Fe y Estado. La política británica responde al extremismo Islamista
Abstract
El extremismo islámico ha sido objeto de intenso escrutinio global desde septiembre de 2001. Muchos Estados han respondido al desafío del terrorismo islámico con una estrategia antiterrorista común. Tal estrategia incluye políticas genéricas anti violenci
Full text
A auca ia. Re is a Ibe oame icana de Filoso ía, Polí ica y Humanidades, año 16, nº 31. P ime semes e de 2014.
Pp. 127-146.
Fai h and s a e. B i ish policy esponses o
‘Islamis ’ ex emism1
Fe y Es ado. La polí ica b i ánica esponde al
ex emismo ‘Islamis a’
E ik Bleich
Middlebu y College, Ve mon (USA)
Recibido: 15-11-13
Ap obado: 20-11-13
Abs ac
Islamis ex emism has been he ocus o in ensi e global sc u iny since
Sep embe 2001. Many s a es ha e esponded o he challenge o Islamic
e o ism wi h a common an i e o is s a egy. Those policies include gene ic
an i iolence policies ha consciously a oided o men ion Islam; ep essi e
policies ha explici ly a ge Muslims ex emis s and policies ha seek o
in eg a e Muslims by so o compelling me hods. The a icle explo es hese
policies in B i ain.
Key-wo ds: Islam; e o ism; ex emism; in eg a ion; B i ain.
Resumen
El ex emismo islámico ha sido obje o de in enso esc u inio global desde
sep iemb e de 2001. Muchos Es ados han espondido al desa ío del e o ismo
islámico con una es a egia an i e o is a común. Tal es a egia incluye polí icas
gené icas an i iolencia que conscien emen e e i a on mención alguna del Islam;
polí icas ep esi as di igidas explíci amen e con a ex emis as musulmanes y
polí icas que pe siguen la in eg ación de los musulmanes an o median e mé odos
blandos como median e mé odos pe suasi os. El a ículo explo a es as polí icas
en el Reino Unido.
Palab as-cla e: Islam; e o ismo; ex emismo; in eg ación; G an B e aña.
1 Es e a ículo ue o igina iamen e publicado como capí ulo de lib o en: Roge Ea well and Ma -
in Goodwin eds., The New Ex emism in 21s . Cen u y B i ain (Abingdon: Rou ledge, pp. 67-84).
A auca ia desea mani es a su g a i ud a los edi o es po pe mi i su ep oducción.
128 E ik Bleich
A auca ia. Re is a Ibe oame icana de Filoso ía, Polí ica y Humanidades, año 16, nº 31. P ime semes e de 2014.
Pp. 127-146.
In oduc ion
Islamis ex emism has been he ocus o in ense global sc u iny since
Sep embe 11, 2001 (9/11)2. As libe al democ acies became he a ge s o a acks,
hey ha e had o espond wi h policies ha ha e ampli ied o e en d ama ically
changed hei app oach o igh ing e o ism. In he ea ly days a e 9/11, many
go e nmen leade s con inued o iew lslamis ex emism as o igina ing ab oad.
Howe e , his e ol ed quickly in he wake o e en s such as he 11 Ma ch 2004
ain bombings in Mad id, he assassina ion o Du ch ilmmake Theo an Gogh
in No embe 2004 and he London anspo a ion bombings o July 2005, each o
which showed he ulne abili y o Eu opean socie ies o in e nal a ack.
Many Eu opean s a es ha e esponded o hese challenges wi h a common
policymaking pa e n. They ha e adop ed an o e lapping h ee-p onged s a egy
o ackling iolence associa ed wi h Islam ha includes: (I) gene ic an i- iolence
policies ha consciously a oid men ion o Islam; (2) ep essi e policies ha
explici ly a ge Muslim ex emis s; and (3) policies ha seek o in eg a e Muslims
in o na ional socie ies, ei he by so ly enabling o by i mly compelling such
in eg a ion3.
This chap e explo es he B i ish s a e esponse o Islamis ex emism,
using he o e lapping h ee-p onged pa e n as a lens h ough which o iew i s key
s a egic elemen s. This lens illus a es B i ain’s a - imes ambiguous ecogni ion
o Islamism as a co e elemen o new e o is challenges; i highligh s he s a e’s
ocus on ep essing Muslim ex emis s; and i discusses he ambi ion o in eg a e
Muslims mo e success ully in o B i ish socie y. The ul ima e goal, howe e , is o
po ay an accu a e pic u e o B i ish app oaches o Islamis ex emism ha ha e
been implemen ed since 2001. To do his, he ollowing sec ion b ie ly examines he
his o y o Muslim immig a ion o B i ain, highligh ing ac o s ha ha e spu ed he
s a e o amp up i s policymaking e o s since he 1980’s. The subsequen sec ion
in oduces he compa a i e Eu opean con ex be o e u ning squa ely o he B i ish
case. I analyses B i ain’s CONTEST s a egy as a mul iplici y o policies ha
e lec he o e lapping h ee-p onged s a egy.
F om immig an s o Muslims o ex emis s
The e a e be ween 1.6 and 2 million Muslims li ing in G ea B i ain
oday4. Acco ding o he mos ecen census igu es, jus o e hal o he Muslims
2 The au ho would like o hank Roge Ea well, Ma hew Goodwin and Shami Sagga o hei
help ul inpu in he planning and execu ion o his essay, as well as F ancesca Lambe o excep ional
esea ch assis ance.
