will be drawn up to identify radical preachers and groups promoting hate. New guidance from the Association of Chief Police Officers will also enable senior officers to share “sensitive information” with council chief executives.

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Reading Muslim PVE Crisis Group featured in BBC Radio 4 documentary on PVE

Posted on December 14, 2008 by PVE Crisis Group

Reading Muslim PVE Crisis Group featured in a 40 minute BBC Radio 4 documentary on PVE. Strangely the Radio Four piece did not refer to the RM PVE Crisis Group by name but some of the key issues were covered.

Here is a summarised version of the documentary with comments from Lord Nazir Ahmed, RM PVE Crisis Group and Secretary of State Hazel Blears.

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Article in the Muslim News by Councillor Salma Yaqoob from Birmingham

Posted on November 28, 2008 by PVE Crisis Group

The recent convictions of three young Muslim men on charges of conspiracy to cause explosions highlight the ongoing and real threat of terrorism.

In video messages explaining their motivations the culprits make a clear and explicit linkage between their intentions and the impact of Western foreign policy in Muslim lands.

Yet despite it coming from their own mouths that it is anger over foreign policy driving their hate, the Government continues to deny it as the primary factor.

Instead it blames a “dangerous Islamist ideology” for creating “a hatred of the Western way of life” as if such ideology is free standing and exists in some kind of vacuum. Read more »

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What Rochdale Muslims can learn from Reading Muslim (PVE) Crisis Group

Posted on November 18, 2008 by PVE Crisis Group
By Majed Iqbal - Rochdale has been the target of clear government agendas with dedicated recruits from the local community under the banner of Preventing Violent Extremism. Communities minister, Hazel Blears after taking over her failed predecessor, Ruth Kelly, in this field has embarked on creating various ‘larger than life’ projects which singles out the Muslim community as being problematic in the pursuit of tackling ‘extremism’.

hazel_blears-crispian_strachan

We have therefore witnessed various ‘publicity stunts’ by Hazel Blears’ local recruits in Rochdale, who themselves lack any standing in our community and are no where to be seen for debate and discussion on their views which they advocate, in an effort to publicize the government strategy in this area.

Spin, deception, manipulation of facts- whatever we would like to call it- we have seen it all lately in Rochdale- especially after Hazel Blears singled out this peaceful town as some form of Radical hotspot.

Despite being challenged on this fringe minority view held by individuals not known for their discourse abilities, no discussion has been really led in the public domain.

The Rochdale Muslim community can learn from how Muslims in Reading are tackling this debate on a community level and work to mobilize the whole community against such projects which treats the Muslim community and her sons and daughters with suspicion and hampers relations built with various other communities in the borough.

A crisis group was set up in Reading with the support of more than 1,000 Muslims who objected to the local steps being taken under the Government’s Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) strategy launched this year.

As part of the scheme, £10,000 was awarded to the Reading Forum Against Extremism and another £80,000 to establish the Berkshire Forum Against Extremism. But Reading Muslim Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) Crisis Group said since it started, Muslim groups in the town have become disillusioned with the project which started off as a collaborative effort between organizations and community groups in Reading.

The Reading Muslim PVE Crisis Group particularly objected to the council’s adoption of the National Indicator NI35 – a controversial framework which singles out the Muslim community as the main group to look out for in building communities resilient to violent extremism.It is also took concern about a new PVE toolkit which will be provided to school teachers to look out for signs of “radicalization” in pupils – a move which the group labeled “absurd and disturbing”.

A statement from the group to Michael Coughlin, chief executive of Reading Borough Council, and Superintendent Steve Kirk said:

“The PVE work relies on a number of volatile terms such as ‘extremism’, ‘violent extremism’ and ‘radicalization. These terms are undefined but have been used by members of the Government to demonize the Muslim community by equating Islamic values such as the desire for Muslim unity and adherence to Sharia law with ‘extremism’ or ‘violent extremism’.

