Difference between revisions of "CONTEST/Prevent"

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{{event
 
{{event
 
|type=police operation
 
|type=police operation
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|wikipedia=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CONTEST
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|image=CONTEST.jpg
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|constitutes=counter-terrorism
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|successors=Action Counters Terrorism
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|description=Part 2 of the UK's counter-terrorism strategy\
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|powerbase=http://powerbase.info/index.php/Prevent
 
}}
 
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The [[PREVENT]] programme is the second strand of the United Kingdom's counter-terrorism strategy known as [[CONTEST]]. PREVENT was formerly known as Preventing Violent Extremism. It is managed and funded by the [[Department for Communities and Local Government]], the [[Foreign Office]], the Police, the [[Home Office]] and its affiliates, such as the [[Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism]] and the [[Research, Information and Communications Unit]].
+
The '''PREVENT''' programme (formerly known as '''"Preventing [[Violent Extremism]]"''') is the second strand of the UK's "[[counter-terrorism]]" strategy known as [[CONTEST]] that was rolled out under the "[[war on terror]]". It is managed and funded by the [[Department for Communities and Local Government]], the [[Foreign Office]], the Police, the [[Home Office]] and its affiliates, such as the [[Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism]] and the [[Research, Information and Communications Unit]]. The program may be part of a government-sponsored [[strategy of tension]]. It has been widely criticised as unfair to [[Muslim]]s.<ref> Alan Travis, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jul/13/ministers-dismantle-programme-prevent-violent-extremism Ministers dismantle £60m programme to Prevent Violent Extremism], ''the Guardian'', 16 July 2010, accessed 11.08.10</ref><ref name="Dodd">Vikram Dodd, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/oct/16/anti-terrorism-strategy-spies-innocents Government Anti-Terrorism Strategy Spies on Innocent], ''The Guardian'' 16 October 2009, accessed 25.09.09</ref>
 
 
PREVENT has been awarded £140 million since its inception in 2006 till 2010-2011.<ref name="IRR">Arun Kundnani, [http://www.irr.org.uk/pdf2/spooked.pdf Spooked: How Not to Prevent Violent Extremism] ''Institute of Race Relations'', October 2009, p.11, accessed 25.09.09</ref>
 
 
 
The coalition government are currently reviewing the programme to see whether they will be dismantling it after a series of criticisms and condemnations from the Muslim community that PREVENT is a spying programme intent on collating intelligence on innocent Muslims because they are Muslim. <ref> Alan Travis, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jul/13/ministers-dismantle-programme-prevent-violent-extremism Ministers dismantle £60m programme to Prevent Violent Extremism], ''the Guardian'', 16 July 2010, accessed 11.08.10</ref><ref name="Dodd">Vikram Dodd, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/oct/16/anti-terrorism-strategy-spies-innocents Government Anti-Terrorism Strategy Spies on Innocent], ''The Guardian'' 16 October 2009, accessed 25.09.09</ref>
 
  
 
==Official narrative==
 
==Official narrative==
 +
{{FA|CONTEST/Prevent/Official narrative}}
 
The stated objective of PREVENT is to engage and work with Muslim communities to:<ref>[http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-publications/publication-search/prevent-strategy/preventing-violent-extremism?view=Binary Preventing Violent Extremism: A Strategy for Delivery] ''HM Government'', Date unknown, accessed 25.11.09</ref>  
 
The stated objective of PREVENT is to engage and work with Muslim communities to:<ref>[http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-publications/publication-search/prevent-strategy/preventing-violent-extremism?view=Binary Preventing Violent Extremism: A Strategy for Delivery] ''HM Government'', Date unknown, accessed 25.11.09</ref>  
 
 
* Undermine extremist voices and ideologies so that mainstream voices can speak for the majority of Muslims, who are peaceful and law-abiding citizens
 
* Undermine extremist voices and ideologies so that mainstream voices can speak for the majority of Muslims, who are peaceful and law-abiding citizens
 
* Disrupt those who promote violence as a methodology for change by strengthening moderate voices and their ability to counter the simplistic arguments and solutions to perceived and real grievances.  
 
