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Memorandum from Insted Consultancy,
Summary of key points
o This submission is in particular about the educational strand of the Prevent programme.
o The educational objectives set out in the DCSF toolkit for schools, Learning Together to be Safe, are unexceptionable at the level of abstract principle. The danger in practice, however, is that they are too closely associated with the wider PVE agenda to have the capacity to win the trust and commitment of teachers, parents and communities, and of young people themselves.
o The wider agenda has been criticised on the basis of leaked early drafts; the rationale expounded by certain thinktanks; strategies implemented by the police, security services and justice systems across Europe; and reports on how funds have allegedly been misused by local authorities and the voluntary sector.
o The Government needs to seek and heed advice from a wider range of people than hitherto, including those who have direct, firsthand experience of the issues with which PVE is concerned, and scholars who have given sustained consideration to the issues over many years.
o In the education system, new approaches to citizenship education are urgently required
Background
1. The Insted consultancy was established in 1993. It has a specialist interest in issues of cultural and religious diversity and in this connection has been centrally involved in several projects over the years concerned with the experiences, concerns and perceptions of British Muslims. For example, Insted has been responsible for drafting, editing and compiling the following reports:
o Islamophobia - a challenge for us all, Runnymede Trust 1997
o The Achievement of British Pakistani Learners - work in progress, Trentham Books for Yorkshire Forward, 2004
o Islamophobia - challenges, issues and action, Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia, 2004
o The Search for Common Ground - Muslims, non-Muslims and the UK media, Greater London Authority, 2007
o Young, Muslim and Citizen - identity, empowerment and change, UK Race in Europe Network, 2009
2. In addition, we have contributed articles to magazines and journals, some of which are on our website at www.insted.co.uk and the most recent of which is about preventing violent extremism. We are currently (September 2009) helping to co-ordinate a Europe-wide project on challenging intolerance and discrimination against Muslims set up by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) through its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), based in Warsaw.
3. It is also relevant to mention the work we have done on countering racist attitudes and behaviour among young people, as documented in Bullying around Racism, Religion and Culture, published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) in 2006 and Racist Incidents and Bullying in Schools, published by Trentham Books in 2008.
4. This submission draws on the discussions, reflections, observations, conversations, communications and experiences which underlie the projects and publications listed above.
5. Our answers to the select committee's consultation questions are given with regard to the educational strand in the PVE programme, not more widely.
6. We acknowledge our answers to the consultation questions are all rather negative. We regret we do not feel we can be more encouraging or constructive. However, we perceive this consultation to be a promising sign. By asking these questions, the select committee appears to be signalling that the Government is minded to re-think key elements in the PVE programme, and to seek advice, comment and recommendations from a wider range of opinion than hitherto.
Answers to consultation questions
Is the Prevent programme the right way of addressing the problem of violent extremism, or are there better ways of doing it?
7. Pursue, Prevent, Protect, Prepare may appear at first sight thoughtful, reasonable and well-argued. However, such a judgement is possible only if one is not familiar with the series of government documents on the same theme that preceded it, including certain unpublished but leaked drafts (Dodd, 17 February 2009); nor familiar with the rationale for PVE expounded by certain thinktanks (Kundnani, 2008); nor familiar with how PVE strategies have in practice been implemented by the police, security services and justice system across Europe (Fekete 2009); and not familiar with criticisms of how PVE funds have allegedly been misused by local authorities and the voluntary sector (An-Nisa 2009, Birt 2009, Sims 2009, Yaqoob 2008).
8. The educational objectives set out in the DCSF toolkit for schools are unexceptionable at the level of abstract principle. The danger in practice, however, is that they are too closely associated with the wider PVE agenda to have the capacity to win the trust and commitment of teachers, parents and communities, and of young people themselves.
How robust is the Government's analysis of the factors which lead people to become involved in violent extremism? Is the 'Prevent' programme appropriately targeted to address the most important of those factors?