“Communities don’t commit crimes, individuals do……However, the Government narrative on the causes of the cycle of violence we see occurring in the context of PVE blames an ‘ideology’ as the overriding cause for people’s radicalization.

“This is in stark contrast to the way that the political troubles in Northern Ireland, South Africa and Sri Lanka was identified……This narrative firmly puts the blame for the cycle of violence at the door of Islam and the Muslim community.”

Community leaders in Rochdale must step up to their responsibility in challenging the government narrative which is built on achieving governmental goals as opposed to addressing the real issues and factors behind the loose terms of Radicalization and extremism.

The case study is there for us to see- Are we willing to take the next step forward?

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ACPO Diagram

Posted on November 18, 2008 by PVE Crisis Group

TieredModel

The real side of PVE

The above diagram highlights the type of attention Muslims can expect to receive purely due to their Religious or Political views.

This diagram can be downloaded from the following PVE document:   http://www.indymedia.org.uk/media/2008/07//403360.pdf

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“engaging Muslim women”…”engaging directly with Mosques”…”We should look for early signs”

Posted on November 11, 2008 by PVE Crisis Group

Fridays Evening Post write up of the Local Authorities draft action plan only raises further questions about PVE.  Why the focus on Muslim Women? Is there any evidence that our Mosques have been hiding terrorists? What are the “early signs” of extremism?

Interestingly earlier this year RCRE admitted that the approach of engaging all communities was just a tactic to get to the Muslim community:

” our work has always been cross-community. This has made it easier to engage with the Muslim community, and we propose to continue our approach.” (Document attached)

This comes as no surprise considering the government will be pursuing the Local Authority in Reading on how they are changing the Muslim Community. (Now that NI35 has been adopted)

Full Article:

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2038946_bid_for_extremism_fight_to_involve_all

Dowload the doc below

rave-2008-lsp-paper

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Tilehurst man on terror charges

Posted on November 7, 2008 by PVE Crisis Group

Interesting, so according to the PVE strategy this person is being radicalised by some sort of Islamist ideology! – well of course not he isn’t even Muslim!

A Tilehurst man appeared in court today charged with terror offences after being arrested at a railway station.

Neil Lewington appeared before City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court charged with 11 offences – 10 under the Terrorism Act and the other under the Explosives Act.

He was arrested after police discovered a suspected explosive device when they searched a man at Lowestoft railway station in Suffolk on October 30.

Bomb disposal experts were called to make it safe.

Lewington, 43, of Church End Lane, was originally arrested and charged with possession of an article to cause criminal damage.

He was brought before Lowestoft magistrates on Saturday, bailed and immediately arrested by the Metropolitan Police.

Lewington is accused of being in possession of a number of articles connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism, contrary to the Terrorism Act 2000 and 2006.

Read more »

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Islamic centre backs crisis group

Posted on November 6, 2008 by PVE Crisis Group

Islamic centre backs crisis group
6/11/2008

Reading Islamic Centre has said it did not back a statement issued by the Reading Council for Racial Equality (RCRE) regarding a Government initiative to prevent extremism.

A group of Muslims in the town has recently launched the Reading Muslim Preventing Violent Extremism (RMPVE) crisis group following concerns that the town’s involvement in the national Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) strategy is alienating the Muslim community.

The group was against the focus on the Muslim community as the most likely to be involved in violent extremism and the potential conflict that could arise if PVE officers are enlisted in to Thames Valley Police.

Following a meeting between community leaders, Reading Borough Council and Thames Valley Police on Wednesday, October 29, the RCRE released a statement on behalf of community leaders saying they condemned the PVE Crisis Group.

But the Reading Islamic Centre has said it still has concerns about PVE and is in support of the crisis group.

The number of community groups and individuals that have shown support for the crisis group has grown in the past few days

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2038840_islamic_centre_backs_crisis_group

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Reading Muslim PVE Crisis Group Welcomes Dr.Ibrahim Nasr and Peter Burt

Posted on November 5, 2008 by PVE Crisis Group

RM PVE Crisis Group welcomes Dr. Ibrahim Nasr, Chairman of Berkshire Arab Community Association, and Peter Burt, a former member of Reading’s Local Strategic Partnership, as official advisers.