* Disrupt those who promote violence as a methodology for change by strengthening moderate voices and their ability to counter the simplistic arguments and solutions to perceived and real grievances.  
* Work with law-enforcement agencies, communities and community leaders to help bring back individuals who may be showing signs of radicalisation and/or extremism through programmes such as the [[Channel Programme]]  
+
* Work with law-enforcement agencies, communities and community leaders to help bring back individuals who may be showing signs of [[radicalisation]] and/or [[extremism]] through programmes such as the [[Channel Programme]]  
* Strengthen the Muslim community as a whole to counter the ideas and beliefs of extremists
+
* Strengthen the [[Muslim]] community as a whole to counter the ideas and beliefs of extremists
 
* Address the grievances that extremists may use to justify their arguments and actions, such as the Iraq war.
 
* Address the grievances that extremists may use to justify their arguments and actions, such as the Iraq war.
  
Prevent's two supporting objectives, not so well publicised are:
+
Prevent has two supporting objectives:
*to develop supporting ''intelligence'', analysis and information, and
+
6. to develop supporting ''intelligence'', analysis and information, and
*improve ''[[Strategic Communications]]''<ref>[http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-publications/publication-search/contest/contest-strategy/contest-strategy-20092835.pdf?view=Binary Pursue, Prevent, Protect, Prepare: The United Kingdom's Strategy for Countering International Terrorism March 2009], ''HM  Government'', p.85, accessed 15.03.2010.</ref>
+
7. improve ''[[Strategic Communications]]''<ref>[http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-publications/publication-search/contest/contest-strategy/contest-strategy-20092835.pdf?view=Binary Pursue, Prevent, Protect, Prepare: The United Kingdom's Strategy for Countering International Terrorism March 2009], ''HM  Government'', p.85, accessed 15.03.2010.</ref>
 
 
==Police Objectives==
 
 
 
According to an [[ACPO]] [[Terrorism Allied Matters]] ''restricted'' document, the Police' role regarding the objectives of PREVENT are as follows:<ref>Association of Chief Police Officers (Terrorism Allied Matters) Business Area, [http://www.scribd.com/doc/35833660/ACPO-Police-Prevent-Strategy Police PREVENT Strategy - Partners Briefing], 'Restricted', 27 March 2008, This document is a restricted document and is not meant to be circulated outside the Local Strategic Partnership meeting, Version 1.7, accessed 12.08.10</ref>
 
[[Image:ACPO diagram.jpg|right|thumb|500px|ACPO diagram showing the place of the following elements of the Prevent strategy: [[Rich Picture]], [[Operation Delphinus]], [[Operation Nicole]], [[MAPPA]], [[Channel Project]] <ref>Association of Chief Police Officers (Terrorism Allied Matters) Business Area, [hhttp://www.scribd.com/doc/35833660/ACPO-Police-Prevent-Strategy Police PREVENT Strategy - Partners Briefing], 'Restricted', 27 March 2008, This document is a restricted document and is not meant to be circulated outside the Local Strategic Partnership meeting, Version 1.7, p. 11, accessed 12.08.10</ref>]]
 
 
 
===Undermining Extremist Ideology===
 
 
 
The Police aim to work toward undermining the extremist ideology and narrative so that the the pro-governmental narrative can have "greater prominence and credibility". They are trying to use this objective to "improve [their] knowledge of [Muslim] communities and how this community functions both in a social and religious context." The Police have made "considerable progress" in communicating with Muslim community groups, especially through "neighbourhood policing", which is supported by "Intelligence and Community Engagement". They aim to maximise "neighbourhood policing" for the purpose of "neighbourhood mapping", a process which includes "[c]ollecting a range of information about Muslim communities in order to enhance understanding of their needs and their dynamics to equip the police with the ability to target their activities and engagements more effectively.<ref>Association of Chief Police Officers (Terrorism Allied Matters) Business Area, [http://www.scribd.com/doc/35833660/ACPO-Police-Prevent-Strategy Police PREVENT Strategy - Partners Briefing], 'Restricted', 27 March 2008, This document is a restricted document and is not meant to be circulated outside the Local Strategic Partnership meeting, Version 1.7, p.4, accessed 12.08.10</ref>
 
 
 
===Disrupting Promoters of Violent Extremism===
 
 
 
