Premiered on

30 Apr

2024

Guests

Mohamed Hassan
The Big Picture Podcast

Is the definition of ‘extremism’ out of date? In March, the UK government announced it was re-defining what it describes as “extremism”, citing a rise in both “Islamism and Nazism” in British society. It was announced in parliament by Communities State Secretary Michael Gove - aiming to “counter extremism and religious hatred” which he says has been on a steady rise in recent years, and especially since October 7 - when the events in Israel and Gaza triggered months of mass protests in London and other cities around the world.

Gove has been deeply influential in shaping the UK’s counter-terror policies over the last two decades, and has long argued that Western governments are far too accommodating to Islamism and political Islam.

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He now believes the existing state mechanisms for tackling extremism aren’t going far enough - and that groups who are operating lawfully, but who are “seeking to replace our democracy with an Islamist and Nazi society respectively” need to be isolated and controlled.

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So who is he talking about? Well, he’s already name dropped a few groups in parliament - CAGE, MEND and the Muslim Association of Britain - all British Muslim organisations.

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The new definition, which has not yet been defined legally, has been slammed by community groups of all backgrounds. Some say it’s a lazy front to go after the Gaza protest movement. Others say it will have chilling effects on free speech and religious freedom in the UK.

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This week on the Big Picture, we speak to Anas Altikriti - a founder of the Muslim Association of Britain, and one of its former presidents. He now heads the Cordoba Foundation - a think tank that aims to "bridge the gap of understanding between the Muslim World and the West".

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Altikriti responds to this new definition of extremism, why his own organisation was singled out, and what it means for British Muslim life in the future.

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