3 Fo an expanded discussion see also Bleich (2009).
4 The 2001 Census eco ds 1.6 million Muslims, bu a 2008 s a emen by he Home Sec e a y pla-
ces he numbe close o 2 million (Gua dian, 8 Ap il 2008).
129
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Pp. 127-146.
esiding in B i ain in 2001 we e immig an s, wi h he majo i y o hose bo n in
Sou h Asia5. Signi ican ‘Muslim’ immig a ion began in he 1950s, bu o mos
o he pos -Second Wo ld Wa e a hese immig an s we e no p ima ily de ined
by hei eligion. Un il ecen ly, i was a mo e common o iden i y hem by
hei o icial s a us (immig an s, asylum-seeke s/ e ugees o o eigne s), o
by hei ace, e hnici y o na ionali y (Black, Asian, Pakis ani, e c.). This was
pa ly a esul o s a e ules and socie al pe cep ions, and pa ly a esul o he
way he mig an s o ganized hemsel es. O e he pas 20 yea s, howe e , Islam
has become an iden i y consciously deployed by many Muslims in B i ain, and
i is one ha he s a e and socie y inc easingly use o iden i y segmen s o he
popula ion. As eligious iden i ies ha e become pa o he public con e sa ion,
so oo ha e con en ious issues su ounding eligion. The 1989 Rushdie A ai
ma ked a de ini i e u ning poin in he passage om ‘immig an s’ o ‘Muslims’,
e ealing he capaci y o signi ican numbe s o B i ish Muslims o mobilize
a ound hei eligious iden i y and o he B i ish media, poli icians and public o
espond on simila e ms. Since ha ime, ensions ha e c opped up in o he a eas
oo, gene a ing deba es abou unding o eligious schools, eligious educa ion
wi hin s a e schools, mosque cons uc ion, headsca es, i ual slaugh e , Islamic
ules o bu ying he dead, sha ia cou s and na ional blasphemy laws.
These discussions, and in pa icula he in lamma o y book-bu ning
ac ics o he Rushdie p o es e s, ha e d awn a en ion o he po en ial o
ex emism among B i ish Muslims. Ye , al hough B i ain has been ocally
c i icized o ha bou ing known adicals – c ea ing wha has de oga o ily been
called Londonis an (Kepel 2004: 242-6) – he e we e no majo ac s o Islamis
ex emism in B i ain be ween 1989 and 2001. Following 9/11, B i ish policymake s
began o pay a en ion o he possibili y ha Muslim ci izens migh pe pe a e ac s
o e o ism on B i ish soil. The Decembe 2001 a emp by Richa d Reid ( he
‘shoe bombe ’) o blow up a ansa lan ic ligh highligh ed he ac ha Islamis
e o ism was no con ined o people o Middle Eas e n o No h A ican o igin,
and could be ca ied ou jus as easily by Eu opean ci izens.
The No embe 2003 a acks on B i ish a ge s in Is anbul and he Ma ch
2004 disco e y o s ocks o ammonium ni a e e ilize in subu ban London
– linked o B i ish ci izens o Pakis ani o igin – led o u he anxie y abou
Islamis ex emism di ec ed agains B i ain (Kepel 2004: 245). As a e lec ion
o he winding down o pe missi e Londonis an policies, in la e 2004 B i ish
au ho i ies cha ged Muslim cle ic Abu Hamza al-Mas i wi h ‘encou aging
ollowe s o mu de Jews and o he non-Muslims’ and also cha ged Abu Qa ada,
who epo edly was he ‘spi i ual counsello ’ o Mohamed A a, he p incipal
a chi ec o he 9/11 a acks6. The 7 July 2005 (7/7) London anspo a ion
5 A ailable online: h p://www.s a is ics.go .uklcciJnugge .asp?id=958 (accessed 4 No embe 2008).
6 New Yo k Times, 20 Oc obe 2004. Abu Hamza Al-Mas i was he imam o he Finsbu y Pa k
Mosque, which bo h Richa d Rcid and Zaca ias Moussaoui epo edly a ended be o e hei a es s.
130 E ik Bleich
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bombings and he subsequen inciden s o la e July 2005 (in London) and o
June 2007 (in Glasgow) can hus be seen as he culmina ion o he inc easing
conce n abou domes ic lslamis ex emism ha has aken place since 9/11.
The e has ‘undeniably been a ansi ion in B i ain since he 1950’s
om a b oad unease abou immig a ion, o inc eased a en ion o Muslims as a
speci ic g oup, o ocused app ehension abou Muslim ex emis s. Bu o hei
c edi , ew B i ish policymake s ha e made he mis ake o simply con la ing
Muslims wi h ex emis s. In ac , in he a e ma h o ecen a acks, mos leade s
ha e gone ou o hei way o condenm he pe pe a o s as inge elemen s
wi hin he b oade B i ish Muslim communi y. In ecen yea s, howe e , he e
has been a ansi ion om ocusing on he e y ew indi iduals willing o ca y
ou a acks owa d a b oade g oup – pe haps as much as 10 pe cen o he
B i ish Muslim popula ion – ha comp ise wha Shami Sagga (2009) has
e med he ‘ci cle o aci suppo ’ ha helps o enable he pe pe a o s o ca y
ou hei ac s.