The Police aim to disrupt those that promote and advocate violent extremism, whilst strengthening those institutions that are vulnerable to being taken over and/or controlled by extremists. Universities and Schools are where a substantial element of work regarding this matter is carried out, in conjunction with partner institutions, such as the [[Department for Universities, Innovation and Skills]] (DIUS) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). The Police aim to educate parents about what constitutes legal and illegal activity on the internet and aim to develop advice and guidance on internet usage related to violent extremism. They also aim to establish links with institutions such as Mosques, sports centres, youth clubs, gyms and bookshops to ensure that Muslim youth's are not recruited to the ideology of violent extremism. This is accompanied by work which is done in prisons The police share information with [[MI5]], [[MI6]] and relevant governmental departments on "key individuals".<ref>Association of Chief Police Officers (Terrorism Allied Matters) Business Area, [http://www.scribd.com/doc/35833660/ACPO-Police-Prevent-Strategy Police PREVENT Strategy - Partners Briefing], 'Restricted', 27 March 2008, This document is a restricted document and is not meant to be circulated outside the Local Strategic Partnership meeting, Version 1.7, p.5, accessed 12.08.10</ref>
 
 
 
===Supporting Individuals that are Vulnerable to Radicalisation===
 
 
 
The Police aim to create "mechanisms" for supporting people they consider vulnerable to radicalisation "to see and follow positive and compelling alternatives to violent extremist activity." The Police aim to develop strong links with communities, local authorities, Youth Offending Teams, Schools and Colleges. One of the major mechanisms for Police interventions is the [[Channel Project]], which "takes referrals from a number of sources on individuals of concern who are exhibiting behaviours indicating a vulnerability or identification with extremism ideologies ... A programme of intervention tailored to the needs of the individual is then developed and implemented with regular reviews of progress".<ref>[[Association of Chief Police Officers]] (Terrorism Allied Matters) Business Area, [http://www.scribd.com/doc/35833660/ACPO-Police-Prevent-Strategy Police PREVENT Strategy - Partners Briefing], 'Restricted', 27 March 2008, This document is a restricted document and is not meant to be circulated outside the Local Strategic Partnership meeting, Version 1.7, p.6, accessed 12.08.10</ref>
 
 
 
===Increasing the Resilience of Communities to Resist Violent Extremists===
 
 
 
Neighbourhood Policing teams aim to work within communities to help those communities build support and the resilience required to challenge the ideology of violent extremists. One of the reasons for the community mapping is to assist local police officers to identify 'at-risk' Muslim communities who should have activity focused around them. The police aim to provide help to vulnerable communities by establishing partnerships and sharing intelligence with vulnerable communities and vulnerable institutions.<ref>Association of Chief Police Officers (Terrorism Allied Matters) Business Area, [http://www.scribd.com/doc/35833660/ACPO-Police-Prevent-Strategy Police PREVENT Strategy - Partners Briefing], 'Restricted', 27 March 2008, This document is a restricted document and is not meant to be circulated outside the Local Strategic Partnership meeting, Version 1.7, p.6, accessed 12.08.10</ref>
 
 
 
===Effectively Addressing Grievances===
 
 
 
The Police aim to train officers working within Muslim communities to understand, work and engage with them to ensure that their grievances can be addressed. This training will not only rely on specifically designed programmes but also on neighbourhood mapping. The Police also established the [[Operation Nicole]] excercise to allow the Muslim community to "engage in discussions about terrorism ... in a safe environment".<ref>Association of Chief Police Officers (Terrorism Allied Matters) Business Area, [http://www.scribd.com/doc/35833660/ACPO-Police-Prevent-Strategy Police PREVENT Strategy - Partners Briefing], 'Restricted', 27 March 2008, This document is a restricted document and is not meant to be circulated outside the Local Strategic Partnership meeting, Version 1.7, p.7, accessed 12.08.10</ref>
 
 
 
===Developing PREVENT related Intelligence, Analysis and Research===
 
 
 
The police aim to develop intelligence, research and information so they can develop understanding about the factors that radicalise individuals.
 
 
 
The purpose of this objective is to ensure the police can establish mechanisms to ensure that intelligence on the Muslim community is acquired and a [[Rich Picture]] understanding is generated. This is subsequently used by the police to identify Muslims that need attention and require [[Channel Project|interventions]].
 
