This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/26/uk-politicians-stigmatising-muslims-over-islamist-terrorism-report-finds
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| UK politicians stigmatising Muslims over Islamist terrorism, report finds | UK politicians stigmatising Muslims over Islamist terrorism, report finds |
| (4 months later) | |
| Muslims are marginalised by being made to feel they have to frequently renounce terrorist acts, according to faith review | Muslims are marginalised by being made to feel they have to frequently renounce terrorist acts, according to faith review |
| Senior politicians must stop stigmatising Muslims by making them feel responsible for Islamist terrorism, according to a report that aims to reset the government’s approach to dealing with religious groups. | Senior politicians must stop stigmatising Muslims by making them feel responsible for Islamist terrorism, according to a report that aims to reset the government’s approach to dealing with religious groups. |
| Muslims are being marginalised in a number of areas of British life, according to the report by the government’s faith adviser, Colin Bloom, including by being made to feel they frequently have to renounce terrorist acts. Bloom also urged ministers to develop sharia-compliant student loans to help more Muslims into university, and to conduct an outreach programme to increase their representation in the armed forces. | Muslims are being marginalised in a number of areas of British life, according to the report by the government’s faith adviser, Colin Bloom, including by being made to feel they frequently have to renounce terrorist acts. Bloom also urged ministers to develop sharia-compliant student loans to help more Muslims into university, and to conduct an outreach programme to increase their representation in the armed forces. |
| The comments are part of a sweeping review of the government’s interactions with faith groups at every level of society. The Guardian has previously revealed several of the report’s other main recommendations, including government crackdowns on forced marriage and unregistered religious schools. | The comments are part of a sweeping review of the government’s interactions with faith groups at every level of society. The Guardian has previously revealed several of the report’s other main recommendations, including government crackdowns on forced marriage and unregistered religious schools. |
| Bloom’s comments on Islam provide some of the most eye-catching parts of the report, however, providing a marked contrast with the tone of much of the government’s recent messaging on Islamist terrorism. | Bloom’s comments on Islam provide some of the most eye-catching parts of the report, however, providing a marked contrast with the tone of much of the government’s recent messaging on Islamist terrorism. |
| Bloom warns in the report: “Islamist extremism, Islamist-inspired terrorism, and the support of terrorist and extremist organisations … are as repulsive to mainstream British Muslims as the acts of Anders Breivik are to mainstream British Christians. If no effort is undertaken to relieve this situation, sadly many British Muslims will struggle to feel fully accepted and integrated within society.” | Bloom warns in the report: “Islamist extremism, Islamist-inspired terrorism, and the support of terrorist and extremist organisations … are as repulsive to mainstream British Muslims as the acts of Anders Breivik are to mainstream British Christians. If no effort is undertaken to relieve this situation, sadly many British Muslims will struggle to feel fully accepted and integrated within society.” |
| He adds: “During this review’s stakeholder engagement, many Muslims described, often poignantly, how society has made them feel stigmatised and somehow responsible for or secretly supportive of acts of Islamist terrorism. | He adds: “During this review’s stakeholder engagement, many Muslims described, often poignantly, how society has made them feel stigmatised and somehow responsible for or secretly supportive of acts of Islamist terrorism. |
| “This reviewer has reason to believe that this happens at all levels of society, including at the very top. Those in the political sphere are not immune from such stigmatisation, with baseless allegations of Islamist extremist sympathy and concerning anti-Muslim language not unheard of.” | “This reviewer has reason to believe that this happens at all levels of society, including at the very top. Those in the political sphere are not immune from such stigmatisation, with baseless allegations of Islamist extremist sympathy and concerning anti-Muslim language not unheard of.” |
| The language differs in tone from that of the recent review by William Shawcross of the government’s Prevent strategy, which warned: “The facts clearly demonstrate that the most lethal threat in the last 20 years has come from Islamism, and this threat continues.” | The language differs in tone from that of the recent review by William Shawcross of the government’s Prevent strategy, which warned: “The facts clearly demonstrate that the most lethal threat in the last 20 years has come from Islamism, and this threat continues.” |
| Bloom’s report contains 22 recommendations for ministers, including: | Bloom’s report contains 22 recommendations for ministers, including: |
| Giving every public servant, including doctors, teachers and police officers, mandatory religious training | Giving every public servant, including doctors, teachers and police officers, mandatory religious training |
| Regulating unregulated faith schools | Regulating unregulated faith schools |
| Introducing sharia-compliant student loans | Introducing sharia-compliant student loans |
| Conducting a review of radicalisation in prisons | Conducting a review of radicalisation in prisons |
| Launching a campaign to recruit more Muslim soldiers | Launching a campaign to recruit more Muslim soldiers |
| Cracking down on religiously motivated white supremacists | Cracking down on religiously motivated white supremacists |
| Investigating Sikh extremism | Investigating Sikh extremism |
| Using the online safety bill to crack down on material that promotes religious hatred | Using the online safety bill to crack down on material that promotes religious hatred |
| Funding a new programme to help people who are leaving coercive religious environments | Funding a new programme to help people who are leaving coercive religious environments |