9. No, despite the large number of academic references in Pursue, Prevent, Protect, Prepare, the analysis is not academically robust. Minimally it should have recognised that specialists with firsthand knowledge and experience of the issues do not all agree with each other, let alone with the assumptions underlying PVE.
How appropriate, and how effective, is the Government's strategy for engaging with communities? Has the Government been speaking to the right people? Has its programme reached those at whom it is-or should be-aimed?
10. The
Government appears not to have been speaking, let alone listening, to the full
range of people with relevant experience and insights. From what is known for
certain about the 'home-grown' terrorists who have so emerged in the
Is the necessary advice and expertise available to local authorities on how to implement and evaluate the programme?
11. By and large it appears that the necessary advice and expertise have not so far been provided. Local authorities needed and need advice on:
o how not to reflect and legitimise a mindset which sees all Muslims as much the same, regardless of their ethnicity, nationality, social class, life experience, geographical location and political outlook, and regardless of how observant and religiously-oriented they are, or are not
o how not to foster or exacerbate tensions and rivalries between different Muslim groups and organisations
o how to avoid the appearance or reality of using patronage, favouritism and grants to divide and rule
o how to avoid appearing to collude with voices
which explicitly or in code play on fears about the 'creeping
islamification' of
o how to avoid appearing to de-professionalise teachers and youth workers, as also staff in other public services, by co-opting them into surveillance on behalf of the police and security services and undermining relationships of trust
o how to make positive use of insights, wisdom and moral teachings and exemplars in Islamic traditions of education and learning, and in the writings and reflections of scholars and researchers of Muslim heritage concerned with issues of citizenship, identity, pluralism, youth culture and globalisation
o how to define and use key words such as 'extremism'. 'radicalisation', 'resilience', 'Islamism' and 'fundamentalism'
o how to engage in serious consideration of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism in their various manifestations, and in this way (amongst other ways) to engage with disaffection, alienation and anger amongst young Muslims
Are the objectives of the Prevent agenda being communicated effectively to those at whom it is aimed?
12. Apparently not. For example, there appears to have been little communication or discussion on Muslim websites and blogs, particularly those which are used by young people
Is the Government seeking, and obtaining, appropriate advice on how to achieve the goals of the Prevent programme?
13. This question is answered above. The Government does not appear, so far, to have sought or received advice from the full range of people with firsthand and substantial experience and knowledge. This consultation, however, implies the Government is minded to re-think.
How effectively has the Government evaluated the effectiveness of the programme and the value for money which is being obtained from it? Have reactions to the programme been adequately gauged?
14. The fact of this consultation implies a serious start to gauging reactions to the programme has been made. It is nevertheless worrying that serious evaluation appears not yet to have been undertaken.
Is there adequate differentiation between what should be achieved through the Prevent programme and the priorities that concern related, but distinct, policy frameworks such as cohesion and integration?
15. As phrased, the question seems to imply such differentiation is desirable. We agree that a degree of differentiation is desirable, but so also a degree of synthesis is desirable.
Ways ahead in the field of education
16. From the point of view of the Government, Prevent is just one strand, stream or pillar in the overall task of responding to international terrorism. From the point of view of schools, however, it is just one strand in the overall field of citizenship education. This is acknowledged, but not adequately emphasised, in the Learning Together to be Safe toolkit.
17. If local authorities and schools engage explicitly with PVE, it would be appropriate and valuable if they were to do these three things before making any specific plans:
o familiarise themselves with the criticisms that have been made of PVE, as outlined above, and decide their own views through reflective discussion involving not only staff but also parents and other carers, and young people themselves.
o revisit their citizenship education provision and amend it accordingly, bearing in mind not only non-Muslim perspectives, as at present, but also perspectives informed by Muslim principles and experience
o draw up a brief list of principles to guide their detailed planning and to be the basis for later evaluation.