Su ey e idence lends suppo o he no ion o widesp ead Muslim
in eg a ion con as ed wi h pocke s o signi ican di e ence. Two Ipsos MORI
polls conduc ed in he a e ma h o he 7/7 a acks. Fo example, show ha eeling
s ongly Muslim is no incompa ible wi h a s ong sense o belonging o B i ain7.
Mo eo e , he as majo i y o Muslims su eyed in 2005 and 2007 ag eed
ha immig an s should lea n English, pledge hei p ima y loyal y o B i ain,
in eg a e ully in o B i ish socie y and espec he ule o law8. Con e sely, polls
also demons a e he po en ial o disg un lemen , cul u al disconnec s and e en
ex emism. Acco ding o he 2005 Na ional Su ey on Equali y, Di e si y and
P ejudice in B i ain, 46 pe cen o Muslims polled epo ed ha ing su e ed
om p ejudice o disc imina ion based on hei eligion (Ab ams and Hous on
2006: 43); 2005 and 2006 su eys ound ha 54 pe cen o Muslims app o ed
o a anged ma iages and 40 pe cen o Muslims backed in oducing sha ia in
pa s o B i ain9; and in 2006, one- i h o B i ish Muslims can assed exp essed
sympa hy wi h he ‘ eelings and mo i es’ o he 7/7 suicide bombe s10. These
su eys he e o e ein o ce he poin ha while almos all B i ish Muslims ejec
ex emism, he e emain g ounds o conce n bo h abou he e y ew willing o
ca y ou a acks, and abou hose in he ci cle o aci suppo .
7 See Ipsos MORI ‘A i udes o B i ish Muslims’ and ‘Muslims “Take P ide” in B i ish Way o Li e.’
8 Ipsos MORI ‘Muslims “Take P ide” in B i ish Way o Li e’ and ‘Muslim A i udes - The Real S o y’.
9 Ipsos MORI . A i udes o B i ish Muslims’ and Teleg aph, 20 Feb ua y 2006.
10 Teleg aph, 20 Feb ua y 2006.
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Fai h and s a e. B i ish policy esponses o ‘Islamis ’ ex emism
A auca ia. Re is a Ibe oame icana de Filoso ía, Polí ica y Humanidades, año 16, nº 31. P ime semes e de 2014.
Pp. 127-146.
Eu opean and B i ish s a e esponses o Islamis ex emism
Many Wes Eu opean coun ies ha e de eloped an o e lapping h ee-
p onged s a egy o esponding o he h ea o lslamis ex emism (Bleich 2009).
The h ee elemen s o he s a egy a e:
1 gene ic coun e e o ism policies ha a oid e e ences o Islam;
2 policies designed o ep ess lslamis ex emism; and
3 policies o enable and o compel in eg a ion o Muslims in o na ional li e.
B i ain, F ance, Ge many, I aly, he Ne he lands and Spain ha e each
deployed his s a egy in sligh ly di e en ways since 9/11 and subsequen e en s,
bu almos all o hese coun ies ha e e amped hei an i- e o ism p o isions in
a manne ha downplays he cen ali y o Muslim ex emism as a co e conce n.
Al hough many ecen laws we e c a ed wi h Islamis e o ism in mind, mos
s a es ha e op ed o minimize he speci ic connec ion o Islam by e e ing o
‘in e na ional’ e o ism and by including a leas some non-Muslim g oups on
hei wa ch-lis s o in hei public p onouncemen s. These policy s ances sel -
consciously seek o neu alize ensions associa ed wi h eligion.
A he same ime, Eu opean s a es ha e no en i ely shi ed he ocus away
om Islam. In pa icula , many coun ies ha e s epped up moni o ing o suspec ed
adical Muslims. The e ha e been o icial go e nmen in es iga ions in o he
p ac ice o Islam, inc eased aining and hi ing o na ional secu i y agen s wi h
ele an expe ise, ape eco ding o eligious se ices and sc u iny o pa icula
mosques and public s a emen s abou abs kep on po en ial suspec s. The e ha e
also been p oposals o ack mo e closely o eign imams and o eign unding o
domes ic mosques and e en a go e nmen al p oposal o equi e egula epo ing
o he police by anyone suspec ed o adical leanings. Inc eased moni o ing has
esul ed in aids, ound ups, a es s and ials o hund eds o suspec ed Islamis
e o is s. F ance, Gennany, I aly, he Ne he lands and Spain ha e each engaged
in ac i e ep ession o po en ial pe pe a o s o eligiously mo i a ed iolence.
In addi ion, many o hese coun ies ha e ansla ed he moni o ing o mosques
in o expulsions o so-called ‘ ogue imams’. F ance has been among he mos
ac i e s a es in his espec , wi h dozens o eligious leade s depo ed since 2001,
bu Ge many and he Ne he lands ha e also shi ed hei laws and policies o
acili a e expulsions11.
In eg a ion o Muslims has been equally high on Eu opean agendas.