 
 
The responsibility of developing [[community intelligence]] falls to [[Counter Terrorism Intelligence Officers]], who aim to communicate with different elements/institutions in their command areas for the sake of raising “awareness of potential terrorist material [and] development of the [[Rich Picture]]. This intelligence assists the development of [[Operation Delphinus]], the police operation which assigns different counter-terrorism tasks to local partners. <ref>Association of Chief Police Officers (Terrorism Allied Matters) Business Area, [http://www.scribd.com/doc/35833660/ACPO-Police-Prevent-Strategy Police PREVENT Strategy - Partners Briefing], 'Restricted', 27 March 2008, This document is a restricted document and is not meant to be circulated outside the Local Strategic Partnership meeting, Version 1.7, p.8, accessed 12.08.10</ref>
 
 
 
'''Objective 7: Strategic Communications.'''
 
 
 
The police aim to ensure that their communications are inclusive and appropriate in a bid to reinforce the pro-governmental narrative, whilst simultaneously undermining the terrorist narrative. The police have developed good links with the governmental propaganda unit - the [[RICU|Research, Information and Communications Unit]] (RICU), which is an offshoot of the [[OSCT]] and the [[Home Office]]. <ref>Association of Chief Police Officers (Terrorism Allied Matters) Business Area, [http://www.scribd.com/doc/35833660/ACPO-Police-Prevent-Strategy Police PREVENT Strategy - Partners Briefing], 'Restricted', 27 March 2008, This document is a restricted document and is not meant to be circulated outside the Local Strategic Partnership meeting, Version 1.7, p.8, accessed 12.08.10</ref>
 
 
 
==Uncertain Objectives==
 
  
 +
=== Activities===
 
According to the 2008 [[Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund]] report published by the [[DCLG]], the DCLG mapped a total of 261 PREVENT projects in 2007/08 for nine English regions and stated that that:  
 
According to the 2008 [[Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund]] report published by the [[DCLG]], the DCLG mapped a total of 261 PREVENT projects in 2007/08 for nine English regions and stated that that:  
  
<blockquote style="background-color:ivory;border:1pt solid Darkgoldenrod;padding:1%;font-size:10pt">"Over two-fifths of all projects across England sought to challenge the violent extremist ideology/support mainstream voices (Objective 1) and develop understanding, analysis and evaluation (Objective 6)." <ref name="DCLG">Department of Communities and Local Government, [http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/1092863.pdf Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund: Mapping of project activities 2007/2008], December 2008, p.47 accessed 17.03.10</ref></blockquote>
+
{{QB|Over two-fifths of all projects across England sought to challenge the violent extremist ideology/support mainstream voices (Objective 1) and develop understanding, analysis and evaluation (Objective 6)." <ref name="DCLG">Department of Communities and Local Government, [http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/1092863.pdf Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund: Mapping of project activities 2007/2008], December 2008, p.47 accessed 17.03.10</ref>}}
  
 
[[Image:Figure 5 - No. of Projects Addressing Prevent Objectives.jpg|400px|right|thumb|Table 1: This graph shows the number of [[PVE]] Pathfinder Projects that were focused on either of the 7 objectives of Prevent<ref name="DCLG"/>]]
 
[[Image:Figure 5 - No. of Projects Addressing Prevent Objectives.jpg|400px|right|thumb|Table 1: This graph shows the number of [[PVE]] Pathfinder Projects that were focused on either of the 7 objectives of Prevent<ref name="DCLG"/>]]
 
According to the wording of the official British counter-terrorism Strategy - [[CONTEST]], the purpose of '''Objective 6''' is <blockquote style="background-color:ivory;border:1pt solid Darkgoldenrod;padding:1%;font-size:10pt">"...to: '''develop supporting intelligence, analysis and information..."'''.<ref>[http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-publications/publication-search/general/HO_Contest_strategy.pdf?view=Binary Pursue, Prevent, Protect, Prepare: The United Kingdom's Strategy for Countering International Terrorism], ''HM Government'' March 2009, p.14, accessed 17.03.10</ref></blockquote>
 
 
   
 
   
