Failed and friendless: the UK's 'preventing violent extremism' programme
Type
Publication
Authors
Category
Publication Year
2010
Publisher
University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom
Pages
26p
Subject
Extremism, Terrorism, Cohesion, Multiculturalism
Abstract
This article suggests that Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE), the government’s
‘hearts and minds’ response to the threat of domestic Islamist terrorism within the
wider CONTEST strategy, has been exposed as both failed and friendless by
growing political and academic scrutiny. PVE’s monocultural focus on Muslims is in
stark contradiction to the overriding policy goal of community cohesion, whilst its
implementation has provoked accusations both of surveillance and of engineering
‘value changes’ within Muslim communities. Local conflicts relating to the
operationalisation of PVE result from political disagreement over the balance
between community engagement and policing within the Labour government, and
these problems leave the future of this key anti-terrorism policy area unclear.
‘hearts and minds’ response to the threat of domestic Islamist terrorism within the
wider CONTEST strategy, has been exposed as both failed and friendless by
growing political and academic scrutiny. PVE’s monocultural focus on Muslims is in
stark contradiction to the overriding policy goal of community cohesion, whilst its
implementation has provoked accusations both of surveillance and of engineering
‘value changes’ within Muslim communities. Local conflicts relating to the
operationalisation of PVE result from political disagreement over the balance
between community engagement and policing within the Labour government, and
these problems leave the future of this key anti-terrorism policy area unclear.
Description
26p.; 25 cm
Number of Copies
1