Religious consul a ion and ep esen a ion ha e become a popula way o each
ou o Muslim communi ies, as e idenced bo h by pos -c isis mee ings wi h
Muslim leade s and by s a e encou agemen o mo e o malized bodies, such as
11 Fo an ex ended discussion o de elopmen s ac oss Wes e n Eu ope, see Bleich (2009).
132 E ik Bleich
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F ance’s Council o he Muslim Fai h (CFCM), Spain’s Islamic Commission o
I aly’s Consul a i e Council o Islam, each se up since 2003 (Lau ence 2005,
2006)12. In ecen yea s, Eu opean go e nmen s ha e also p o en mo e willing
han e e o und ini ia i es speci ically o he Muslim communi y. Whe he
inancing p i a ely o ganized Du ch language and cul u e aining p og ammes
o imams and Muslim chaplains, se ing up uni e si y deg ee p og ammes in
‘con empo a y F ench ci iliza ion’ o u u e imams, o enabling ounda ions in
Spain and F ance ha aid Muslim communi ies, hese ini ia i es ha e aken new
o ms and deepe oo s o e he pas ew yea s13.
Eu opean s a es ha e balanced policies ha enable in eg a ion o eligious
mino i ies wi h policies ha compel in eg a ion by obliging a deg ee o cul u al
con o mi y. The mos no able policy in ecen yea s is undoub edly he 2004 F ench
law banning eligious symbols wo n by s uden s in public schools. Al hough cas
in eligiously neu al e ms ha apply o isible symbols o all ai hs, he law’s
pu pose was clea ly o ban Muslim headsca es. Pa alleling he F ench policy bu
on a smalle scale, i e o he 16 Gennan ede al s a es ha e ou lawed headsca es
o public school eache s, and in he wake o he July 2005 London bombings, he
I alian go e nmen ins i u ed hea y ines and imp isonmen o wea ing a bu qa in
public (Lau ence 2006), and bo h Du ch and F ench poli ical leade s ha e oiced
suppo o banning he bu qa ou side o he home14.
B i ain’s speci ic app oach o coun e ing Islamis ex emism i s Eu ope’s
gene al h ee-p onged pa e n qui e closely. By ea ly 2003, he go e nmen had
launched i s CONTEST coun e e o ism s a egy, which encompassed ou
co e s ands: PREVENT, PURSUE, PROTECT and PREPARE. In b ie , he
PREVENT s and e lec s he hi d p ong o in eg a ing Muslims in o B i ish
socie y h ough a ocus on add essing disad an ages, challenging ex emis
ideologies and undennining he g ounds ha gi e ise o e o is impulses. The
PURSUE angle echoes he second p ong o ep essing iolence by ocusing
on dis up ing Muslim e o is s ia in elligence ga he ing, police wo k and
p osecu ions. The PROTECT and PREPARE elemen s a e closes o he i s
p ong o he common s a e esponse in ha hey a e gene ic policies – i.e. no
speci ic o Muslim e o ism – aimed a educing he ulne abili y o a ge s and
enabling a apid and e ec i e esponse o an a ack15.
12 US Depa amen o S a e. A ailable online: h p://www.s a e.go /g/d l/ ls/i /2004/35485.h m
(accessed 19 Decembe 2008).
13 New Yo k Times, 18 Oc obe 2004; Le Figa o, 10 Ma ch 2005; New Yo k Times, 24 Oc obe 2004.
14 BBC News, 16 Janua y 2006; Aljazee a, 9 Ma ch 2006; BBC News, 17 No embe 2006; BBC
News. 22 June 2009. Local au ho i ies in Belgium and I aly had also p e iously enac ed o en o ced
bans on bu qas, jus i ying he mo e by a guing ha appea ing masked in public p esen s a h ea o
secu i y (lHF 2005: 46, 100-1).
15 Fo he mos ecen assessmen o he CONTEST s a egy, see HM Go e nmen (2009).
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Fai h and s a e. B i ish policy esponses o ‘Islamis ’ ex emism
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Gene ic policies: how much ocus on Islam?
Looking mo e closely a he i be ween he s ands o he B i ish
app oach and each p ong o he gene al model e eals he challenges o
esponding o Islamis ex emism. In pa icula , B i ish policymaking has been
qui e con adic o y and con lic ed in he ex en o which i acknowledges he
Muslim elemen o ex emism and e o ism con on ing he s a e. Fo example,
while he PROTECT and PREPARE policies a e he mos gene ic elemen s o i s
o e all s a egy, hey o m pa o he o e all CONTEST app oach. As such, hey
a e packaged as pa o a s a egy ha desc ibes he ‘p incipal cu en e o is
h ea ’ o B i ain as emana ing om ‘ adicalized indi iduals who a e using a
dis o ed and un ep esen a i e e sion o he Islamic ai h o jus i y iolence’,
and which a gues ha ‘ he cu en h ea om Islamis e o ism is se ious and
sus ained’ (HM Go e nmen 2006: 1).
Ye , as his language implies, B i ish go e nmen al o icials ha e ca e ully
chosen hei wo ds when discussing he ‘Islamis ’ dimension o he p oblem. The
e y same summa y o he CONTEST s a egy akes pains o emphasize ha such
pe pe a o s a e ‘a iny mino i y wi hin he Muslim communi ies he e and ab oad’
and ha ‘Muslim communi ies hemsel es do no h ea en ou secu i y; indeed
hey make a g ea con ibu ion o ou coun y’ (HM Go e nmen 2006: I). This
explains he choice o ’ Islamis ’ a he han’ Islamic’ o desc ibe such e o is s and
he o e whelming use o he euphemism ‘in e na ional e o ism’ o summa ize
he h ea in a way ha a oids epe i ion o he wo ds Islam o Muslim. I also
accoun s o he comple e neu ali y o language in he PROTECT and PREPARE
demen s o he CONTEST s a egy. B i ish policy make s e y quickly de eloped
an ins inc o a oid linkages be ween e o ism and Islam whe e e possible.