 
In the South West of England, all the projects that were carried out under the [[Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund]] were categorised by the DCLG Report as assisting in the the delivery of "Objective 6" - '''collection of intelligence and information.'''<ref name="DCLG"/>
 
In the South West of England, all the projects that were carried out under the [[Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund]] were categorised by the DCLG Report as assisting in the the delivery of "Objective 6" - '''collection of intelligence and information.'''<ref name="DCLG"/>
 +
 +
In 2015, [[Staffordshire University]] apologised to ([[Muslim]]) "[[counter-terrorism]]" [[student]] Mohammed Umar Farooq. He had been accused of being a "[[terrorist]]" after a University official had spotted him reading a textbook entitled "Terrorism Studies" in the college library.<ref>http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/sep/24/student-accused-being-terrorist-reading-book-terrorism</ref>
  
 
==Criticisms==
 
==Criticisms==
 +
[[image:PREVENT Extinction Rebellion.jpg|left|444px|thumb|Although acknowledging [[Extinction Rebellion]]'s commitment the [[non-violence]], the group was nevertheless being targetted under the Prevent strategy.]]
 +
The Prevent strategy has been called “widely unpopular” and “deeply controversial”.<ref>http://projectcensored.org/14-fbis-new-plan-spy-high-school-students-across-country/</ref> In 2015, hundreds of academics sent an open letter to ''[[The Independent]]'' that claimed that Prevent "leads [[Muslims]] who grow beards to be labelled as [[terrorists]] and could be used to clamp down on anti-austerity and environmental campaigners" and that it "serves to reinforce a prejudicial world view which perceives Islam to be a retrograde and oppressive [[religion]] that threatens the West. Prevent reinforces an ‘us’ and ‘them’ view of the world, divides communities, and sows mistrust of Muslims."<ref>http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/government-deradicalisation-plan-will-brand-muslims-with-beards-as-terrorists-say-academics-10381796.html</ref> In the same year a paper in the ''[[Journalism of Terrorism Research]]'', published by [[St. Andrews University]]’s [[Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence]] noted that “It remains exceedingly difficult to gauge the real success of Prevent.”<ref>https://medium.com/insurge-intelligence/the-astonishingly-crap-science-of-counter-extremism-65810f8ac8e6</ref>
  
In 2015, hundreds of academics sent an open letter to The Independent that claimed that Prevent "leads Muslims who grow beards to be labelled as terrorists and could be used to clamp down on anti-austerity and environmental campaigners" and that it "serves to reinforce a prejudicial world view which perceives Islam to be a retrograde and oppressive religion that threatens the West. Prevent reinforces an ‘us’ and ‘them’ view of the world, divides communities, and sows mistrust of Muslims.".<ref>http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/government-deradicalisation-plan-will-brand-muslims-with-beards-as-terrorists-say-academics-10381796.html</ref>
+
In October 2009, ''[[The Guardian]]'' reported that PREVENT was being used "to gather intelligence" on Muslims individuals "political and religious views, information on mental health, sexual activity and associates, and other sensitive information" even though they had never had any "involvement in terrorism".<ref name="Dodd"/> The Director of [[Liberty]], [[Shami Chakrabarti]], "branded [PREVENT] as the biggest spying programme in Britain ... and an affront to [[civil liberties]]". <ref name="Dodd"/> The Director of the [[Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism]] - [[Charles Farr]] replied that "For the avoidance of doubt, [[mass surveillance|surveillance]] is not part of the Prevent programme and intelligence gathering is not a feature of the Prevent programme. It does not say so in the strategy and does not say so in our guidance documents. What we have said is what you get."<ref>Question 371 by Andy Slaughter to Mr Charles Farr, Preventing Violent Extremism, Sixth Report of Session 2009-10, ''Communities and Local Government Committee'', Ev.76, 19 January 2010, accessed 24.04.10</ref>
  
