Muslims target of Government plan
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
Filed under: PVE