This is e lec ed in discussions o p o ec ing public places and p epa ing o he
consequences o a acks, which a e amed in he neu al language o dealing
wi h a gene ic a ack. I is also e lec ed in he B own adminis a ion’s ansi ion
away om discussing he ‘wa on e o ’, which many Muslims had come o see
as code o a ge ing Islam. In he immedia e a e ma h o he June 2007 a ack
on Glasgow ai po , he new p ime minis e a oided his ca chph ase, as well as
any men ion o he wo d ‘Muslim’ a s udied neu ali y ha bo h he and his home
sec e a y epea ed when in oducing he la es e sion o he CONTEST s a egy
in Ma ch 200916.
In la ge pa , downplaying he ‘Muslim’ angle o ‘Islamis e o ism’ is
an elemen o a conscious s a egy o esponding o such ex emism. Howe e , in
some measu e, i also e lec s he eali y ha ocusing on Muslims is likely o be
coun e p oduc i e in mo e ways han one. Apa om demonizing and aliena ing
16 Washing on Pos , 4 July 2007; New Yo k Times, 4 July 2007; New Yo k Times, 22 July 2007; HM
Go emmen (2009: 4-5).
134 E ik Bleich
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a ai h g oup wi hin he coun y and all o he disad an ages ha acc ue o di ided
s a es, a ecen epo by he B i ish secu i y se ice MIS concluded ha i is no
possible o de elop a p o ile o he ypical B i ish e o is . I ound ha mos
a e ‘demog aphically un ema kable’ and ha assump ions canno be made based
on skin colou , e hnic he i age o na ionali y17. A he same ime, howe e , and
e lec ing he di icul y o calib a ing a esponse o Islamis ex emism, he epo
s essed ha he mos p essing h ea o B i ain oday is om Islamis ex emis
g oups, while also acknowledging ha he e a e iolen ex emis s in non-Islamic
mo emen s.
Rep essing lslamis ex emism
B i ain’s con empo a y legal a senal o ep essing e o ism was ini ially
o mula ed ill he 1970’s ollowing he onse o a acks by he I ish Republicanism
mo emen s. By he la e 1990s, go e nmen leade s el he need o sys ema ize he
coun y’s agg ega ion o piecemeal legisla i e ools. The Te o ism Ac 2000 was
designed o alle ia e some c i icisms o he longs anding P e en ion o Te o ism
Ac 18, bu i con ained su p isingly li le men ion o Islamis e o ism. In a sign
o he imes. a Ma ch 2000 BBC s o y abou he pending legisla ion desc ibed i
as co e ing ‘ac s by animal ac i is s, di ec ac ion by en i onnlen al p o es e s,
compu e hacke s, ac s mo i a ed by eligious belie s and ac ion agains p ope y
such as ha in las yea ’s io s and an i-capi alis p o es s in London’19. The ac
ha Islamis ex emism was no a p ima y ac o mo i a ing he 2000 law s ands in
sha p con as o legisla ion passed since ha ime. B i ain has enac ed ou majo
laws since 9/11. The An i-Te o ism, C ime and Secu i y Ac 2001, he P e en ion
o Te o ism Ac 2005 (enac ed p io o he 7/7 bombings). he Te o ism Ac 2006
and he Coun e -Te o ism Ac 2008 ha e each e ined and ex ended B i ish powe s
o ep ess e o ism in ways ha enable he PURSUE s and o he coun y’s o e all
coun e e o ism s a egy. Al hough such legisla ion seldom explici ly men ions
eligion o Islam, each has been a di ec esponse o he pe cei ed h ea o Islamis
e o ism and has been used p ima ily o a ge Muslim ex emis s.
Taken oge he B i ain’s an i- e o ism p o isions ha e endowed he
coun y wi h po en ools o coun e ing ex emis ac s. They inc ease police powe s
o in es iga ion and de en ion o suspec ed e o is s; hey make i illegal o inci e
e o ism o o p o ide aining o e o is pu poses; hey ou law s a emen s ha
in ol e he ‘glo i ica ion’ o e o ism; hey allow he go e nmen o eeze and
o seize inancial asse s associa ed wi h e o ism o wi h e o is s; hey p osc ibe
o ganiza ions deemed by he go e nmen o be in ol ed in e o ism, making i an
o ence o belong o, suppo o display suppo o ha o ganiza ion; hey enable
17 Acco ding o a classi ied in e nal esea ch documen on adicaliza ion epo ed in Gua dian, 21 Augus 2008.
18 The P e en ion o Te o ism Ac was passed in 1974 and was enewable annually.
19 BBC News, 15 Ma ch 2000.
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he go e nmen o en o ce ‘con ol o de s’ on suspec ed e o is s who canno be
con ic ed o depo ed, limi ing hei eedom o mo emen and associa ion; and
hey acili a e dep i a ion o B i ish ci izenship and e en depo a ion o hose
connec ed o e o ism20.