In October 2009, ''[[The Guardian]]'' reported that PREVENT was being used "to gather intelligence" on Muslims individuals "political and religious views, information on mental health, sexual activity and associates, and other sensitive information" even though they had never had any "involvement in terrorism".<ref name="Dodd"/> The Director of [[Liberty]], [[Shami Chakrabarti]], "branded [PREVENT] as the biggest spying programme in Britain ... and an affront to [[civil liberties]]". <ref name="Dodd"/> The Director of the [[Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism]] - [[Charles Farr]] replied that "For the avoidance of doubt, [[mass surveillance|surveillance]] is not part of the Prevent programme and intelligence gathering is not a feature of the Prevent programme. It does not say so in the strategy and does not say so in our guidance documents. What we have said is what you get."<ref>Question 371 by Andy Slaughter to Mr Charles Farr, Preventing Violent Extremism, Sixth Report of Session 2009-10, ''Communities and Local Government Committee'', Ev.76, 19 January 2010, accessed 24.04.10</ref>
+
According to the [[Institute of Race Relations]], the problem with "the PREVENT programme, in effect, is that it constructs the Muslim population as a suspect community, fosters social divisions among Muslims themselves and between Muslims and others, encourages tokenism, facilitates violations of privacy and professional norms of confidentiality, discourages local democracy and is counter-productive in reducing the risk of political violence.<ref name="IRR"/>
  
According to the Institute of Race Relations, the problem with "the PREVENT programme, in effect, is that it constructs the Muslim population as a suspect community, fosters social divisions among Muslims themselves and between Muslims and others, encourages tokenism, facilitates violations of privacy and professional norms of confidentiality, discourages local democracy and is counter-productive in reducing the risk of political violence.<ref name="IRR"/>
+
In [[2023]], Prevent flagged interest in several works of fiction, including books, films, and television shows, as signs of [[far-right extremism]]. It said that comedies like ''The Thick Of It'' and [[Yes Minister]] and even The Complete Works of [[William Shakespeare]] are "key texts" for "white nationalists/supremacists"  and were being shared in the far-right corners of [[the internet]].<ref>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11764775/Yes-Minister-flagged-beleaguered-counter-terror-Prevent-scheme.html</ref>
  
 
==Support==
 
==Support==
 
The [[Quilliam Foundation]] has publicly supported the programme, arguing in favour of mass surveillance that it was "morally right to give law enforcement agencies the best chance of stopping terrorists before they strike".<ref name="Dodd"/>
 
The [[Quilliam Foundation]] has publicly supported the programme, arguing in favour of mass surveillance that it was "morally right to give law enforcement agencies the best chance of stopping terrorists before they strike".<ref name="Dodd"/>
 
==In practice==
 
In 2015, Staffordshire University apologised to ([[Muslim]]) counter-terrorism student Mohammed Umar Farooq. He had been accused of being a terrorist after a University official had spotted him reading a textbook entitled "Terrorism Studies" in the college library.<ref>http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/sep/24/student-accused-being-terrorist-reading-book-terrorism</ref>
 
  
 
==Funding==  
 
==Funding==  
The following are the funding streams of Preventing Violent Extremism:  
+
{{FA|CONTEST/Prevent/Funding}}
 +
PREVENT was awarded £140 million since its inception in 2006 till 2010-2011.<ref name="IRR">Arun Kundnani, [http://www.irr.org.uk/pdf2/spooked.pdf Spooked: How Not to Prevent Violent Extremism] ''Institute of Race Relations'', October 2009, p.11, accessed 25.09.09</ref> The following are the funding streams of Preventing Violent Extremism:  
 
* [[Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund]]  
 
* [[Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund]]  
 
* [[Community Leadership Fund]]  
 
* [[Community Leadership Fund]]  
 
* [[Challenge and Innovation Fund]]
 
* [[Challenge and Innovation Fund]]
 
* [[Preventing Extremism Together]]
 
* [[Preventing Extremism Together]]
 +
 +
==Response==
 +
In 2017, [[Dean Haydon]], as [[Counter Terrorism Commander]], rejected criticism of Prevent: {{SMWQ
 +
|subjects=CONTEST/Prevent, mass surveillance
 +
|text=I hear criticism but I absolutely don't accept it. [[CONTEST/Prevent|Prevent]] is not about [[spying]] on communities. It's about safeguarding.
 +
|date=2017
 +
|source_name=BBC
 +
|format=inline
 +
|source_URL=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40845911
 +
}} He claimed that "It's a fantastic tool and it's here to stay."<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40845911</ref> However, an alternative branding, [[Action Counters Terrorism|ACT]] was launched in March 2017.
  