| Reforming and properly resourcing the government’s forced marriage unit | Reforming and properly resourcing the government’s forced marriage unit |
| Giving every public servant, including doctors, teachers and police officers, mandatory religious training | Giving every public servant, including doctors, teachers and police officers, mandatory religious training |
| Regulating unregulated faith schools | Regulating unregulated faith schools |
| Introducing sharia-compliant student loans | Introducing sharia-compliant student loans |
| Conducting a review of radicalisation in prisons | Conducting a review of radicalisation in prisons |
| Launching a campaign to recruit more Muslim soldiers | Launching a campaign to recruit more Muslim soldiers |
| Cracking down on religiously motivated white supremacists | Cracking down on religiously motivated white supremacists |
| Investigating Sikh extremism | Investigating Sikh extremism |
| Using the online safety bill to crack down on material that promotes religious hatred | Using the online safety bill to crack down on material that promotes religious hatred |
| Funding a new programme to help people who are leaving coercive religious environments | Funding a new programme to help people who are leaving coercive religious environments |
| Reforming and properly resourcing the government’s forced marriage unit | Reforming and properly resourcing the government’s forced marriage unit |
| The government welcomed the report on Wednesday, though did not commit to implementing any of its recommendations. | The government welcomed the report on Wednesday, though did not commit to implementing any of its recommendations. |
| Lady Jane Scott, the faith minister, said in a statement: “I welcome this review and thank Colin for his work. We will carefully consider the recommendations and I’ll make it my mission to continue to work closely with those of all faiths.” | Lady Jane Scott, the faith minister, said in a statement: “I welcome this review and thank Colin for his work. We will carefully consider the recommendations and I’ll make it my mission to continue to work closely with those of all faiths.” |
| Some religious campaigners also welcomed its findings. Yehudis Fletcher, who founded a thinktank to campaign against Jewish extremism, said: “We strongly support the Bloom review recommendations in relation to schools, coercion within marriage, and faith-based extremism and exploitation.” | Some religious campaigners also welcomed its findings. Yehudis Fletcher, who founded a thinktank to campaign against Jewish extremism, said: “We strongly support the Bloom review recommendations in relation to schools, coercion within marriage, and faith-based extremism and exploitation.” |
| Sign up to First Edition | Sign up to First Edition |
| Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters | |
| after newsletter promotion | after newsletter promotion |
| Humanists UK welcomed Bloom’s “positive and thoughtful engagement”. But its chief executive, Andrew Copson, added: “The report puts religion and religious groups on a pedestal, set up for exclusive funding, consultation, and partnerships with government all overseen by a ‘Faith Champion’. These proposals aren’t merited, the public don’t want them, and they are based on a flawed analysis of our country.” | Humanists UK welcomed Bloom’s “positive and thoughtful engagement”. But its chief executive, Andrew Copson, added: “The report puts religion and religious groups on a pedestal, set up for exclusive funding, consultation, and partnerships with government all overseen by a ‘Faith Champion’. These proposals aren’t merited, the public don’t want them, and they are based on a flawed analysis of our country.” |
| The report was published on Wednesday, four years after it was first commissioned by the then prime minister, Boris Johnson. It runs to about 160 pages and 65,000 words, dealing with everything from the role of chaplains in prisons to the growing threat posed by Sikh and Hindu nationalists. | The report was published on Wednesday, four years after it was first commissioned by the then prime minister, Boris Johnson. It runs to about 160 pages and 65,000 words, dealing with everything from the role of chaplains in prisons to the growing threat posed by Sikh and Hindu nationalists. |
| On several occasions, Bloom highlights how Muslims are being marginalised by government policy, whether deliberately or not. He warns, for example, that 12,000 Muslims are being put off university every year because Islamic teaching says paying or receiving interest is a sin. | On several occasions, Bloom highlights how Muslims are being marginalised by government policy, whether deliberately or not. He warns, for example, that 12,000 Muslims are being put off university every year because Islamic teaching says paying or receiving interest is a sin. |
| The report says: “Given the strength of evidence, it is regrettable that little has been done recently to progress proposals for alternative student finance.” | The report says: “Given the strength of evidence, it is regrettable that little has been done recently to progress proposals for alternative student finance.” |
| Bloom also says the armed forces are failing to recruit enough people from Islamic backgrounds, pointing to data showing that Muslims make up 0.5% of British forces, as compared with 6.5% of the general population. | Bloom also says the armed forces are failing to recruit enough people from Islamic backgrounds, pointing to data showing that Muslims make up 0.5% of British forces, as compared with 6.5% of the general population. |
| The report highlights several other areas where Bloom argued that public servants have a poor understanding of religious communities. Police officers and NHS staff, for example, often mistake Sikhs for Muslims or serve halal meals to Hindus. | The report highlights several other areas where Bloom argued that public servants have a poor understanding of religious communities. Police officers and NHS staff, for example, often mistake Sikhs for Muslims or serve halal meals to Hindus. |
| But it also urges ministers to be bolder in tackling abusive practices within religious communities, whether stopping coercive marriages or regulating faith schools, which often slip under Ofsted’s radar. | But it also urges ministers to be bolder in tackling abusive practices within religious communities, whether stopping coercive marriages or regulating faith schools, which often slip under Ofsted’s radar. |