While mos o hese ep essi e measu es ha e hei oo s in legisla ion,
he e a e also policy p og ammes ha ha e been deployed as pa o he PURSUE
s a egy. Mos impo an ly, B i ain has e-o ganized i s in elligence se ices o
s eamline he ga he ing and analysis o in o ma ion abou e o is h ea s. I s Join
Te o ism Analysis Cen e (JTAC) was c ea ed in 2003 o coo dina e he e o s o
he in elligence communi y. I in ol es membe s o he Secu i y Se ice (MIS), he
Sec e In elligence Se ice (SIS), he Go e unen Communica ions Headqua e s
(GCHQ), he De ence In elligence S a , and ep esen a i es om he Fo eign
and Commonweal h O ice, he Home O ice and he police se ices. This g oup
is esponsible o assembling and analysing in o ma ion abou po en ial e o is
h ea s and o se ing he o icial h ea le el wi hin B i ain21. I s explici ocus is
on ‘in e na ional e o ism’ , which is summa ized as ‘Al Qaida and ela ed e o is
g oups’22. As such, i has become a p ominen o ganiza ion in he igh agains
Islamis ex emism23. Na ional and local police o ces ha e also been eo ganized o
econs i u ed o imp o e hei abili y o add ess e o is h ea s (HM Go e nmen
2009: 63-4).
These ools ha e been applied in p ac ice wi h signi ican e ec . While da a
on sensi i e o unde co e in es iga ions a e closely gua ded by au ho i ies, o icial
go e nmen epo s claim nume ous dis up ions o po en ial a acks wi hin B i ain since
2000 (HM Go e nmen 2006:17, 2009: 62). In 2007/8, he Me opoli an Police Se ice
(Me ) epo ed 3,458 in o ma ion e e als ela ed o e o ism, all o which we e gi en
an ini ial assessmen wi hin he i e days called o by in elligence p o ocols; he Me
also epo ed 13 e o is ne wo k dis up ions in ha same ime pe iod24. Be ween
Janua y and May 2008, he Me a es ed 46 people based on e o is in es iga ions.
10 o whom we e cha ged25. Na ionwide, o e 40 people we e con ic ed on e o ism
cha ges in 2007/8, ecei ing a combined o al o 600 yea s in p ison sen ences. In one
high-p o ile case, he su i ing pe pe a o o he Glasgow ai po a ack was handed
20 The Immig a ion. Asylum and Na ionali y Ac 2006 acili a es dep i a ion o ci izenship, he
igh o abode and e ugee s a us.
21 Fo he go emmen ’s summa y o JT AC. see www.In elligence.go .uk/agencies/j ac.aspx
(accessed 29 Oc obe 2008).
22 See www.mi5.go .uk/ou pu /in e na ional- e o ism.h ml (accessed 21 Oc obe 2009).
23 B i ain’s s a egy also has an in e na ional dimension. In he iscal yea 2005/6, he UK spen
o e £7 million helping o he na ions wi h hei conn e - e o ism p og ammes; o example, i p o i-
ded aining and liaised wi h au ho i ies in places such as Pakis an, Malaysia and No h A ica (HM
Go e nmen 2006: 22).
24 See Me opoli an Police Au ho i y, Repo 7b o he 24 July 2008 mee ing, a h p/www.mpa.go .
uk/commi ees/mpa/2008/080724/07b.h m (accessed 30 Oc obe 2008).
25 Ibid.
142 E ik Bleich
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en o cemen o icials, and public se ice p o ide s o discuss no only how o
cu b ex emism, bu also a ange o issues ele an o Muslims hemsel es (HM
Go e nmen 2006: 13-14) and hey ha e encou aged local au ho i ies o conduc
simila o ums in o de o ield Muslim g ie ances (HM Go e nmen 2008: 36-7).
E o s o acili a e communica ion wi h Muslims a e also e lec ed
in on-going g oups such as he Muslim Women’s Ne wo k and i s successo
he Na ional Muslim Women’s Ad iso y G oup, which ha e been acili a ed
and a imes chai ed by minis e s who a e seeking o connec wi h he Muslim
communi y (HM Go emmen 2006: 13, 2008: 31, 34)48. While hese g oups a e
pa ly in ended o s eng hen ac o s deemed less ex emis , hey also se e as
di ec condui s o Muslims o oice hei conce ns o high go e nmen o icials.
Simila ly, he Muslim Sa e y Fo um coo dina es mee ings be ween Muslim
leade s and police ep esen a i es o discuss communi y conce ns, mainly ela ed
o ex emism bu also ouching upon o he issues (HM Go e nmen 2006: 22).
The PREVENT ini ia i e has also ins i u ed a public ela ions campaign in he
wide Muslim wo ld, and has sen delega ions o B i ish Muslims ab oad o help
e u e he image o B i ain as being an i-Islam (HM Go e nmen 2006: 16).
Th ough hese ini ia i es, he go e nmen hopes o show ha i is lis ening o and
aking se iously Muslim oices.
The ou each o Muslim communi ies in ol es se e al highly symbolic
changes o he c iminal code ha a e mean o show ha he s a e is no jus
lis ening bu also ac ing upon Muslim conce ns. B i ain’s An i-Te o ism, C ime
and Secu i y Ac 2001 included p o isions ou lawing eligiously agg a a ed
o ences which ex ended he C ime and Diso de Ac ’s 1998 concep o acially
agg a a ed o ences. As o he 2001 law, c imes mo i a ed by o displaying
hos ili y agains people because o hei ai h a e subjec o addi ional penal ies.