Ibrahim and Peter’s advice has already proven invaluable and we welcome their support for RM PVE Crisis Group.

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Statement from Reading Islamic Centre (South Street)

Posted on November 3, 2008 by PVE Crisis Group

A recent email received from the Reading Islamic Centre stating their position on PVE and Reading Muslim PVE Crisis Group.

from: Iftikhar Kabir <mail@readingislamiccentre.com>
reply-to: mail@readingislamiccentre.com
to: pvecrisisgroup
date: 3 November 2008 14:42
subject: PVE
We, the management committee at Reading Islamic Islamic on South Street would like to clarify the following:
1. Reading Islamic Centre were consulted about the RM PVE crisis group letter and are happy to be associated to it.
2. At the meeting in the council on Wednesday 29.10.08 we raised our concerns about PVE.
3. RCRE mentioned at the end of the council meeting that RCRE would make a statement about the crisis group but this was representing
themselves and not our Mosque.
4. Please change any article on the Reading Evening Post website that suggests the RCRE statement was supported by our Mosque.
Iftikhar Kabir
Secretary
Reading Islamic Centre
On Behalf of the Management Committee

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PCC comments on PVE

Posted on November 2, 2008 by PVE Crisis Group

Here’s an interview with the PCC, only a few weeks ago (28.9.08) on the 1Ummah FM Ramadan Radio station they distanced themselves from the PVE agenda. We’re hearing a different story now,  seems to be a bit of a u-turn going on!

You can get the mp3 file from:

http://www.filedropper.com/pccpveclip280908

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Article earlier this year on profiling Muslim Communities

Posted on November 1, 2008 by PVE Crisis Group

UK Police Map Muslims

IslamOnline.net & Newspapers

The new strategy will be based on “neighboring profiling.”
CAIRO – Scotland Yard will map nook and cranny in Britain to prevent British Muslims from turning to extremism and to stamp out zones potential to create extremists or terror sympathizers.

“You have to assess where the need is greatest. Just relying on the census data for the number of Muslims in an area is not detailed or sophisticated enough,” a senior police source privy to the new strategy told the Guardian on Thursday, February 28.

The plan, marked restricted and approved by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) this week, will be rooted in “neighboring profiling.”

“This will allow us to connect with all groups and to understand what is normal and what is unusual,” reads the 40-page document, a copy of which was obtained by the daily.

“We need to continually improve our knowledge about communities and how they function both in a social and religious context.”

The ACPO, a top-level counter-terror committee, has put forward the new plan on the ground that little progress had been made to fight terror despite police efforts.

“It’s a recognition that it is a major and important new area of work and the police should see it as a mainstream area of work,” said the senior police source.

Read more »

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IslamOnline reports on PVE Crisis Group

Posted on November 1, 2008 by PVE Crisis Group

UK Extremism Plan Upsets Reading Muslims

IslamOnline.net & Newspapers

Under the strategy, 300 officers have been deployed to monitor areas of potential “radicalization” in Muslim areas.
CAIRO – Muslims in the southern British town of Reading are protesting a government strategy to fight extremism for targeting the Muslim community in the city.

“We hope that there can be face to face dialogue with the council and the police where we can address our concerns,” a spokesman for the Muslim Crisis Group, which has been formed to protest the Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) strategy, told the Reading Evening Post on Friday, October 31.

The Group has sent a letter to Reading Borough Council Chief Executive Michael Coughlin and Thames Valley Police Steve Kirk to protest local steps taken under the PVE strategy.

Read more »

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Article from Reading Evening Post

Posted on October 31, 2008 by PVE Crisis Group

Muslims protest at extremism initiative

By Chine Mbubaegbu
31/10/2008

A group of Muslims in Reading feel victimised by a Government initiative designed to tackle violent extremism and feel it could cause more harm than good.