 
==See Also==
 
==See Also==
 
*[[CONTEST]] 
 
 
*[[Community Intelligence]]
 
*[[Community Intelligence]]
*[[Counter-Terrorism Timeline]] 
 
 
*[[Scottish Preventing Violent Extremism Unit]]  
 
*[[Scottish Preventing Violent Extremism Unit]]  
 
*[[Project Rich Picture]]  
 
*[[Project Rich Picture]]  
*[[Prevent Funding]]
 
 
{{SMWDocs}}
 
{{SMWDocs}}
 +
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
 
[[Category:UK]][[Category:Counter-Terrorism]]
 
[[Category:UK]][[Category:Counter-Terrorism]]

Latest revision as of 23:06, 18 February 2023

Event.png CONTEST/Prevent (“counter-terrorism”)  PowerbaseRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
CONTEST.jpg
Type police operation
SubpageCONTEST/Prevent/Funding
CONTEST/Prevent/Official narrative
CONTEST/Prevent/Pathfinder Fund
DescriptionPart 2 of the UK's counter-terrorism strategy\

The PREVENT programme (formerly known as "Preventing Violent Extremism") is the second strand of the UK's "counter-terrorism" strategy known as CONTEST that was rolled out under the "war on terror". It is managed and funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Foreign Office, the Police, the Home Office and its affiliates, such as the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism and the Research, Information and Communications Unit. The program may be part of a government-sponsored strategy of tension. It has been widely criticised as unfair to Muslims.[1][2]

Official narrative

Full article: CONTEST/Prevent/Official narrative

The stated objective of PREVENT is to engage and work with Muslim communities to:[3]

  • Undermine extremist voices and ideologies so that mainstream voices can speak for the majority of Muslims, who are peaceful and law-abiding citizens
  • Disrupt those who promote violence as a methodology for change by strengthening moderate voices and their ability to counter the simplistic arguments and solutions to perceived and real grievances.
  • Work with law-enforcement agencies, communities and community leaders to help bring back individuals who may be showing signs of radicalisation and/or extremism through programmes such as the Channel Programme
  • Strengthen the Muslim community as a whole to counter the ideas and beliefs of extremists
  • Address the grievances that extremists may use to justify their arguments and actions, such as the Iraq war.

Prevent has two supporting objectives: 6. to develop supporting intelligence, analysis and information, and 7. improve Strategic Communications[4]

Activities

According to the 2008 Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund report published by the DCLG, the DCLG mapped a total of 261 PREVENT projects in 2007/08 for nine English regions and stated that that:


Over two-fifths of all projects across England sought to challenge the violent extremist ideology/support mainstream voices (Objective 1) and develop understanding, analysis and evaluation (Objective 6)." [5]

Table 1: This graph shows the number of PVE Pathfinder Projects that were focused on either of the 7 objectives of Prevent[5]

In the South West of England, all the projects that were carried out under the Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund were categorised by the DCLG Report as assisting in the the delivery of "Objective 6" - collection of intelligence and information.[5]

In 2015, Staffordshire University apologised to (Muslim) "counter-terrorism" student Mohammed Umar Farooq. He had been accused of being a "terrorist" after a University official had spotted him reading a textbook entitled "Terrorism Studies" in the college library.[6]

Criticisms

Although acknowledging Extinction Rebellion's commitment the non-violence, the group was nevertheless being targetted under the Prevent strategy.

The Prevent strategy has been called “widely unpopular” and “deeply controversial”.[7] In 2015, hundreds of academics sent an open letter to The Independent that claimed that Prevent "leads Muslims who grow beards to be labelled as terrorists and could be used to clamp down on anti-austerity and environmental campaigners" and that it "serves to reinforce a prejudicial world view which perceives Islam to be a retrograde and oppressive religion that threatens the West. Prevent reinforces an ‘us’ and ‘them’ view of the world, divides communities, and sows mistrust of Muslims."[8] In the same year a paper in the Journalism of Terrorism Research, published by St. Andrews University’s Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence noted that “It remains exceedingly difficult to gauge the real success of Prevent.”[9]