Gi en ha he e was emendous conce n abou an i-Muslim a acks in he wake
o 9/11, his mo e was mean o ake he edge o wha was o he wise a e y
ep essi e law. The go e nmen also made se e al a emp s o b oaden inci emen
o acial ha ed p o isions o co e inci emen o eligious ha ed. Al hough hese
we e ho ly con es ed, much delayed, and e en ually wa e ed down, hey we e
implemen ed in 2006 h ough he Racial and Religious Ha ed Ac .
In a ci il law ein, p ominen igu es such as he A chbishop o
Can e bu y and he Lo d Chie Jus ice ha e bucked public and eli e poli ical
opinion by endo sing adap a ion o ce ain elemen s o sha ia law wi hin B i ain49.
In spi e o oci e ous c i icism o he idea om many qua e s - including om
Sadiq Khan, a junio minis e in he Depa men o Communi ies and Local
Go e nmen as o Oc obe 2008 - sha ia cou s began passing binding judgmen s
in 2007 unde he auspices o he A bi a ion Ac 1996 (which also go e ns he
48 See also h p://www.communi ies.go .uk/news/co po a e/680335 (accessed 11 No embe 2008).
49 BBC News, 8 Feb ua y 2008; BBC News, 4 July 2008; Gua dian, 4 July 2008.
143
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use o Jewish Be h Din cou s), The Times epo ed in Sep embe 200850. While
some o hese s eps may back i e by a ousing public esen men o e en ou age
- especially in he case o sha ia cou s - such legal de elopmen s in he c iminal
and ci il sphe es cons i u e signals o Muslims ha hey a e p o ec ed on a pa
wi h analogous g oups.
The e o o in eg a e Muslims in o mains eam policymaking ex ends o
p og ammes aimed a igh ing socioeconomic disad an age, o p og ammes aimed
o help ai h g oups, and o ci izenship educa ion abou B i ain’s mul icul u al
composi ion. Fo example, he go e nmen ’s b oad social cohesion plans ocus
no jus on acial issues, bu also explici ly on educing inequali ies associa ed
wi h ai h, and e en mo e speci ically on s eps ha can help Muslims imp o e
hei educa ional, employmen and housing si ua ion (HM Go e nmen 2006: II;
Home O ice 2005). The go e nmen also launched a Fai h Communi ies Capaci y
Building Fund in ea ly 2005 which by mid-2006 had al eady spen £7.7 million,
o which £1.5 million wen o Muslim o ganiza ions (HM Go e nmen 2006: II).
And he Depa men o Educa ion and Skills ecen ly published Si Kei h Ajegbo’s
Cu iculum Re iew on Di e si y and Ci izenship, which ecommends - among
many s eps - ex ending an unde s anding o Islam and Islamic cul u e, socie y
and his o y ac oss all communi ies in an e o o diminish misunde s andings
and p ejudices in he b oade popula ion (Depa men o Educa ion and Skills
2007: 18: HM Go e nmen 2008). These e o s un pa allel o hose designed o
p omo e in e - ai h dialogues and unde s anding ha ha e been popula in B i ain
and many o he coun ies since 9/11 (Home O ice 2005: 46).
Mos b oadly, he go e nmen has aken up he banne o Islamophobia
as a majo cause o na ional conce n. I has used his e m as a way o signal o
Muslims ha i is awa e o a p oblem aced by hei communi y, and as a a ionale
o b oad ou each ha includes public s a emen s and symbols o suppo by high
go e nmen o icials (Joppke 2009). S a e o icials ha e ansla ed he abs ac
conce n abou Islamophobia in o conc e e policy ini ia i es, such as he la e 2004
Associa ion o Chie o Police O ice s join ini ia i e. ‘Islamophobia - Don’ Su e
in Silence’, which dis ibu ed 50,000 in o ma ion packe s o Muslim communi y
enues and o police s a ions ha we e designed o encou age epo ing o an i-
Muslim inciden s51. While some c i ics (Joppke 2009) cha ge ha his pla o m
has p omised Muslims mo e han i can deli e - he eby a ousing esen men and
a ques o e e -g ea e ecogni ion - i s ambi ion is o demons a e clea ly ha
B i ish go e nmen o icials a e eady, willing and able o di e ene gy, a en ion
and esou ces owa d os e ing in eg a ion in he Muslim communi y.
50 The Times, 14 Sep embe 2008.
51 See he Fo um Agains Islamophobia and Racism’s 16 No embe 2004 p ess elease ‘Police and
Muslim Communi ies Wo k Toged1e o Tackle Islamophobia’, h p//:www. ai uk.o g/p ess eleases/2
004/20041116FAIRUK_P ess_Releasc.pd (accessed 12 No embe 2008).
144 E ik Bleich
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The goal o in eg a ing Muslims mo e i mly in o he B i ish na ional
communi y has hus been pu sued h ough a numbe o a enues and h ough a
wide a ie y o policy ini ia i es. Some a e small-scale, local p ojec s ha a y
by egion o ci y, and o he s a e na ional in scope. In o al, he go e nmen has
alloca ed ens o millions o pounds, hund eds o pe sonnel and coun less hou s
o he ask52. While in eg a ion e o s a imes ha e hei ep essi e side, hey also
ep esen an hones e o s o each ou o Muslims53. Na u ally, he go e nmen
is no unde aking hese ini ia i es ou o he goodness o i s hea . A emp s
o in eg a e Muslims would no ha e been nea ly as ex ensi e we e i no o
he go e nmen ’s ea o ex emism and i s calcula ed s a egy ha in eg a ing
Muslims in o B i ish socie y is a necessa y o he secu i y o he coun y as a
whole.
