Counter extremism tsar says religious and far-right extremism pose serious threats

LONDON: Britain’s Pakistani origin counter-extremism commissioner Sara Khan has said that religious-motivated extremism within the Muslim communities is a serious issue and it will be dealt at any cost to make Muslim communities safe and secure.

In an interview here coinciding with the launch of an evidence gathering programme with the aim of producing an in-depth report on how to confront all forms of extremism from all communities, Sara Khan explained the role of the Commission for Countering Extremism (CCE) to deal with the problem of extremism within the communities and the far-right threat.

The British Pakistani campaigner, who was appointed this year in January in her role by the Home Office, said she has been vilified for speaking out against extremism and terrorism but it was her resolve to continue highlighting the threats that exist and why its important to deal with these challenges.

The counter-extremism commissioner told this reporter that the CCE, which she now leads, was set up after five incidents of terrorism last year.

She said the commission has been set up to “build our understanding of extremism and to look at the harm it has caused”.

She said: “We are engaged in an intensive evidence gathering drive because we want to produce a comprehensive study helping us to understand the scale of extremism in our country and the harm its causing to the communities, to our families, to young people, to our society, to understand the tactics of extremists and to look at what should be the response of counter extremism experts. Are we doing enough to counter extremist threat? We are embarking on a study to determine all of this and its findings will be published next year.”

Since January, Sara Khan has visited 10 towns and cities and spoken to 300 experts, women groups, youth and faith leaders in her quest to understand the problem.

“Everywhere I went to the communities are concerned about extremism, on the one hand they talk about far-right extremism and extremists as mosques have been attacked, there has been a rise in hate crimes and also there has been Islamist extremism within our communities as well and the challenge that it brings. I have been speaking to mothers who have been telling us that their children are being groomed into extremism and that they have been targeted and being drawn into it. These are the challenges that we have to look at, we have to look at how we can protect women rights, how we can protect human rights, this is where extremist threaten, they don’t believe in diversity and pluralism. I want to help people and help communities to challenge extremism and do more to support those who are challenging it and we know that Muslims in this country are diverse. I have spoken to members of Hindu and Sikh communities, I am very keen to look at all forms of extremism because that way we can come together collectively to challenge all forms of extremisms,” explained the commissioner.

After her appointment in January, Sara Khan faced immediate calls to quit from some Muslim groups and politicians because of her support for the Home Office's Prevent counter-terrorism strategy but Sara Khan said that she will continue and will not be bothered by the politics around the issue.

She said that there are two sets of people who were worried about her appointment; those who were concerned about the commission and its mission and those who are scared of the agenda of the counter extremism commission.

“I had a very constructive meeting with Sayeeda Warsi and with the free speech alliance. These meetings were constructive and useful. Then there are those people who are scared of the agenda against extremism. It’s for sure that I will be actively exposing and highlighting extremism,” said Sara Khan.

The Home Office says that Sara Khan brings with her “a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Commission which will prove vital as it works to identify and challenge extremism and provide independent advice to the government”.