An SNP MP has urged the Home Office to refocus a domestic counter-terror programme to take in anti-vaxxers, incels and followers of the Trump-supporting Q-anon conspiracy theory.

The following report is by The Herald:

Kirsten Oswald said the Prevent programme was too preoccupied with a possible Islamist threat and risked stigmatizing and marginalizing Muslim communities.

She was speaking as Home Secretary Suella Braverman promised a “major reform” of the scheme following a long-awaited and damning report.

Initially ordered by former home secretary Priti Patel in 2019, the analysis of Prevent by ex-Charity Commission chairman William Shawcross said it was “out of kilter with the rest of the counter-terrorism system, and the UK terrorism threat picture.”

The report said terrorism was wrongly treated as a mental illness and there was a “failure” by those working on Prevent to properly understand the nature of ideology in Islamist radicalization which risks “several potentially serious consequences”, he said.

He called for an overhaul and made 34 recommendations.

He also criticized the Scottish Government for taking its own approach to the strategy, urging them to align more closely with how the system operates in England and Wales. 

While Prevent is part of the UK Government’s Home Office-run counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, much of the responsibility for delivery lies with Police Scotland and the Scottish Government.

It aims to “tackle the causes of radicalization” via early intervention and through giving “those who have already engaged in terrorism” a means of getting out. 

Under the scheme, teachers, healthcare professionals, social workers, and others, are all tasked with directing someone they believe is at risk of radicalisation to Prevent.

It operates slightly differently north of the border, in part because of a different “threat picture” with a smaller Islamist and extreme right-wing threat but higher levels of sectarianism and Northern Ireland related terrorism, but also because of a Scottish Government focus on community engagement. 

Unlike in England, there are no programmes that tackle the ideological causes of terrorism, but rather the priority is on ‘drivers’ of radicalisation, such as poverty and mental health. 

Prevent in the rest of the UK has often been criticized for unfairly targeting Muslim communities. 

However, in his report, Mr Shawcross said not enough was being done to tackle “non-violent Islamist extremism.” 

He wrote: 

A more cohesive, fair, and liberal society is well worth striving for. However, the revolutionary intent of terrorists, and their hatred of a liberal society, means that even an extremely well-integrated and cohesive society would not be immune from the threat of terrorism.

Equally, tackling radicalization through focusing on ‘push’ factors and a range of social ills is an imperfect model for Prevent delivery, as it inevitably de-emphasizes the appeal and attraction of socio-political ideologies.

Mr Shawcross also expressed concern over the lack of oversight and support in education, bemoaning that Scotland does not have a dedicated officer for dealing with students.

This comes despite serious concerns about the invitation of extremist speakers by Scottish university Societies.

He said

The resort author called on the Scottish Government to “look to restructure Prevent in line with the regionalization model outlined for the wider UK in this report.” 

This would include a dedicated Prevent lead, HE/FE regional co-ordinator and the commission of Prevent funded projects that tackle the ideological causes of terrorism, not social cohesion and integration.

Mr Shawcross also called on Police Scotland to develop regular and frequent local Prevent specific risk assessments.

In the Commons, Home Secretary Suella Braveman told MPs the scheme needed to focus “on security, not political correctness.”

Ms Oswald welcomed the publication of the review but said “there do remain questions about the focus of what we see.” 

She told MPs:

For instance, we need to see this report in the context of the Met’s head of counterterrorism pointing out that three in four advanced terror plots disrupted in 2021, actually involved right-wing extremists and 41% of counterterrorism arrests in 2021 were of extreme right-wing suspects.

[It would] be wrong and indeed damaging to stigmatize or marginalize Muslim communities, and that the risks posed by ideologies such as right-wing extremism, and antisemitism, as well as Islamic extremism, must all remain central to any UK counter-terror strategy.

I also wonder if she feels a shift in focus is needed to take into account more recent forms of extremism that have emerged since the report was commissioned, things like the QAnon ideology imported from the United States or incels or the anti-vax movement that sprung up during the pandemic.

Incels are “involuntarily celibates” who are unable to find romantic or sexual partners and often express anger and frustration towards society and women. There have been a number of incel related terror attacks in recent years.

The SNP MP also urged Ms Braverman to protect Scotland’s “specific approach” to the Prevent strategy. 

Ms Braverman said:

Well, I don’t agree with the honorable lady’s characterization that this is unfairly stigmatizing Muslims, I’ve been clear that the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful and law-abiding. 

What we are talking about here is a minority of Islamist extremists, and we mustn’t shy away from calling out their unacceptable behavior.

Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie said:

We will examine the report carefully in consultation with our national partners.

Our officers are focused on protecting our communities and working in partnership to deliver the Prevent Strategy to identify and support those who may be vulnerable to radicalization.


AUTHOR COMMENTARY

He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.

Proverbs 11:12

Ah yes, those incels and anti-vaxxers, how terrible they are?! Lock ’em up for life!

This is the same Scotland that said they were not going to be posting their Covid metrics and vaccine data, because so-called “anti-vaxxers” would surely skew the numbers, they claimed.

Or remember Scottish police were literally beating-up and arresting citizens for supposedly breaking Covid quarantine and lockdown rules? But those cops aren’t terrors threats, right?

But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.

Jeremiah 22:17

SEE: Scotland To Pilot National Digital Identity System In Early 2023

Scotland Cutdown 14 Million Trees To For 21 Wind Turbine Projects


[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).

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4 Comments

  • I hope the Atlantic Ocean keeps giving us a natural immunity from the daft leaders running the show in Scotland.

  • Vaccine fanboyisim must end. Without that fanboyism, vaccine companies would be forced to make working and safe products or be shut down permanently and exposed as the scam artist they are. But the Vaxxer-fanboys are much much too hardheaded to listen to reason most of the time.

    You do thankfully have fanboys who break out of the stupor, albeit unfortunately only when they have a child or loved one who either dies or becomes impaired over a vaccine injection. Though even then in that very situation some people are too determined to defend their pet doctrine and false religion of vaccination to see the truth of what happen.

    And unfortunately this vaccine fanboyisim, this religious, fanatical worship of vaccination, it is providing the depopulationist with a near perfect cover and method for meeting their devilish goals.

  • Stupid left wing looney. Islam is another threat to humanity and its on the rise as foretold in the Bible

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