In October 2009, The Guardian reported that PREVENT was being used "to gather intelligence" on Muslims individuals "political and religious views, information on mental health, sexual activity and associates, and other sensitive information" even though they had never had any "involvement in terrorism".[2] The Director of Liberty, Shami Chakrabarti, "branded [PREVENT] as the biggest spying programme in Britain ... and an affront to civil liberties". [2] The Director of the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism - Charles Farr replied that "For the avoidance of doubt, surveillance is not part of the Prevent programme and intelligence gathering is not a feature of the Prevent programme. It does not say so in the strategy and does not say so in our guidance documents. What we have said is what you get."[10]

According to the Institute of Race Relations, the problem with "the PREVENT programme, in effect, is that it constructs the Muslim population as a suspect community, fosters social divisions among Muslims themselves and between Muslims and others, encourages tokenism, facilitates violations of privacy and professional norms of confidentiality, discourages local democracy and is counter-productive in reducing the risk of political violence.[11]

In 2023, Prevent flagged interest in several works of fiction, including books, films, and television shows, as signs of far-right extremism. It said that comedies like The Thick Of It and Yes Minister and even The Complete Works of William Shakespeare are "key texts" for "white nationalists/supremacists" and were being shared in the far-right corners of the internet.[12]

Support

The Quilliam Foundation has publicly supported the programme, arguing in favour of mass surveillance that it was "morally right to give law enforcement agencies the best chance of stopping terrorists before they strike".[2]

Funding

Full article: CONTEST/Prevent/Funding

PREVENT was awarded £140 million since its inception in 2006 till 2010-2011.[11] The following are the funding streams of Preventing Violent Extremism:

Response

In 2017, Dean Haydon, as Counter Terrorism Commander, rejected criticism of Prevent: “I hear criticism but I absolutely don't accept it. Prevent is not about spying on communities. It's about safeguarding.” [13] He claimed that "It's a fantastic tool and it's here to stay."[14] However, an alternative branding, ACT was launched in March 2017.

See Also

 

Related Documents

TitleTypePublication dateAuthor(s)Description
Document:The Astonishingly Crap Science of 'Counter-Extremism'webpage17 March 2016Nafeez Mosaddeq AhmedAn expose of the crass lack of any valid scientific basis of government strategies to fight radicalisation. Nafeez Ahmed agrues that the "most academically accurate concept to capture this absurd level of crappiness is ‘bullshit’".
Document:Unthinking extremism - Radicalising narratives that legitimise surveillancepaper26 October 2015Ben Harbisher
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References

  1. Alan Travis, Ministers dismantle £60m programme to Prevent Violent Extremism, the Guardian, 16 July 2010, accessed 11.08.10
  2. a b c d Vikram Dodd, Government Anti-Terrorism Strategy Spies on Innocent, The Guardian 16 October 2009, accessed 25.09.09
  3. Preventing Violent Extremism: A Strategy for Delivery HM Government, Date unknown, accessed 25.11.09
  4. Pursue, Prevent, Protect, Prepare: The United Kingdom's Strategy for Countering International Terrorism March 2009, HM Government, p.85, accessed 15.03.2010.
  5. a b c Department of Communities and Local Government, Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund: Mapping of project activities 2007/2008, December 2008, p.47 accessed 17.03.10
  6. http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/sep/24/student-accused-being-terrorist-reading-book-terrorism
  7. http://projectcensored.org/14-fbis-new-plan-spy-high-school-students-across-country/
  8. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/government-deradicalisation-plan-will-brand-muslims-with-beards-as-terrorists-say-academics-10381796.html
  9. https://medium.com/insurge-intelligence/the-astonishingly-crap-science-of-counter-extremism-65810f8ac8e6
  10. Question 371 by Andy Slaughter to Mr Charles Farr, Preventing Violent Extremism, Sixth Report of Session 2009-10, Communities and Local Government Committee, Ev.76, 19 January 2010, accessed 24.04.10
  11. a b Arun Kundnani, Spooked: How Not to Prevent Violent Extremism Institute of Race Relations, October 2009, p.11, accessed 25.09.09
  12. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11764775/Yes-Minister-flagged-beleaguered-counter-terror-Prevent-scheme.html
  13. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40845911 BBC , 2017
  14. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40845911