A crisis group has been set up with the support of more than 1,000 Muslims in Reading who object to the local steps being taken under the Government’s Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) strategy launched this year.

Reading Borough Council was picked as a pilot area for the Department for Communities and local Government’s counter-terrorism strategy which aims to challenge violent extremist ideology, support vulnerable individuals being targeted and recruited to extreme causes and increase the resilience of the community towards violent extremism.

Read more »

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Initial RMPVE CG Committee

Posted on October 28, 2008 by PVE Crisis Group

The Reading Muslim PVE Crisis Group was a short term initiative to communicate the change in opinion within the Muslim community in Reading in relation to the implementation of the government’s Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) agenda and the dangers that this misguided agenda poses to community relations.

RM PVE Crisis Group is supported by local Mosques and Muslim organisations and backed by a petition of over 1,000 signatures from the Muslim community in Reading.

It was felt that the discussions in numerous community meetings and community workshops concluded that the overwhelming majority of the 7 PVE objectives were ‘unworkable’. Consultations with the Local Authority were being ignored and the PVE agenda was spiralling dangerously out of control. To that end RM PVE Crisis group has been immensely successful in providing:

  • A framework within which the principled concerns related to PVE can be understood.
  • Educating people about these principled concerns which the majority of Muslims in Reading share.

RM PVE Crisis Group is supported by local Mosques and Muslim organisations and backed by a petition of over 1,000 signatures from the Muslim community in Reading.

Selection of Committee members for PVE Crisis Group:
Shahid Sadik – West Reading CC
Khateeba Chechi – SEEN
Omair Zaman – 1UMMAH FM
Naz Mahmood – Reading Muslim Scouts
Abdul Razzak – South St Mosque
Mr. Sajid – As-Sabeel Bookshop
Shah jahan – Liberation Party, Hizb-ut-Tahrir

Selection of community members who advise and support RM PVE CG:
Mr Chaudary – Waylen St Mosque and Bangladesh Association Greater Reading
Babar Chechi – Planet Islam
Peter Burt
Dr. Ibrahim Nasr – Chairman Berkshire Arab Community Association

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Reading Muslim PVE Crisis Group writes to Reading Local Authority

Posted on October 26, 2008 by PVE Crisis Group

Reading Muslim PVE Crisis Group

To: Mr. Michael Coughlin, Chief Executive, Reading Borough Council, Mr. Steve Kirk, Thames Valley Police

27th October 2008

Re: Position of the Muslim Community in relation to PVE in Reading

We are writing to you to explain the position of the Muslim community in Reading with regards to the Preventing Violent Extremism Fund (PVE) that Central Government has been rolling out to some Local Authorities. During the course of this year we feel that a large gap has developed between the perception of the Muslim community’s views in relation to PVE and our actual sentiments. As you will know the Home Secretary has taken the decision to appoint 300 PVE officers of which several have been assigned to Reading. Before this takes place we would like to take this opportunity to explain our principled position on the PVE strategy.

Read more »

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  • Contact Details

    Reading Muslim PVE Crisis Group

    info@pvecrisisgroup.com

    Tel: 07876 623643

    pvecrisisgroup.com

    The Reading Muslim PVE Crisis Group was a short term initiative to communicate the change in opinion within the Muslim community in Reading in relation to the implementation of the government’s Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) agenda and the dangers that this misguided agenda poses to community relations.

    It was felt that the discussions in numerous community meetings and community workshops concluded that the overwhelming majority of the 7 PVE objectives were ‘unworkable’. Consultations with the Local Authority were being ignored and the PVE agenda was spiralling dangerously out of control. To that end RM PVE Crisis group has been immensely successful in providing:

    • A framework within which the principled concerns related to PVE can be understood.
    • Educating people about these principled concerns which the majority of Muslims in Reading share.

    RM PVE Crisis Group is supported by local Mosques and Muslim organisations and backed by a petition of over 1,000 signatures from the Muslim community in Reading.

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