18. When engaging in these tasks, schools and local authorities need to be mindful of Muslim perspectives and experience, and to draw on the work and reflections of initiatives such as An-Nisa's British, Muslim or Wot project, based in London; the Islam and Citizenship Education (ICE) project based in Leicester; the Nasiha Citizenship Foundation based in Bradford; the Oxford Muslim Pupils' Empowerment Project, based at Cheney School, Oxford; the Muslim Youth website; and Young, Muslim and Citizen, developed by the UK Race in Europe Network (UKREN). The latter proposes five key principles:
1 Muslim voice Muslim views and voices about British citizenship should be heard and attended to in current debates.
2 Identity and belonging Each young Muslim person in modern
3 Duties and responsibilities Young Muslim citizens of the
4 Challenging prejudice There is an urgent need, if young people of Muslim heritage are to play
a full part in
5 Participation Young Muslim citizens should be helped to develop political literacy and participation skills, and skills in effecting change.
19. Clearly, these five principles are relevant, suitably modified in their phrasings, for all young people, not for Muslim young people only. It is also relevant to note and emphasise that these principles add to and complement, but are in no way inconsistent with, the approaches recommended in Learning Together to be Safe. They are in effect expounded with greater detail in the writings of, amongst others, Sughra Ahmed, Louise Archer, Tufyal Choudhury, Maurice Coles, Philip Lewis, the Learning and Skills Council, and Rabia Malik and her co-authors. There are exact references in the bibliography below.
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Bibliography
Ahmed, Sughra (2009) Seen and Not Heard: voices of young British Muslims, Leicester: Policy Research Centre, Islamic Foundation http://policyresearch.org.uk/publications_reports-SeenNotHeard.php
An-Nisa Society (2009) An-Nisa Society's initial response to Contest 2's Prevent Strategy, April (see also Khailda Khan below)
An-Nisa Society (2008) British, Muslim or Wot? - an exploration of what it means to be young,
Muslim and British,
Archer, Louise (2003) Race, Masculinity and Schooling: Muslim boys and education, Maidenhead: Open University Press
Bennett, Catherine (2008) So teachers must be spies - now that really is a bit extreme, The Observer, 12 October
Birt, Yahya (2009) Promoting Virulent Envy: reconsidering the
Blower,
Cantle, Ted (2009) The Prevent Agenda and Community Cohesion: overview paper for the Capita national conference, 28 April
Choudhury, Tufyal (2006) The Role of Muslim Identity Politics in Radicalisation: a study in progress, Department for Communities and Local Government
Coles, Maurice Irfan (2009) Islam, Citizenship and Education: when hope and history rhyme, a discussion paper at www.theiceproject.com
Coles, Maurice Irfan (2008) Every Muslim Child Matters: practical
guidance for schools and children's services, Stoke on
Davies,
Dodd, Vikram (2009) Anti-terror code would alienate most Muslims, The Guardian, 17 February
Fekete, Liz (2009) The parallel world of
Hamdan, Karima (2009) Contest 2 and the great white whale, www.ummahpulse.com, 28 March
Hull, Andy and Kearns, Ian (2009) Stopping bombs and standing up for what we believe in, article for Institute for Public Policy Research, 7 April http://www.ippr.org.uk/articles/?id=3460
Hussain, Monawar (2008)
Khan, Khalida (2009) Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) & PREVENT: a response from the Muslim community, An-Nisa Society, February
Kundnani, Arun (2008) How thinktanks are
shaping the political agenda on Muslims in
Lewis, Philip (2007) Young, British and Muslim,
Maher,
Malik, Rabia and Aallyah Shaikh, Mustafa Suleyman, (2007) Providing Faith and Culturally Sensitive Support Services to Young British Muslims, Leicester: National Youth Agency
Milne, Seamus (2009) We are all extremists now, The Guardian, 16 February
SHM Consulting (2007) Engaging Young Muslims in Learning: research findings,
Sims, Paul (2009) Mills and minarets, New Humanist, vol. 124, issue 3, May/June
UK Race in Europe Network (2008) Young, Muslim and Citizen: identity, empowerment and taking part, draft for piloting, Runnymede Trust/UKREN
Yaqoob, Salma (2008) Government's PVE agenda is failing to tackle extremism, The Muslim News, 28 November
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