British government’s new counter-extremism strategy draws criticism from Muslim civic leaders

• PM David Cameron and Home Secretary Teresa May released the UK’s new counter-extremism strategy, with measures including studying discrepancies between Sharia and British law, new broadcast regulations, increased movement restrictions on suspected extremists, and pressuring internet service providers to remove extremist material.
• The strategy also involves a wide-scale review of the public, non-profit, and for-profit sectors to suss out “infiltrators” who attempt to gain access to platforms to disseminate extremist ideologies.
• While officials allege the new measures target all forms of extremism, Muslim civil groups including the Muslim Council of Britain criticized them as poorly formulated and discriminatory, arguing they alienate the Muslim community and tip over into “McCarthyist” territory.

Read more:
“Counter-extremism: May targets ‘all those who spread hate’” (BBC)
“Government launches hunt for extremists across public sector” (The Guardian)
“Muslims condemn Britain’s plans to combat extremism” (Reuters)
“‘One Nation Counter-Extremism Strategy’ Risks Further Undermining Fight Against Terrorism” (Muslim Council of Britain)

(Image Credit: Luke MacGregor/Reuters)