David Cameron accuses groups attacking Government’s anti-extremism scheme of ‘enabling terrorism’
DAVID Cameron has accused groups that attack the Government’s Prevent scheme of “enabling terrorism”.
The ex-PM has backed a damning report that says misleading smears from left-wing campaigners, lawyers and Muslim groups are putting the public in danger.
The Government’s flagship counter-extremism programme has been slammed for letting jihadis slip through the net and has been branded Islamophobic.
But Mr Cameron says: “We need to counter the anti-Prevent narrative. We need to show that delegitimising counter terrorism is, in essence, enabling terrorism.”
His comments come as think-tank Policy Exchange today publishes its report.
Mr Cameron warns in the report’s foreword “of ‘passive tolerance’, whereby society fails to interfere in minority communities for fear of appearing racist”.
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Policy Exchange states: “Prevent is being undermined by Islamist campaigners and groups such as Mend, Cage and the Muslim Council of Britain.”
Mend said: “For Policy Exchange to claim legitimate critique of Prevent is an ‘extremist’ narrative is nonsense, and a thinly disguised attempt to shut down criticism from various Muslim groups.”
Cage said: “It’s indicative of Islamophobia in the UK when former PMs give their name to such open hostility.”
And MCB said: “The MCB has always repeatedly and loudly opposed all forms of terrorism.”