Conclusion
B i ish s a e esponses o Islamis ex emism ha e con o med o an
o e lapping h ee-p onged s a egy o consciously downplaying he Islamic
elemen o he h ea , ep essing Muslim ex emis ac i i y and in eg a ing
Muslims h ough a dual s a egy ha i sel in ol es elemen s o ep ession
and accommoda ion. I is wo h emphasizing ha many o he speci ic policies
deployed embody mo e han one o he h ee p ongs. The no ion o communi y-
based coun e - e o ism policing, o example, in ol es ou each o communi y
membe s in o de o ga he be e in onna ion abou po en ial h ea s. This s a egy
encompasses bo h an e o o ep ess e o ism, as well as an a emp o in eg a e
communi ies as sympa he ic s akeholde s in he policing p ocess (Klausen 2009).
The e ha e also been dynamic elemen s o B i ish s a e esponses
ha sugges limi s o any comple ely s a ic in e p e a ion o he h ee-p onged
amewo k. The scope o ep ession and especially o in eg a ion e o s has
g ea ly expanded o e ime. This is ue compa ing de elopmen s p e- and pos -
9/11 and e en mo e so o hose p e- and pos - 7/7. The e ha e also been small
ecalib a ions o go e nmen e minology when discussing ex emism. Mos
o icial publica ions dance a ound he Islamic o Muslim na u e o he h ea
by e e ing b ie ly o Islamis e o ism be o e ecas ing he analysis in mo e
ai h-neu al e ms. Howe e , Go don B own has gone u he han Tony Blai
in emphasizing ha e o ism is a c iminal unde aking, and no one necessa ily
associa ed wi h any pa icula ai h communi y. His a oidance o ca chph ases
52 See speech by R Hon Hazel Blea s, MP, Sec e a y o S a e o Communi ies and Local Go e n-
men , speech 31 Oc obe 2007 o he P e en ing Ex emism Con e ence, a h p: www .communi ies.
go .uklspccches!co po a e/p e cn ingex cmism (accessed 12 No embe 2008).
53 This is no o imply ha hey ha e all been success ul, no ha he go e nmen ’s s a egy is he
bes possible one. Fo a hough ul c i ique, see Thomas (2009).
145
Fai h and s a e. B i ish policy esponses o ‘Islamis ’ ex emism
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Pp. 127-146.
like he ‘wa on e o ’ sugges s he go e nmen may inc easingly shy away om
e ms ha imply a connec ion o Islam, a leas in e en s o public consump ion.
F aming B i ish esponses o Islamis ex emism as an o e lapping
h ee-p onged s a egy emains e y use ul o g asping he main axes o
B i ain’s policies, howe e . I has he addi ional ad an age o un eiling many
o he in e nal ensions be ween he cons i uen pa s o he o e all app oach.
Is i possible, o ins ance, o bo h s ong ann and o each ou o Muslims in an
e o o encou age in eg a ion? How can he s a e walk he ine line be ween
ep essing ce ain membe s o a communi y and encou aging o he s o eel ully
pa o B i ish socie y? And he o ically, is i logical o say in he same b ea h ha
Islamis ex emism is he bigges secu i y p oblem in B i ain, bu hen s ess ha
Muslims a e no a h ea and o euphemize he challenge as one o ‘in e na ional’
e o ism?
Al hough hese in e nal con adic ions may aise ques ions abou he
e ec i eness o he o e all s a egy, examining B i ain’s app oach in compa a i e
pe spec i e sugges s ha i i s squa ely in o a common Eu opean pa e n
among s a es coping wi h Islamis ex emism. Eu opean coun ies mus balance
compe ing ideas and in e es s in c a ing hei policy esponses, and i has been
he compe i ion among hese o ces ha ha e p opelled all na ions o adop an
o e lapping h ee-p onged s a egy. S a es such as B i ain ha e o acknowledge
ha Islamis s a e pe pe a ing deadly a acks, bu also eassu e he public ha
mos Muslims ejec such ac ions. They mus demons a e o he gene al public
ha hey a e capable o dis up ing e o is ne wo ks and p omo ing na ional
cohesion, while also showing Muslims ha hey can be ull ci izens and no
simply na ional pa iahs.
These compe ing asks a e undeniably in ension wi h one ano he . As
a esul , libe al democ a ic s a es such as B i ain a e o ced o de elop policies
ha a emp o a ge each issue and each cons i uency as p ecisely as possible.
Among Eu opean coun ies, B i ain has been a he o e on o de o ing ime,
ene gy and esou ces o his conund um in a way ha makes i a model om
which o he s a es can lea n a g ea deal. No all o i s speci ic policies will ha e
he in ended e ec , and he e ec o many p og ammes will be impossible o
judge by any s anda d policy ya ds icks. Bu his may be he na u e o dealing:
wi h p oblems ha will ine i ably ex policymake s ying o walk he ine line
equi ed o maximize cohesion and unde mine ex emism.
146 E ik Bleich
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Pp. 127-146.
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